Spicy Cajun soup, a lightened-up gumbo
And a 2024 recap (recipes and real life)
Happy New Year! If you’re new to my newsletter and have found your way here because of a January reset after the holidays, or a New Year’s resolution, or any new (or old) effort to cook and eat in a way that is friendly to your blood sugar, WELCOME! The beginning of the year always brings new readers to the blog and to my newsletter, and I am grateful you’re here.
Every first Thursday of the month (today!), I always send out a free dinner recipe, with the printable PDF and nutritional info included.
This week’s recipe is a hearty soup packed with protein and flavor and lots of vegetables. It’s not authentically Cajun, but it does remind me of a lightened-up, Cajun-style gumbo. It’s seasoned with Cajun spices, there’s no roux involved, and it’s equally spicy-smoky-meaty which means it’s a hug-in-a-bowl kind of hearty.
I made this soup a couple of times in the past week, once for a quick, throw-together lunch, and the second time I tossed in a few other additions to up the protein and make it dinner-worthy.
It would go great with some almond flour biscuits or “cornbread muffins” for a delicious, standalone meal that’s filling and flavorful.
A very real 2024 recap
When I take an honest look at 2024, there were so many good things to be grateful for, but it was a tough one, too. The highs included: our first full year with Millie and as a party of five, fun trips/visits with family and friends, family moving close-by, incredible work clients, and growing and devoting time to this newsletter.
But 2024 was also a rough year for our family — specifically my husband Ian— which I haven’t shared too much about. The thing about brain cancer, a diagnosis Ian received more than 7 years ago, is that you can be “cancer free” for several years yet the fight for your health never takes a pause. Brain cancer is a unique type of disease in that it invades the specific part of the body that works as the control center for everything else, including thoughts, emotions, and personality. Surgery, treatment, and medications are other factors that can have their own drastic, long-term effects on the brain.
You could think of it as like a traumatic brain injury— people living with a brain tumor deal with unseen, neurological injuries that they, and those closest to them, may not understand or know how to help manage.
That is always the case for Ian. The brain can be such a mystery. We’ve spent over a year trying to manage symptoms and side effects from medications, eliminating some altogether, and wondering (hoping) that it would make a difference.
It turns out, sometimes making big changes to improve quality of life can negatively affect quality of life for a long time. Ian has desperately struggled to come off of some medications, and not only has it been brutal, but it has a ripple effect on the entire family. I’m so proud of Ian’s strength and determination, and also very grateful for all of the support from friends and family this year who stepped in to watch the kids, to drive them to practice, to be at home with Ian when I couldn’t be, to pray for us, and encourage us.
With that said, Ian has been, very slowly, feeling better, and able to do more with the family. We are hopeful that this year will be a better year for his health. And the MRIs continue to be stable, which is always the very best news. ♥️
My top five recipes of 2024 + looking ahead
There’s something exciting about a fresh year ahead, and while I never really set formal resolutions for myself, I do enjoy goal-setting and tidying up my spaces and systems in the new year, looking at what works/has worked and what could benefit from a change.
This newsletter is no different, and as I plan out recipes and other content, I hope you always feel free to leave input. It’s your newsletter, really, which means your feedback will help shape it into the best resource I can make for you.
Do you want to continue to see quick, easy, low-carb dinner recipes? Or do you like the occasional dessert or breakfast recipe too?
Are there ingredients you would like to see more of? More meal plans or meal prep requests?
I am completely all ears so feel free to leave a comment or message me directly.
I thought it would also be fun to take a look at the top five recipes that got the most love this past year!
What was your favorite thing you made in 2024?
I loved these pumpkin cheesecake bites, balsamic and onion pork medallions, and this low-carb sheet pan eggplant Parmesan.
Can’t wait to see all the good food that 2025 brings!
Spicy Cajun soup
For this week’s recipe, we’re relying on andouille sausage (make sure to use a high quality, preferably paleo sausage), pre-cooked chicken, fresh vegetables and pantry staples to create this spicy, Cajun-inspired soup.
While traditional gumbo requires a roux— cooked flour and fat that thickens and flavors the dish— my low-carb and gluten-free version skips that process for a lighter meal that is more soup than stew.
I used a combination of chicken and andouille sausage, but you can absolutely throw in some shrimp, too.
As for the veggies, diced onion, garlic, bell pepper, radishes and a bit of charred cabbage tossed in at the very end, add nutrients, flavor, and heft.
