7 Greens Gumbo Recipe

Soak beans

Rinse 2 cups dried white beans and remove debris. Cover with 4 cups water and soak for 6–8 hours or overnight. For a quick soak: bring beans and 4 cups water to a boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let sit 1 hour; then drain and rinse.

Cook beans

Place soaked and drained beans in a large pot with 4 cups vegetable broth and 2 cups water (adjust liquid if beans were not soaked long). Add 2 bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer gently for 45–60 minutes until tender but not falling apart. Skim any foam. Reserve beans and 2 cups of their cooking liquid; discard bay leaves. Keep beans warm.

Prepare aromatics

While beans cook, dice 1 cup yellow onion and mince 4 cloves garlic. In a 6–8 quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 2 tbs olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5–7 minutes until translucent and starting to brown. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Sauté vegetables

To the aromatics in the pot, add 2 cups sliced okra (reserve additional chopped okra for thickening if using), 1 cup diced yam and 1 cup diced sweet potato. Cook 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the edges begin to soften and okra releases some mucilage. Add 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp cayenne (adjust to heat preference), 1 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp kosher salt. Stir to coat.

Add greens

Add the chopped collard/kale (2 cups), mustard greens (1 cup), spinach (2 cups), 1 cup sliced green onions, 1 cup chopped parsley and 1 cup chopped cilantro. Stir and let greens wilt for 3–4 minutes. If the pot looks dry, add 1/2 cup of reserved bean cooking liquid or broth.

Add the cooked white beans and 2 cups of their cooking liquid to the pot with the vegetables. Add the remaining 4 cups vegetable broth. Stir to combine, bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, and cover partially. Simmer 20–25 minutes so flavors meld and sweet potatoes/yams become tender and rice can be cooked separately. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

If you prefer a thicker gumbo: mash 1/2 cup of beans against the side of the pot and stir to thicken, or make a slurry of 2 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbs cold water and stir into simmering gumbo. Alternatively, continue cooking the additional 1 cup finely chopped okra; its mucilage will naturally thicken the broth.

Rinse 1 cup heirloom rice under cold water until water runs clear. In a small saucepan, combine rice with 2 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 35–40 minutes for brown or heirloom rice (follow package times). For white long-grain rice cook 15–20 minutes. When done, fluff with a fork and keep warm.

Adjust seasoning: stir gumbo and taste. Add additional salt (up to 1 tsp more) or cayenne if needed. Remove from heat and squeeze juice of 1 lemon or lime into the pot to brighten flavors. If using, sprinkle 1 tsp file powder just before serving and stir.

To serve: spoon a bed of warm heirloom rice into bowls and ladle the 7 Greens Gumbo over the rice. Garnish with extra sliced green onions and a small handful of chopped parsley or cilantro. Serve hot.