**Gumbo Z'herbes: A Flavorful Journey through Louisiana Cuisine**
In the heart of Louisiana, where the bayous flow and the Creole culture thrives, lies a culinary treasure that embodies the spirit of the region: Gumbo Z'herbes. This hearty and flavorful dish is a symphony of textures and tastes that pays homage to the state's rich history and diverse culinary influences.
Gumbo Z'herbes is a unique variation of the classic gumbo, a dish that combines the culinary traditions of African, French, Spanish, and Native American cultures. This vegetarian version of gumbo celebrates the abundance of fresh herbs and vegetables found in Louisiana's fertile soils.
Our collection of Gumbo Z'herbes recipes offers a tantalizing array of flavors and cooking techniques to satisfy every palate. From the traditional to the contemporary, these recipes showcase the versatility of this iconic dish.
Dive into the authentic flavors of our classic Gumbo Z'herbes recipe, where a rich roux forms the base for a savory broth brimming with an array of fresh herbs, including parsley, thyme, and oregano. Tender okra, bell peppers, and tomatoes add texture and vibrant colors, while a hint of cayenne pepper brings a touch of warmth.
For those who prefer a more contemporary twist, our modernized Gumbo Z'herbes recipe introduces a medley of roasted vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, carrots, and Brussels sprouts, which caramelize in the oven, adding a delightful depth of flavor to the dish. The addition of cremini mushrooms and baby spinach further enhances the complexity of this vegetarian delight.
For those with dietary restrictions, our gluten-free Gumbo Z'herbes recipe offers a delicious alternative that doesn't compromise on taste. Using a gluten-free roux and a variety of gluten-free flours, this recipe ensures that everyone can enjoy the vibrant flavors of this Louisiana classic.
And for those who love the convenience of a slow-cooker, our slow-cooker Gumbo Z'herbes recipe is a lifesaver. Simply toss all the ingredients into the slow cooker in the morning, and come home to a piping hot, flavorful gumbo that's perfect for a cozy dinner.
LEAH CHASE'S GUMBO Z'HERBES
The story of Leah Chase reads like a social history of New Orleans. Creole-born across Lake Pontchartrain, she started waitressing in 1941-part of the first group of female servers in the French Quarter-when the men were off at war. In '46, she began working at her in-laws' restaurant, Dooky Chase's, where jazz greats such as Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, and Sarah Vaughan would congregate. "There was no place else for them to eat when they came to town," Leah said. Then in the 1960s, with desegregation, Leah began "learning what they were doing on the other side," in places like Commander's Palace, where her clientele now had the opportunity to dine. For her, the strength of the SFA is its ability to transcend borders and bring people together over food. Every year on the Thursday before Easter, she used to cook up to 100 gallons of her Gumbo Z'Herbes, made with nine different types of greens. All of New Orleans, from Catholics to Jews, whites to blacks, would flock to her gumbo pot en masse. "The best way to know people is through food," she says. "Get them to talk about food. Talk over food. It might be about food, but you're also talking about issues."
Provided by Leah Chase
Time 2h50m
Yield Makes 10 to 12 Servings
Number Of Ingredients 22
Steps:
- Combine first 11 ingredients and water to cover in a 15-qt. stockpot; cover. Bring to a boil over high heat (about 20 minutes). Uncover; boil, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Drain, reserving cooking liquid. Coarsely chop greens.
- Combine smoked sausage and next 2 ingredients in pot with 2 cups reserved cooking liquid. Bring to a boil. Boil, stirring once, 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook chorizo in hot oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels, reserving 3 Tbsp. drippings in skillet.
- Make a roux: Stir flour into reserved drippings with a wooden spoon, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until flour is medium brown (about 15 minutes; see "Master the Art of Making Roux," page 5, as a guide). Add flour mixture to mixture in stockpot, and stir well. Add chopped greens mixture and 5 cups reserved cooking liquid. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Stir in salt, thyme, red pepper, and chorizo. Cook, stirring occasionally, 40 minutes. Stir in filé powder; stir vigorously. Serve over hot cooked rice.
