Vegan Green Gumbo Z’Herbes
A New Orleans style vegan gumbo with delicious seasonal green vegetables in a warm and comforting creole broth.
I discovered gumbo z’herbes while binge watching Top Chef and I have not been able to stop thinking about it! It has all the flavors of a classic gumbo but best of all it can easily be made vegan.
If you enjoy vegan spicy soups and stews, give the following recipes a try.
- vegan cajun mushroom étouffée
- vegan Korean spicy kimchi and soft tofu soup
What is Green Gumbo?
Green Gumbo or Gumbo Z’Herbes is a classic creole stew that is typically made with a mix of green vegetables. I first heard of it while watching Top Chef and hearing about the popular dish prepared by chef Leah Chase. While you can make it with all the classic mix of seafood and meat, it is perfectly delicious as a vegan gumbo on it’s own!
How to make Gumbo Z’Herbes
Step 1. Make a roux
Step 2. Cook the holy trinity and okra
Step 3. Add in mixed greens
Step 4. Simmer covered for 1 hour
Key ingredients & substitutions
- Okra – this recipe uses okra which also helps to thicken the stew. If you don’t want to use okra I recommend using less broth or more roux so that the stew will not get too watery
- Mixed Greens – the key to green gumbo is a mix of leafy green vegetables. Some of my favorites are collard greens, swiss chard, kale, spinach, mustard greens, and radish greens.
- Holy Trinity – a hallmark of New Orleans gumbo is the use of the holy trinity, a trio of onions, bell peppers, and celery cooked together to create an aromatic blend.
- Roux – a classic gumbo is made with a roux, a thickening agent made with equal parts fat and flour. It is often cooked to a medium to dark brown color which helps build a depth of flavor to the stew.
- Cajun seasoning mix – a cajun blend of spices typically includes a mix of paprika cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and oregano. Note: if your cajun mix contains salt I do not recommend adding salt.
- Hot sauce – I like to mix in a few tablespoons of hot sauce after the stew is done cooking but this is optional! The acidity helps to cut the richness of the stew so make sure you’re using a hot sauce that is acid based like Valentina or Tobasco.
Serving and Storage
- crispy fried oyster mushrooms – I love to top off my stew with crispy fried oyster mushrooms. The oyster mushrooms are juicy and meaty and frying the batter creates a fun crunchy texture like fried chicken.
- Rice – serve with a scoop of medium grain white rice
- Storage – store in an air tight container for a week in the refrigerator or freeze for up to a month
Tips & Tricks
Vegan Green Gumbo Z’Herbes
A New Orleans style vegan gumbo with delicious seasonal green vegetables in a warm and comforting creole broth.
Ingredients
Method
Vegan Gumbo Z'Herbes
- Slice the vegetables. Slice the celery stalk, dice the garlic cloves, dice the yellow onions, and roughly chop the green bell peppers into 1 inch squares. Remove the stalk from the leafy green vegetables and roughly chop them up, keeping each piece large.
- Create the roux. In a large dutch oven or pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Once hot, add a few drops of flour into the pot. If the pot starts to sizzle then the oil is hot enough to cook. Add in the rest of the flour and begin to stir immediately. You'll start to see the color of the flour began to darken. Continue to stir every few seconds since the flour can easily burn. You want to keep stirring until the roux becomes a dark chocolate brown.
- Add in the vegetables and simmer. Once the roux is complete, add in the celery, onion, and green bell peppers. Cook the vegetables with the roux so the roux coats the aromatics. Add in the cajun seasoning and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in the okra and mix everything together, allow the okra to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add 6 cups of vegetable broth and allow the broth to start to boil before adding in the leafy vegetables. The vegetables seem like a lot but once cooked everything will shrink down. Add the bay leaf and cover the pot, allowing the broth to simmer for an hour.
- Serve. Add in some salt if your cajun seasoning does not contain salt. I like to add in a few tbsps of hot sauce to give some additional spice and acidity. Serve with some fresh rice and crispy oyster mushrooms.
Crispy Oyster Mushrooms
- Dry the oyster mushrooms. Wash the mushrooms and pat the oyster mushrooms dry. If the oyster mushrooms are large you can pull them apart into more even pieces.
- Create the flour mixture. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, corn starch, and cajun seasoning. Mix half of the flour mixture in with the oatmilk to create a thick paste. Set aside the other half of the flour mixture for coating.
- Coat the oyster mushroom. Dip the oyster mushroom into the oatmilk paste and then dunk into the dry flour mixture. Make sure the oyster mushroom is completely covered. Repeat until all oyster mushrooms are complete.
- Fry the oyster mushroom. Heat the vegetable oil on high in a small sauce pan. Once the oil is hot, add 2-3 pieces of the oyster mushrooms at a time. The oyster mushrooms should begin to sizzle immediately. If it does not start to sizzle that means the oil is not hot enough. Fry all sides of the oyster mushrooms for about 2 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the sauce pan and place it on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
