This recipe cooks fast so prep your vegetables as directed above before turning on your Instant Pot (IP).

Heat IP on Sauté High.  Once hot, add 2 tablespoon of Olive Oil.  In batches, brown chicken on both sides and set aside on a plate.  Leave any dripping and bits of chicken stuck to the IP pot after browning.  Do not rinse or throw out...this is the FLAVOR!  

Add peppers, onions, celery and andouille sausage to the pot and sauté for about 5 minutes or until vegetables soften slightly.   Only lightly season  with salt and pepper as the sausage has plenty of salt and spice.  Once the vegetables begin to sweat, use a wooden spoon to scrape any bits of chicken from the bottom of the IP.   Add garlic during last minute of cooking vegetables and andouille.  Remove vegetable/andouille mixture with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Press cancel and let the IP cool down for about 5 minutes. 

While the IP cools, slice the browned chicken into cubes reserving any juices released from the chicken as you slice.  

Heat IP on Sauté Low to make the roux.  Melt butter and add whole wheat flour seasoning with salt and pepper.  Stir flour and butter constantly for about 5 minutes until the flour looks like dark peanut butter.  Here’s the thing about this step.  Don’t walk away.  Don’t stop stirring.   Don’t let this burn.  If this roux step burns, you must start over with new butter and flour.  Super important my friends.  A roux is like a significant other with wayward eyes meaning he or she must be attended to at all times.  

Once the “roux” has darkened, quickly add a small amount (1/2 cup) of chicken stock and deglaze the IP using a wooden spoon scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the IP.   Be thorough here because if you leave any bits at the bottom, the dreaded BURN error will happen during the cooking process.  

Once deglazed, add remaining chicken stock, vegetable/andouille mixture, chopped chicken, bay leaves, worcestershire sauce, tomatoes and water.  Season lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper but don’t be aggressive as the stock, sausage, chicken and vegetables will work its magic here.  Close IP and cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes.  Quick release.  

Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings with salt, ground pepper and cayenne pepper if needed.  Add okra and shrimp to the pot and close the pot again letting the steam and heat of the pot gently cook the shrimp and okra for an additional 10 minutes.  Release any remaining pressure.  Adjust your seasoning and enjoy!

Serve alone, over cauliflower rice if you are watching carbohydrate intake like our family or the traditional way with rice.  Brown rice would work nicely here too.  C’mon, I had to try.  

Store any leftovers in an airtight container.  As with Gumbo, this Creole Soup tastes even better the next day once the flavors have a chance to come together.  

KETO & PALEO NOTE:  For those on a strict Keto or Paleo diet, swap the olive oil for avocado oil and the whole wheat flour for coconut flour.