GUMBO Z'HERBES
This hearty vegetable gumbo is traditionally eaten on Holy Thursday to fortify worshipers for Good Friday, a day of fasting and abstinence from meat. I've seen recipes that contain everything from chicken wings to spicy chaurice sausage (a Cajun cousin of chorizo) to smoked brisket. Custom also dictates that the gumbo is supposed to have an odd number of greens--five or seven or nine and as many as fifteen--for luck. Many recipes include foraged herbs such as peppergrass, as well as the green tops from radishes, carrots, and beets. Leah Chase, the Grande Dame of NOLA, is world famous for her Gumbo Z'herbes. At her restaurant, Dooky Chase, there are three lunch seatings on Holy Thursday, serving nearly five hundred guests. Most recipes are quite the production, featuring multiple pots and pureeing vast quantities of simmered greens. I've streamlined the recipe by using baby greens and prechopped greens to avoid pureeing them at the end. Aim for the odd number in any combination of "z'herbes" you'd like. This amount of liquid is suitable for 3 pounds of greens.
Provided by Virginia Willis
Categories main-dish
Time 1h15m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add both kinds of sausage; cook until the sausage is cooked through and the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat to a plate.
- Add the remaining 5 tablespoons oil to the pot. Add the flour and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until deep golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the onion, poblano, and celery and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the stock and stir to combine.
- Plop the ham hock in and bring to a boil over high heat. Return the chorizo and andouille to the pot. Add the collard greens, kale, spinach, cabbage, green onions, and thyme. (You may need to let the greens cook a bit between additions so they will all fit in the pot. Don't be tempted to add additional liquid too soon: It's easy to add but hard to remove, and you want the gumbo to be dense and like stew, not soup.) Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until the greens are tender, about 45 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Add hot sauce to taste. Serve ladled over cooked white rice with hot sauce on the side.
GUMBO Z'HERBES
This simple, vegetarian take on gumbo focuses on hearty greens made extra flavorful by simmering with the holy trinity onion, celery, and bell pepper. This would be great with hot sauce and toasted benne (sesame) seeds. Or, top each bowl with seared or grilled andouille or Conecuh® sausage.
Provided by John Somerall
Time 2h
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Cut leeks in half lengthwise, then slice both white and green parts crosswise into 1/4-inch thick pieces. Remove and discard stems from collard greens, turnip greens, kale, and chard; chop all greens, keeping them separate. Dice celery stalks and reserve leaves for garnish.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add leeks and 1 tablespoon thyme; cook, stirring frequently, until leeks are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add collard greens, turnip greens, and cabbage; cook, stirring frequently, until greens are wilted, about 5 minutes. Add kale, chard, and 1 tablespoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until all greens are wilted, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking greens, stirring frequently, until tender and no longer bitter, about 10 minutes. Remove greens from the pot and transfer to a large bowl; set aside until ready to use.
- Wipe out the pot and melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until flour mixture is dark brown in color and very aromatic (try to get this mixture as dark as possible without burning it), about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper, onion, and diced celery; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and remaining 1 tablespoon thyme; cook, stirring constantly, until tender and fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in vegetable broth. Add reserved braised greens, add bay leaves, black pepper, file powder, and crushed red pepper. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Season with remaining 1 tablespoon salt.
- Serve over cooked rice and garnish with reserved celery leaves, if desired.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 231.7 calories, Carbohydrate 38.8 g, Cholesterol 15.3 mg, Fat 7 g, Fiber 8.2 g, Protein 7.7 g, SaturatedFat 3.9 g, Sodium 1282.7 mg, Sugar 5.6 g
GUMBO Z'HERBES
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 2h35m
Yield 8 to 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Place the meat, if using, with the salt, cayenne, and bay leaves in a large deep pot and add water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 30 minutes. If using meat, remove it with a slotted spoon, chop it, and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the greens, a handful at a time, and blanch until they are wilted, about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid. Coarsely chop the greens. Set aside.
- In the same pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions, bell peppers, and celery. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are wilted and golden, about 10 minutes.
