Gumbo z'Herbes

3 pounds greens (a combination of mustard greens, collards, turnip greens, beet greens, radish leaves, watercress, kale, parsley and/or others), washed, tough stems removed, and chopped into 1-inch pieces

8 cups homemade or no-salt-added store-bought vegetable broth (see Scrappy Vegetable Broth at washingtonpost.com/recipes)

Water, as needed

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup flour

1 large onion, finely chopped (2 cups)

1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped (1 cup)

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped (1 cup)

3 ribs celery, finely chopped (1 cup)

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika (pimenton)

2 teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

12 cups cooked white or brown rice

Scallion tops, coarsely chopped, for garnish

Place the greens in a large pot, cover with the broth, adding enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium or medium-low so the liquid is barely bubbling. Cook the greens until very tender, about 40 minutes. Remove from the heat.

While the greens are cooking, make a roux: Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, whisk in the flour until smooth. Reduce the heat to medium-low; cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns a light brown color, 10 to 20 minutes.

Stir in the onion, green and red bell peppers, celery, garlic, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes.

Drain the cooked greens, reserving the liquid. Transfer the greens to the pot of vegetables. Measure the reserved cooking liquid and add 8 cups of it to the pot. Increase the heat to bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat until the liquid is barely bubbling. Cook for 10 minutes, just to incorporate all the flavors. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.

Divide the rice among serving bowls, and ladle a cup of hot gumbo over each portion. Garnish with the scallions.

12 servings (makes about 13 cups)

Nutrition | Per serving: 370 calories, 9 g protein, 62 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 420 mg sodium, 6 g dietary fiber, 6 g sugar

Adapted from "Greens: A Savor the South Cookbook," by Thomas Head (University of North Carolina Press, 2016).