Spicy Sausage and Chicken Gumbo Soup

The other day, I asked my husband what he wanted for dinner. His reply was a simple, "There's sausage in the freezer." My rebuttal, "Or...soup!" A nice, hearty soup was sounding good and a warm-up in soup form is always welcomed... Anyways, my husband took my soup idea as a suggestion for a sausage soup. After a few minutes of confusion on both our parts because we were trying to figure out what the other person meant, the gumbo soup recipe was born.

Now, be warned that this is one spicy soup. My little guy, who loves spicy food, took one bite and his little cheeks turned red! I can't really do spicy foods, but I was able to eat it and there were just a couple "woo!" moments on my part. And how did my husband feel about it? Well, he had it for dinner three nights in a row so I guess he liked it.

Spicy Sausage and Chicken Gumbo Soup Ingredients • 12 oz - 1 lb Polish sausage, sliced • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced • 6 c chicken broth • 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained • 2 ribs celery, sliced • 2 carrots, thinly sliced • 2 c diced onion • 1 green pepper, chopped • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced • About 1 1/2 c sliced okra • 1 bay leaf • 1/2 tsp salt • 1 tsp pepper • 1/2 tsp thyme • 1 tsp dried parsley • 1/2 tsp basil • 1/2 tsp oregano • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper • 1 tsp paprika • 2/3 c flour • 5 TB oil • 1/2 c uncooked white rice Directions 1. In a large pot, heat oil. Stir in flour and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture is the color of peanut butter. Be careful not to burn it. 2. When the flour mixture is the right color, stir in all the vegetables and spices. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for about 4-5 minutes, stirring almost continuously. 3. Slowly add the broth, while mixing constantly. When all the broth is in, add the remaining ingredients. 4. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes to 45 minutes.