- Add the meat, greens, reserved liquid, thyme, oregano, basil, and parsley. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the bay leaves. Adjust seasonings with salt, if desired. (If not using meat, the gumbo may need more salt.) Also, if no meat has been added, add 4 tablespoons butter to the pot just before removing from the heat.
- Serve in deep soup bowls over steamed white rice with file powder passed at the table for guests to thicken the gumbo to their personal taste. Serve with hot sauce, if desired.
GUMBO Z'HERBES
Provided by Emeril Lagasse
Categories main-dish
Time 3h30m
Yield 8 to 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- In a stockpot or large saucepan, heat the bacon fat. Add the ham hock and onions and cook for 10 minutes, until onions are softened and slits in ham hock have begun to open up. Add garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and cayenne pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chopped greens, parsley, green onions and cabbage and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until greens are wilted. Add broth or water and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil, skim surface, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 2 1/2 hours, until greens are very tender. Season with salt and pepper and add file, to taste, just before serving in large bowls over hot white rice. (Do not allow gumbo to boil after adding the file.)
GUMBO Z'HERBES
Almost anything green is game here: Good options include turnip or beet greens, spinach, kale, fresh herbs, and green onions.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Pork Recipes
Time 3h25m
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Add ham hocks and onion; cook until onion has softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add greens; cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, 7 to 9 minutes. Add broth, 6 cups water, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme; season with salt and cayenne.
- Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook the gumbo 2 1/2 hours, or until ham hocks are tender and greens are very tender.
- Remove ham hocks from pot; shred meat, discarding skin and bones. Return meat to gumbo. Remove and discard bay leaf. Season with salt, and serve over rice.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 221 g, Fat 11 g, Fiber 8 g, Protein 16 g, SaturatedFat 2 g
GUMBO Z'HERBES
Categories Soup/Stew Leafy Green Pork Super Bowl Mardi Gras Ham Spinach Turnip Winter Mustard Greens Gourmet
Yield Makes 8 to 10 main-course servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a 6- to 8-quart wide heavy pot. Add cabbage and simmer, covered, until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer cabbage with tongs to a colander reserving cooking liquid, then add half of mustard, turnip, and beet greens to cooking liquid. Simmer uncovered, 5 minutes. Transfer greens with tongs to colander with cabbage, then cook remaining greens in same manner and transfer to colander. When greens are cool enough to handle, finely chop.
- Add ham hocks to cooking liquid (liquid will not cover them completely) and simmer, covered, 1 hour. Transfer with tongs to a cutting board to cool. Transfer ham broth to a bowl, adding water if necessary to measure 5 cups liquid. Discard skin, bones, and fat and finely chop ham.
- Cook onions and garlic in butter in pot over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Add ham broth in a slow stream, stirring constantly. Add chopped greens, ham, thyme, and minced chile and simmer, uncovered, until greens are tender, about 8 minutes.
- Gradually add spinach, stirring until wilted. Stir in parsley, vinegar, and salt. Serve with hot sauce and additional vinegar if desired.
Tips:
- Use a good quality stock. This is the foundation of your gumbo, so don't skimp on the ingredients. A flavorful stock will make all the difference in the final dish.
- Don't be afraid to use a variety of meats and vegetables. Gumbo is a versatile dish that can be customized to your liking. Feel free to add or remove ingredients as you see fit.
- Cook the roux slowly and carefully. This is another essential step in making gumbo. The roux should be cooked until it is a deep, rich brown color. If you rush this step, your gumbo will not have the same flavor.
- Don't overcrowd the pot. When you add the ingredients to the pot, make sure not to overcrowd it. This will prevent the gumbo from cooking evenly.
- Let the gumbo simmer for a while. This will allow the flavors to meld together and develop. The longer you simmer the gumbo, the better it will taste.
- Serve gumbo with rice. This is the traditional way to serve gumbo, and it's the best way to enjoy its unique flavor.
Conclusion:
Gumbo is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It's a great way to use up leftover ingredients, and it's also a perfect dish for a party or potluck. With a little planning and effort, you can make a gumbo that will impress your friends and family.
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