Chicken Gumbo Soup

I've got some Cajun blood and love creole cooking. Gumbo is a food that I have missed desperately since I became aware of my allergies. The following recipe is delicious and wheat & egg free! It is gumbo minus the roux. You could substitute the chicken for seafood, and chicken broth for seafood broth if desired - and add the seafood to each individual bowl when serving.

1/4 pound fully cooked smoked sausage chopped 3/4 pound chicken thighs or chicken breasts with bones 2 medium celery stalks (with leaves), sliced (1 1/4 cups) 1 large carrot, chopped (3/4 cup) 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup) 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes, undrained 5 cups chicken broth 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 1 package (10 ounces) frozen cut okra, thawed and drained 3 cups hot cooked rice 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil Creole Seasoning (I useTony Chachere's) Brown chicken in a skillet with olive oil then place in crock pot. Mix all ingredients except okra and rice in 4- to 5-quart slow cooker. Season with Tony's as desired. (I like mine salty and spicy, so add about a tsp.) Cover and cook on low heat setting 6 hours 30 minutes to 7 hours or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Stir in okra. Cover and cook on low heat setting 20 minutes longer. Spoon soup over rice in large soup bowls. You can serve chicken with bones or debone them prior to serving. Adapted from Betty Crocker