Recipe Tips: when using lots of spices and dried herbs in a soup, add them in with the vegetables, before adding the broth, to allow the spices to cook slightly. Also, try crumbling the dried herbs in between your hands as you’re adding them in! These two tips will make the most of your herbs and spices, and infuse the soup with even more flavor.
Spend 30 minutes making this and you’ll enjoy a mildly spicy soup that will warm up any January evening, and leave you with next-day lunch, too.
The recipe
Yield: 5-8 servings
Prep time: ~30 minutes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil, divided
10-12 ounces andouille sausage, sliced into ½-inch thick rounds (about 3-4 sausages)
½ large yellow onion, diced small
1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, diced small
½ cup radishes, chopped small
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
½ tablespoon dried oregano
½ tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1-½ teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes (preferably fire roasted)
5 cups chicken broth
1-½ to 2 cups pre-cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
1 cup thinly-sliced cabbage
1 tablespoon file powder (optional)
Green onions, cheddar cheese, and/or sour cream or Greek yogurt (optional toppings)
Instructions
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot over medium heat. When it glistens, add the sausage slices, cooking for 2-3 minutes per side to brown. Transfer them to a plate.
Add another 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot. Add the diced onion, bell pepper and radishes, cooking for 5-7 minutes to soften. If the veggies get too dry, pour in a splash of broth to add moisture and deglaze the pan.
Stir in the tomato paste, minced garlic, smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic powder and chili powder. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the diced tomatoes and broth, then increase the temperature to high heat and bring to a simmer. Once it boils, turn the heat down to medium and let it cook for 3-5 minutes or until the radishes are tender.
During this time, add the sliced cabbage to a sheet pan. Drizzle it with oil and set it under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to slightly char.
Add the cabbage, sausage, and chicken to the soup. Stir in the file powder, if using, and cook for 2-3 more minutes. The file powder will thicken it a bit.
Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt (or sour cream), cheddar cheese, and green onions.
Recipe notes
Choose a high-quality, paleo andouille sausage.
When using lots of spices and dried herbs in a soup, you can maximize the flavor by adding them in with the vegetables, before adding in broth. This allows the spices to slightly toast. Also, try crumbling the dried herbs in between your hands as you’re adding them in! These two tips will make the most of your herbs and spices, and infuse the soup with even more flavor.
File powder (also called gumbo file) is ground sassafras leaves. It’s added to gumbo for flavor and thickening properties. If you don’t have it, feel free to skip it! It won’t make a huge difference.
I like serving this soup with a dollop of Greek yogurt, some shredded cheese, and green onions. But add whatever toppings you like (think of your favorite chili toppings– any of those will work).
Store this soup in the refrigerator for up to four days. Leftovers will freeze well and keep for up to two months.
Substitutions
Radishes: You can substitute radishes with a large carrot, two celery ribs or half of a small delicata squash (small cubes). Radishes get tender when cooked, similar to the consistency of cooked carrots.
Sausage or chicken: If preferred, substitute the sausage or chicken for wild shrimp (sear them in the pot for 1-2 minutes per side, before you start on the soup). Or substitute pre-cooked chicken for pre-cooked shredded pork or beef.
Chicken broth: Use bone broth for extra protein. Otherwise, any type of chicken or vegetable broth or stock will work just fine.
Spices: If you’re missing one of the spices, that’s okay! Smoked paprika and chili powder are the two that will add the most flavor. Smoked paprika can be swapped for regular paprika. Chili powder can be substituted for ½ teaspoon chipotle powder, ancho chili powder, or ¼-½ teaspoon cayenne.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated by MyFitnessPal and is based on an estimate of 5 large servings.
Calories: 332
Total fat: 19 g
Cholesterol: 49mg
Total carbohydrate: 11 g
Dietary fiber: 3 g
Total sugar: 5 g
Protein: 30 g
Total net carbs: 6 g
If you enjoy this recipe, I’d be so grateful if you tap the ❤️ for this post or share it with someone you know!
It’s a great time of year to kick-start new eating habits and make positive changes to support your metabolic health.
Ian and I will be joining Beth Bollinger’s 7-day detox for the first time, which begins on Monday. Beth shared all about it in a recent post, which I’m linking below. I’m really looking forward to it!
Until next week,
Abby
