Use What You Have Gumbo

With everyone cooking from the pantry, I thought I'd share this recipe for a vegan take on gumbo. It is based on traditional recipes that are eaten during Lent. Because it can be made from odds and ends and lots of substitutions are possible, I present it not as a "recipe" so much as a "template" for your own ideas. No two cooks make this the same way, so feel free to experiment all you wish.

As written, the recipe is vegan. You can add meat, such as bacon, andouille sausage or ham, if you prefer. If you do that, saute the meat first in the oil, remove it with a slotted spoon, and add it back at the end of the cooking time. You can also use any type of stock available. Otherwise, proceed with the recipe as written.

You can also add protein to the soup in the form of tofu, beans, or nuts. Cook beans separately before adding them to the soup at the end. Cut tofu in cubes and add with the broth. Toast nuts and use them to garnish the dish at the end.

I like to make this when I have a variety of spring greens in the garden. You can harvest a little of this and a little of that, and it will all taste great when you are done. Don’t forget to pick a few dandelion greens out of your backyard!  While the traditional recipes call for nine different types of greens, there is no reason to adhere to that rule. Use what you have on hand. This year, for example, I made the mistake of planting my radishes in too much shade. They only produced leaves, but that does not mean the crop failed. I just add them to this recipe.

Try not to use all thin-leafed greens such as arugula and lettuce. If that is all you have, reduce the cook time to 10-15 minutes total. Tougher greens like turnips or cabbage require the longer cooking time to tenderize. That being said, taste and stop cooking whenever your choice of greens reaches your preferred tenderness. You could eat the soup without it being cooked at all, as it is really a fancy way to eat a big salad.

The recipe incorporates the "holy trinity" of Cajun and Creole cooking, onions, celery and peppers. If necessary, increase the amount of onions and omit the other two. I keep sweet peppers in the freezer, but you can also use any type of pickled pepper. Just rinse, chop and use like fresh. If your choice of pickled peppers is hot, you may want to cut down on the amount of hot sauce—or maybe not.

Gumbo Z’herbes

4 servings



1 tablespoons vegetable oil

½ cup chopped onions

¼ cup chopped celery

¼ cup chopped peppers


9 cups, in all, of nine different greens, such as mustards, cabbage, Swiss chard, spinach, lettuce, scallions, beet tops, carrot tops, radish tops, parsley, collards, turnip greens, corn salad, arugula, or dandelions or other foraged greens, washed and chopped or torn into bite -size pieces


1 cups vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon hot sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper



Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are translucent. Add the celery and peppers and cook 2-3 minutes or until they are softened slightly. Add the greens to the pot and cook, stirring, until they have begun to wilt. Add the broth, the bay leaf, and the thyme, and bring the soup to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and cook, covered, for 30 minutes. Add the Worcestershire, and hot sauces to the pot, stirring to combine. Taste carefully and adjust the seasoning, if needed, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve the gumbo with steamed rice, passing additional hot sauce.