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And if you’ve been there, you’ve likely had the pleasure of tucking into a bowl of gumbo, a feat of great gastronomic proportions traditionally brimming with seafood, chicken, or andouille sausage.

Unless, of course, it’s Lent.

The morning after Mardi Gras, the most famous party of the year, is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, a forty-day season of abstinence and reflection. For those who observe, this means doing without an object of pleasure or luxury, which, for many, means meat.

Enter Gumbo z’Herbes, a.k.a. green gumbo, a hearty stew made with the roux and all the fantastic Creole fixins but without a drop o’ meat. But I’ll bet you my weight in King Cake that you’ll have a hard time believing there’s no meat in here.

KITCHEN NOTES: Get everything cleaned, chopped, and ready to go before you even touch that stovetop. There are four major components: stock (which can be made in advance), roux, trinity, and greens, which all come together in a soup pot. Make the stock first so that it’s ready to go right after you’ve made the roux.

The total active cooking time is about 90 minutes, including at least 45 minutes of preparation, so you may consider making this a day in advance, and simply reheat. Besides, this is the kind of dish that gets better on the second and third day.

Gumbo Stock

If you can’t bear the thought of making your own stock, I like stock made from Rapunzel brand vegetable bouillon cubes, which actually tastes like vegetables.

INGREDIENTS

2 leeks, cleaned thoroughly,

trimmed, and roughly chopped,

or 1 large onion, unpeeled and

quartered

3 cloves garlic, peeled but left

whole

10 black peppercorns

A small handful of stripped

parsley stems

4 cups cold water

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a lively simmer, then lower the heat and cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Strain, return to saucepan, and keep at a low simmer.

Roux

INGREDIENTS

½ cup (1 stick) butter or

vegetable oil

½ cup all-purpose flour

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

In a large soup pot that will eventually encompass the entire gumbo, heat your choice of fat over high heat just until either smoke rises from the oil or the butter begins to actively bubble. Lower the heat to medium, add the flour, and stir with a tall, heavy-duty wooden spoon to completely blend.

Prepare to stand by the pot for at least 15 minutes (and as long as 30 minutes), constantly stirring the mixture as it changes color from blond to brown. The color you’re looking for is a burnt orange, on its way to a shade of chocolate. You can go as dark as you like; the darker the roux, the more intense flavor, but it depends on patience and persistence.

Trinity

One of the foundations of classic French cooking is mirepoix, a mixture of diced carrots, onions, and celery, which is used to flavor sauces and soups. Its influences are felt deeply in Creole cooking, whose mirepoix is called the “Holy Trinity”—a mix of onion, celery, and bell pepper.

INGREDIENTS

½ medium-size onion, chopped

½ green bell pepper, seeded and

chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

Remove the roux from the heat and add the trinity, plus the garlic. Stir to combine, return the pan to medium heat, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.

Slowly add the simmering stock to the roux, while stirring. Bring to a lively simmer, cover, and keep at a simmer.

Gumbo seasonings and greens

INGREDIENTS

Fresh thyme leaves, picked from

about 4 stems, or 1½

teaspoons dried

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce,

diced (add 1 more if you

like heat)

¼ teaspoon white pepper

(traditional for Creole cooking,

but optional, in my opinion)

2 pounds (about 8 cups) mixed

greens, cleaned, stemmed and

roughly chopped, of any

combination: collard, mustard,

turnip, beet, kohlrabi, sweet

potato, carrot tops, kale,

chard, sorrel, dandelion,

chicory—I recommend using