Green gumbo
Happy happy year of the PIG! May it be bountiful and blessed! On new years day, it is tradition to start the day with veggies. When preparing the classic vegetarian medley, it is good luck to use as many ingredients as possible. My mom aims to have up to 18 for prosperity good fortune!
After being home in NY celebrating the first couple days of new years, I returned to a LA winter. This is the coldest it's been since I've moved here and all I want is stew. I saw a NOLA friend post a photo of green gumbo, and I had to find out what was in it. Tradition in the south has it that gumbo z'herbes is prepared for Holy Thursday and throughout Lent as a meatless option. For good luck, use an odd number of greens. The more you use, the more friends you will have that year.
...do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?
Green gumbo * (serves 6-8)
5 stalks collard greens
5 stalks mustard greens
3 stalks kale
3 stalks Swiss chard
3 stalks leek
3 steps scallion
5 cloves garlic
2 cups beans **
12 oz vegetable broth
1/4 c oil ***
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp Cajun spice (I used Slap Ya Mama)
Optional: Crystal hot sauce
* any assortment of leafy green veggies are fine, total should amount to 10-12 cups. I avoided more delicate greens such as spinach, which diminishes in size and texture with cooking
** the beans are for protein, I used red beans. The original recipe called for bacon, but I added beans towards the end instead
*** use plant based oil of choice, I used olive. Grapeseed, canola, avocado are all fine.
1. In a large pot, sautee garlic and scallion in oil. Once browned, add leeks and Cajun spice
2. Add each type of green to the pot in rounds - stir well between rounds until greens start to wilt to allow enough room for the next batch of raw greens
3. Once all greens are added and sizzling in the pot, pour in vegetable broth and enough water to just cover greens
4. Add beans and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes, until greens are all soft and become a darker green. Splash in apple cider vinegar, give it a good stir and serve
Optional:
- blend before serving
- serve with heaping bowl of rice
