Gumbo Z'Herbes

I love that this is a gumbo, but almost nothing like my other (more traditional?) gumbo. The one I've been making for years is mostly rice, beans, and tomato, but this bad boy is mushroom, greens, and sausage. I'll need to find out if there are other varieties of gumbo. 

¼ cup + 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil divided

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup celery, diced (about 2 stalks)

10 oz baby bella mushrooms sliced

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp porcini mushroom powder

6 cups vegetable stock

8 cups assorted dark leafy greens, chopped (or 2 cups each collard greens, mustard greens, Swiss chard, and kale)

2 tbsp soy sauce

3 sausages, sliced

Warm ¼ cup of the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.

Add the flour and stir, then reduce the heat to medium. Toast the flour in the oil until it turns a rich golden color.

Add the onions, garlic, and celery and sauté until the onions begin to turn translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add the sliced mushrooms, black pepper, thyme, smoked paprika, and porcini powder. Stir well and cook until the mushrooms soften, about 8 minutes.

Add the water and stock, then bring to a simmer.

Add the chopped leafy greens and soy sauce, then stir. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the greens are tender, cooking longer if you prefer softer greens.

While the gumbo cooks, pan-fry the sausage. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the sliced sausage and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until browned and crispy.

Stir the sausage into the gumbo, then season to taste with salt and/or pepper.

Sausage: The first couple of attempts included a spicy Italian sausage, but with the paprika, it was coming close to being a little too hot. For the most recent, Bavarian was used and that was a better fit. 

Greens: Recommendations collard greens, mustard greens, Swiss chard, and kale.