A few years ago, I felt inspired by Mardi Gras and wanted to play around with a kind of obscure, green gumbo with origins in Africa. The result was a delicious bowl that reminds me of all the comfort of gumbo with none of the meat. It took me to the French quarter, to a crowded bar listening to zydeco music, an adventure of flavor that came through playing around in the kitchen. It felt like it had existed always even though I just made it up—but isn’t that the underpinning of jazz and zydeco anyway? Interpretation and fusion of creativity in high order. With two kinds of greens – mustard and spinach—and okra, this gumbo is one tasty trip.
Serving Suggestions:
- If you eat meat, cut some Andouille sausage into slices and brown them on both sides in a bit of oil; add beans and simmer a few minutes with the sausage slices so the flavors marry.
- Over rice (duh), then topped with any variety of things: anything from roasted squash to cheese, to pickled peppers or onions, to sautéed greens, a fried egg, topped with blackened shrimp…as a side with roasted chicken…
- With a dash (or many) of hot sauce
Show me how you cook and serve it by emailing me your photo! Submissions are automatically entered to win a drawing for a Soup Club cookbook.
Yes, all this fun and love went into the recipe. That’s why it tastes so good.
