Gumbo Z'Herbes for #SundaySupper

A bowl of steaming greens in a creamy roux is what warms my soul. As the warm days seep away, an array of cool-weather greens comprise a magical soup with a name that I love to say out loud with Southern attitude: Gumbo Z'Herbes. The "Z" slides into the "H" and although it sounds a bit funny, there is nothing laughable about this vegan version of Gumbo Z'Herbes. Traditionally, Gumbo Z'Herbes contains lard and bacon or pork brisket, but this vegan version highlights the greens, which are organic and flavorful on their own--with help from from aromatics--onions, garlic, leeks--and vegetable broth instead of water. 

I'm happy to feature this gumbo for this week's Sunday Supper theme, "Soul Warming Dishes." My fellow Sunday Supper bloggers are also featuring their best dishes to warm you up. After the recipe for Gumbo Z'Herbes, see the blog list for soul-warming dishes for every taste.

Recipe: Gumbo Z'Herbes

Ingredients

1/2 pound collard greens

1/2 pound turnip greens

1/2 pound kale

1/2 pound Swiss chard

1/2 pound dandelion greens

1 medium yellow onion, minced

1 small leek, white end sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons basil-infused grape-seed oil (or plain grape seed oil)

3 tablespoons unbleached, unbromated flour

1 32-ounce container of vegetable broth (reserve 1/2 cup)

1 red pepper, diced

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1-1/2 teaspoons gumbo file (crushed sassafras leaves)

salt and cracked pepper to taste

2 scallions, green parts diced

Directions:

1. Clean and rinse greens and cut or tear into bite-sized pieces.
2. Spoon flour into a 3-quart pot (or larger) and add oil. Over medium heat, stir flour and oil to pot and heat until flour and oil browns to a caramel color. 
3. Pour vegetable broth into browned flour and oil and whisk to remove clumps. Set aside.
4. Saute onions, garlic, leeks, and bell pepper in oil over medium heat in a medium skillet or saute pan. Add sauteed vegetables to pot.
5. Add the reserved, 1/2 cup of vegetable broth and the gumbo file to the pot. Add the red pepper flakes. 
6. Add the collards, turnip, and kale and pour in the remaining broth.
7. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook greens over medium heat for 20 minutes until greens sweat and lose half their volume.
8. Add the Swiss chard and dandelion greens, cover the pot, and continue cooking greens for an additional 20 minutes. 
9. Season the greens to your taste with the salt and cracked pepper. Taste greens for doneness and cook for an additional 10 minutes if any needed.

Join the Sunday Supper group all day today on Twitter by using the hashtag #SundaySupper. At 7 p.m. ET, join the weekly Twitter live chat. Share your own "Soul Warming" recipes on the group's Pinterest Board.    

Main Entrees: 

• Carrot, Parsnip and Lentil Casserole  - Happy Baking Days
• Chicken with Herbed Dumplings – Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Chicken pot pie – Gotta Get Baked
• Cholula Chicken Enchiladas – Kwistin’s Favorites
• Eggplant Parmesan – The Hand That Rocks The Ladle
• Roasted Roots and Fruits with Sausage – Shockingly Delicious

Chili/Stews:

• Beer-Braised Beef – Sustainable Dad
• Bigos {Authentic Polish Hunter’s Stew} – From Fast Food to Fresh Food
• Brunswick Stew and Rice – Big Bear’s Wife
• Calico Beans – Home Cooking Memories
• Carbonnade Flamande – The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Chicken Cacciatore {Hunter Style Stew} with Easy Creamy Polenta –Webicurean
• Chicken & Mushroom Stew On Egg Noodles –  Galactosemia in PDX
• Cowboy Beef Stew - Comfy Cuisine 
• Ham and String Beans –  Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Hearty Moose Meatball Stew – Mrs. Mama Hen
• Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili - Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Lentil and Chorizo Stew – Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Seafood Gumbo and Soul Warming #SundaySupper Wine Pairings - ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
• Soul Warming Hearty Beef Stew - In The Kitchen With KP

Soups:

• 30 Minute Black Bean Soup – Supper for a Steal
• Black Bean Soup – Basic and Delicious 
• Black Bean Soup with Hot Roast Pepper Cream - The Lovely Pantry
• Canadian Beer Cheese Soup – Juanita’s Cocina
• Chicken Pot Pie Stew Soup – Ruffles and Truffles
• Chicken Soup with Dumplings – The Messy Baker
• Chicken Tortilla Soup – Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
• Coconut Curry Chicken Soup – Damn Delicious
• Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup – Mama Mommy Mom
• Easy Chicken and Dumplings – My Catholic Kitchen
• Easy Italian Wedding Soup – Family Foodie
• Easy Wonton Soup – Soni’s Food
• French Onion Sou – Momma’s Meals
• Homestyle Chicken and Dumplings – I Run For Wine
• Lasagna Soup – Cravings of a Lunatic
• Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup – Mangiamo
• Lentil and Bacon Soup – Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Lentil Soup with Spinach – Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Peppery Mulligatawny Soup with Cherry Tomatoes & Cilantro – Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Pozolillo Verde {Green Chicken & Corn Pozole} – La Cocina de Leslie
• Red Lentil Soup with Crispy Aromatic Coriander – Chattering Kitchen
• Roasted Jalapeno Soup – Chocolate Moosey
• Rule of Thirds Soup - What Smells So Good?
• Seafood Chowder – Noshing with the Nolands
• Spanish Garlic Soup – Pippi’s In The Kitchen Again
• Spicy Gumbo Z’herbes – Pescetarian Journal
• Spicy Korean Brisket Soup {Yukgaejang} - Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
• Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup {Jjamppong} – Kimchi Mom
• Spicy Udon Noodle Soup – My Trials In The Kitchen
• Turkey Noodle Soup – Magnolia Days
• Tuscan Bean Soup  - The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Twisted Chicken Noodle Soup – The Meltaways
• Warm You Up Spicy Bacon Cheeseburger Soup - Daily Dish Recipes

Desserts/Beverages:

• Hot Fudge Pudding Cake – That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• White Hot Chocolate with Orange – GirliChef