Recipe: Gumbo z'Herbes

Serves 12.

Note: The cooked greens and their broth can be refrigerated for up to 5 days before you make the gumbo. The finished gumbo can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months. Adapted from "Greens: A Savor the South Cookbook," by Thomas Head (University of North Carolina Press, 2016).

• 3 lb. greens (a combination of mustard greens, collards, turnip greens, beet greens, radish leaves, watercress, kale, parsley and/or others), washed, tough stems removed, and chopped into 1-in. pieces

• 8 c. homemade or no-salt-added store-bought vegetable broth

• Water, as needed

• 1/2 c. vegetable oil

• 1/2 c. flour

• 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped (1 c.)

• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped (1 c.)

• 3 ribs celery, finely chopped (1 c.)

• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

• 2 tsp. fine sea salt, plus more as needed

• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

• 12 c. cooked white or brown rice

• Tops of green onions, coarsely chopped, for garnish

Directions

While the greens are cooking, make a roux: Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, whisk in the flour until smooth. Reduce the heat to medium-low; cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns a light brown color, 10 to 20 minutes.

Stir in the onion, green and red bell peppers, celery, garlic, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes.

Drain the cooked greens, reserving the liquid. Transfer the greens to the pot of vegetables. Measure the reserved cooking liquid and add 8 cups of it to the pot. Increase the heat to bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat until the liquid is barely bubbling. Cook for 10 minutes, just to incorporate all the flavors. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.

Divide the rice among serving bowls, and ladle a cup of hot gumbo over each portion. Garnish with green onions.

Nutrition information per serving:

Carbohydrates62 gSaturated fat2 gTotal sugars6 g