Vegan Callaloo: A Delicious Garden Recipe!

I've been envisioning a garden-to-table series for this blog for quite some time now... realistically, I doubt it will become a regular feature, but I hope it will be an occasional delightful (and tasty) addition to the usual posts here. You all know how I love to come up with creative and unique names for things, right? For example: “pictures of recently enjoyed things” or “photos by Marlowe.” Super imaginative, right? Haha. So here we are: Gardenfood. You know, food from our garden. I’m excited to share some of the meals we create with the produce from our garden. And even if you don’t cultivate these items in your garden (I bet most of you don’t grow okra, right?), you can still dash to the store, grab the few ingredients needed, and whip up a dish. I’m aiming to keep all these meals simple and straightforward, using minimal ingredients.

As I mentioned recently, I'm about to embark on a girls' trip soon! In fact, it's just around the corner, like in a few days! But what I haven't mentioned is that Marlowe will be joining me on this trip— and it will be her first time traveling abroad! It's hard to believe, especially since she already went all the way to Hawaii— which can sometimes feel like a different country! Well, we're both super excited. We can't wait to partner with Dinogo for what promises to be an incredible getaway— filled with sparkles, French fries, stunning blue ocean views— and probably plenty of pictures of me lounging with my feet up 😉 I was a bit disappointed when Alex said he wouldn’t be able to join us (the restaurant industry can be tough during peak season!), but I'm thrilled to have Laura coming along— my cruise companion. We've both agreed that this time, there will be more sunscreen for her, and I’ll aim to hit the sack earlier. We're pretending to be cruise veterans by now.

I've been prepping for the trip with Marlowe, hoping it will help her adjust to all the changes in scenery— it's an 8-day adventure! I mean, she’ll probably handle it like a pro; she’s always been great at traveling, but it's better to be prepared. It’s been exciting to share with her the places we’ll visit, the sights we’ll see (volcanoes are a big obsession!), and the delicious food we’ll enjoy. This week, in the excitement of heading to tropical islands, we whipped up a classic Caribbean dish: callaloo.

This dish has a wide variety of interpretations across different islands. Each region offers its own distinct approach to preparing it. For us, the choice was clear— we would not only utilize the leftover greens from our garden but also our fresh okra (which isn't commonly found everywhere). Some countries include coconut milk while others do not— but you all know about my deep fondness for coconuts by now, so naturally, we added it! I believe you'll enjoy our garden-inspired island meal(s) just as much as we do. As long as you're a fan of coconut, I'm confident you'll appreciate my version of traditional callaloo 🙂

Vegan Caribbean Callaloo

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil (or coconut oil)
one bunch of greens, chopped (approximately three large handfuls)*
two cups of sliced okra, around 10 – 15 pieces, depending on their size
3/4 cup of coconut milk (we always prefer full-fat)
one small onion, diced
1 tsp salt, or to taste
a few sprigs of thyme
3-4 cloves of garlic

*Traditionally, this dish is prepared using taro greens, water spinach, or amaranth— even here in South Florida, it can be challenging to find taro greens and water spinach. I opted for a combination of mizuna and Okinawa spinach. If you can't locate those, feel free to use regular spinach! 🙂

Instructions:

In a large pot, heat two tablespoons of oil.
Add the diced onion and sauté until it's tender and translucent.
Incorporate your sliced okra, half a teaspoon of salt, and a few sprigs of thyme. Mix and sauté for about 10 minutes until the okra is mostly de-slimed (yum!).
Add an additional tablespoon of oil and your chopped greens, along with a tablespoon of water.
As the greens begin to wilt, stir them and allow them to cook down completely. Cooking time may vary based on the greens you select, but it should take around 10 minutes (unless you chose thicker collard greens).
Mix in another 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir.
Pour in the coconut milk, let it simmer for a minute or so, and voilà, you're all set!
Serve over rice or as a side to your favorite bean dish!

Pretty simple, right?? And it's incredibly healthy— and delicious!

Here come the islands— just a few more days until I set sail 🙂

This article is part of my collaboration with Dinogo. As always, all opinions, insights, and ideas expressed here are my own. #Dinogopartner