gumbo aux herbes (green gumbo)

 

Growing up in a house in south Louisiana meant smelling the burnt nutty smell of roux being made in late morning, followed by the smells of a gumbo simmering gently on the stove for several hours. The sound of the rice maker's bell going off was the unofficial dinner bell. Most times, it was chicken and sausage, or seafood with shrimp, oyster and/or crabs. But luckily I found that there is indeed a traditional vegetarian gumbo, often cooked during Lent when many Catholics gave up meat, and seems to have been a favorite in New Orleans. Also sometimes called gumbo z'erbes, (a more correct French spelling is gumbo aux herbes). I simply call it green gumbo. It's made with a variety of greens, such as mustard, turnip greens, spinach, swiss chard, cabbage, parsley (I'm forgetting the name of the spicy green said to be harvested from the neutral ground in New Orleans). Traditionally it is good luck if you make it with an odd number of greens. Usually I like it with mustard, baby spinach and parsley.

 

It's also a bit of a tradition to serve gumbo with potato salad on the side.

 

Ingredients

 

• roux (flour and oil)
• 2 onions
• 1 green bell pepper
• 3 stalks of celery
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 4-6 cups of water or vegetable broth (if using water add some vegetable boullion cubes)
• a variety of greens, an odd number (mustard, turnip, spinach, swiss chard, cabbage, parsley)
• a half bunch of  green onions
• a tablespoon of dried thyme
• a bay leaf
• a can of rotel (optional)
• 2 cups frozen cut okra
• creole seasoning (tony's)
• hot pepper sauce
• cooked white rice

 

 

Take out your biggest and heaviest pot. Make the roux (or use a premade roux) by heating oil and flour over medium high heat. Stir it constantly so that it browns evenly. I like a dark coffee or dark chocolate colored roux. Be careful because it will be much hotter than boiling water. Use a long handled wooden spoon. Add the chopped onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Stir. When the seasoning is soft add the water (watch out, don't let it get you!). Add the thyme, bay leaf, and some creole seasoning, and rotel if using. (some diehards say tomatoes have no place in gumbo, but I like the tang). After cooking for about a halfhour, add the chopped and destemmed greens.  cook down for an hour or two. 20 minutes before eating add the okra and chopped green onions. Add salt and creole seasong to taste.

 

Serve over cooked rice with hot pepper sauce (Tabasco is my favorite). Some go for the file to thicken, but I believe that file and okra don't belong in the same bowl. Potato salad should be served on the side. Best on a cold day.

 

shopping list:

onion

celery

garlic

bell pepper

okra

bunch of greens

rice

 

sides: potato salad, garlic bread

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