Get your ingredients ready. Dice the onion, bell pepper, celery, and sausage. Mince the garlic, measure your seasonings, and gently check the crab meat for shell fragments. Keep the seafood refrigerated until it’s time to add it.

Cook the white rice separately. Cook 1 cup of dry white rice according to the package directions, using the amount of water listed on the package. Once the rice is tender, fluff it with a fork and keep it covered while you finish the soup.

Brown the andouille. Place a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced andouille and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and some of its fat has rendered. Transfer the sausage to a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.

Make a light roux. Add the butter to the pot. Once melted, sprinkle in the flour and stir until smooth. Cook over medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring continuously, until the mixture turns light golden.

Add the vegetables. Stir in the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

Season the base. Add 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, the smoked paprika, and dried thyme. Stir for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

Add the stock and simmer. Slowly pour in the stock, stirring as you go to blend it smoothly into the roux. Return the andouille to the pot and add the bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat and simmer 15–20 minutes.

Stir in the cream. Pour in the heavy cream and stir well. Maintain a gentle simmer for about 5 minutes.

Cook the shrimp. Add the raw shrimp and gently simmer for approximately 3–4 minutes, stirring carefully, until the shrimp are opaque throughout.

Fold in the crab, crawfish, and rice. Gently fold in the cooked crab and cooked crawfish. Heat for about 2–3 minutes, or until warmed through. Add the cooked white rice and stir gently until everything is hot.

Finish with lemon and taste. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in 1–2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, then taste. Add more lemon, the reserved Cajun seasoning, black pepper, or a pinch of cayenne as needed.

Bowl it up. Ladle into bowls and finish with sliced green onions, optional fresh herbs or microgreens, and a lemon wedge on the side.