Okra a new vegetable in our family–Tomato okra soup

Growing up in Illinois we did not see many things with Okra in them. I may have had it once or twice in a gumbo but definitely never prepared it before. My neighbor graciously offered some fresh okra to me this weekend and I thought that would be a great challenge. She also suggested frying it, but hinted that it was time consuming…..

Hearing that and talking with another friend about her uses of okra I decided to google Tomato okra soup. Although it was 80 degrees outside I did not want to let this beautiful veggie go to waste.

 So here is a “northern” girls attempt at a very southern veggie.

Adapted from southernfood.com

Tomato Corn Okra Soup Recipe

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 4 green onions, with most of green, sliced
  • 2 small cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 rib celery, sliced
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 8 to 10 ounces okra, about 3 to 4 cups sliced, fresh or frozen, thawed
  • 1 cup corn kernels (canned or frozen thawed)
  • 1-2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning  ( I used Emeril’s seasoning)
  • dash freshly ground black pepper
  • salt, to taste

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil and butter over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic, and celery; sauté, stirring, until celery is tender. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, sliced okra, corn kernels, Cajun seasoning, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until okra is tender. Add salt to taste.
Serves 4.
Could not let the Italian in me get out of the way entirely, as I made garlic crostini’s for a topping. Simply toast italian bread slices . Butter and sprinkle with garlic salt or powder. You can also rub the toasted bread with a piece of garlic. ( this tends to be a little too strong for my kids). My kids then dipped the bread into the soup. Also would be tasty with garlic croutons.
I was impressed that each child finished their bowl of this soup and I will make it again….but maybe when it is a little cooler out.


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1 Comment

  1. This soup is delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe 🙂 I decided to add some leftover black beans and replaced the Cajun seasoning with one step piri piri seasoning since I didn’t have it on hand, and it turned out great! The piri piri seasoning adds a little kick and the black beans add some fiber and protein!