Gumbo zHerbes Recipe

Want good luck? Try Gumbo zHerbes on New Years! Of course there is no guarantee, but thousands of New Orleanians can't be wrong!

Gumbo zHerbes, alternately spelled z'Herbes, is also called green gumbo. It blends varieties of greens into a stew that is served over rice.

Before the age of microwaves and frozen vegeatables, this dish took forever to prepare! Although fresh is best, cleaning fresh greens requires extreme patience. Granny Boutte says that she would wash greens for at least 2 hours, then finely chop the greens for at least another hour.

Granny Boutte's version is delicious as well as easy!

Ingredients

  • 1 - 16 ounce package chopped spinach
  • 1 - 16 ounce package chopped mustard greens
  • 1 - 16 ounce package chopped collard greens
  • 1 - 16 ounce package chopped turnip greens
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 1 green pepper, finely diced
  • 2 celery stalks, finely diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • Creole seasoning to taste
  • 1 gallon water
  • 1 pound ham seasoning, such as ham hock or cooked ham
  • 1 pound smoked sausage
  • ¼ cup bacon drippings or oil

Directions

Defrost greens. Using a chopper, finely chop greens.

Place all greens in large pot with water.

Cook over medium heat. Let come to boil. Simmer for 1 hour.

When greens have finished simmering, sauté meats in drippings. Add to the pot.

Sauté onion, green pepper, celery and garlic. Add onion mixture,thyme and creole seasoning to pot.

Cook slowly on low fire for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until creamy.

Serve over rice in bowls!

Serves 12

Tips

  • Add andouille sausage for a meatier version
  • Omit ham for a strictly vegetarian dish.
  • Experiment! Add more of your favorite greens, such as cabbage or dandelion greens!









If you like this gumbo zHerbes recipe, look here for our other delicious free online recipes

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