Sausage Gumbo

A smoked sausage with vegetables & cooked rice - a delicious dinner prepared in a slow cooker. ...MORE+ LESS-

pound fully cooked smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices

medium green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)

medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

cloves garlic, finely chopped

can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes, undrained

tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4

teaspoon salt

1/4

teaspoon pepper

package (10 ounces) frozen sliced okra, thawed and drained

tablespoon white vinegar

1/4

to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper sauce

cups hot cooked rice, for serving

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1

Mix sausage, bell pepper, onion, garlic, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper in 3 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker.
2

Cover and cook on low heat setting 7 to 9 hours (or high heat setting 3 to 4 hours) or until vegetables are tender.
3

Stir in okra, vinegar and pepper sauce.
4

Cover and cook on high heat setting about 30 minutes or until slightly thickened.
5

Serve gumbo over rice.

Okra not only adds flavor, but as it cooks it helps to thicken the gumbo sauce. It's a popular vegetable throughout the South and is a signature ingredient for gumbos. In fact, the name gumbo is a derivation of the African word for "okra." This vegetable was brought to the South from Africa.
Some gumbos are made with a variety of meats instead of just sausage. Cut 1/2 pound of skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs, beef round steak or ham into 1/2-inch pieces, and add with 1/2 pound of sliced sausage. Or use a little of each to equal a pound of meat.
Adding greens to your gumbo is a symbol for good luck. Place about 4 cups of fresh spinach on top of the cooked gumbo. Cover the cooker and let it stand about 10 minutes or until the spinach is wilted. Stir the spinach into the gumbo before serving.