Dirty Rice with Collards and Leeks {vegan and gluten-free}

Name: Dirty Rice with Collards and Leeks {vegan and gluten-free}
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 2 cups vegetable broth; 1 cup long grain brown rice (see note); 1 bay leaf; 1 bunch collards, (stems removed and discarded); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 leek (about 1 ½ cups, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise into half-moons); 1 garlic clove (minced); 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds (coarsely chopped); 1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (see note, optional); ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt; Freshly ground black pepper

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Let’s take a classic Cajun favorite and turn it vegetarian– let’s clean up dirty rice! Long grain brown rice, fresh antioxidant-full greens, and nutritious pumpkin seeds, some of the healthiest foods you can choose, are the cornerstones of this meatless rendition. Dirty rice with collards and leeks is not only delicious–it’s wholesome!

Dirty Rice with Collards and Leeks piled high in a bowl

You’ll love this dirty rice for its peppery spice, for the subtly fragrant nibbles of leeks, and for the generous amount of collards, their taste like a cross between kale and cabbage. This dish is flavorful and easy to put together, and all in one spoonful, it’s both dirty and clean.

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collard leaves ready to cut for Dirty Rice with Collards and Leeks

In Louisiana, they cook dirty rice with parts of the chicken that are normally thrown away—the “dirty” color comes from liver and gizzards. Tradition also calls for the holy trinity of onions, celery and peppers. This vegetarian version is made with a whole lot of collards and a duo of leeks and cayenne pepper.

Southerners, don’t chastise me too much for dirtying the recipe the wrong way. Please lend redemption for the collards ribbons in every single bite, and for added crunch from toasted pumpkin seeds. In return, I’ll forgive you for the time you made dirty rice from a boxed mix. 😉 (Affiliate link.)

cutting collard leaves into thin ribbons for Dirty Rice with Collards and Leeks

collard ribbons ready to add to the rice

What is clean eating?

The clean part of this dirty rice is clean eating, the buzzword for being mindful about what we eat. Clean eating means eating “real” foods as close to their natural form as possible. It’s about seeking out whole, unprocessed or minimally processed foods.
Clean eating is a goal I reach for. I’m certainly not perfect or completely anal about it, and I’m not being judgmental about the way anyone eats. Clean cooking and eating are the recipes I share with you on this blog. Like this one for clean and dirty rice, with collards and leeks.
To learn more about the concepts of clean eating, read Michael Pollan’s book, Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual. (Affiliate link.) It’s a slim little bible for eating wisely.

Dirty Rice with Collards and Leeks in bowl overhead photo

More recipes with brown rice and collards:

Do you enjoy the nutty flavor of brown rice? You might also enjoy this Lentil Very Brown Rice recipe.
Stuffed Collard Rolls. Rice-filled vegetarian dolmades made with blanched collards instead of traditional grape leaves.

Wishing you a fabulous day–get in the kitchen and cook something delicious!

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4.5 from 32 votes