Okra has been both a friend and a foe to me. I love the crisp texture and crunchy coating it has when fried. I hate the prickly feel of the pods as I wrestle them from their stalks in my garden. This year our garden has produced masses of the stuff. I’ve struggled to harvest them while they’re still young and tender. The sneaky pods continue to allude me; several reaching an oversized 4 to 6 inches before I discover them lurking amidst the weeds that continually spring up. Once I’ve gathered them, I put them to good use in recipes like my Stewed Okra and Tomatoes.
Stewed Okra and Tomatoes Recipe
This is a simple recipe, using only 7 ingredients, including salt and pepper. You can make it in one skillet. It will be ready to eat-from prep to serving- in less than 30 minutes.
Preparation is a breeze. Cut the tops and tails off the okra (stems and tips) and slice them in 1” pieces. Avoid pods that are longer than 4 inches because they are usually too hard to eat. Add in some minced garlic, chopped onion- don’t worry about chopping it too finely- and some tomatoes. I used cherry tomatoes chopped in half, but you can use any type. If you’re using large tomatoes, chop them into quarters. Throw it all into the skillet with a little bit of oil-your choice, vegetable or olive, and top it with some salt and pepper. Saute it on high for five minutes until the colors start to blend.
You’ll want to stir it constantly during that time to keep it from sticking. No one wants sticky okra. When the onions are soft and the okra and tomatoes begin to shrivel, reduce the heat to simmer and add the beef broth. Stir it and let it simmer for ten minutes. Now, it’s good to go!
Printable Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups sliced okra
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
- 1 cup beef broth
Directions
- In a large skillet, over high heat, add the okra, tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Stir in the salt and pepper. Cook for five minutes, stirring constantly, until the onion is tender, the garlic is fragrant, and the okra and tomatoes begin to shrivel.
- Reduce the heat to simmer. Add one cup of beef broth. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced and slightly thickened.
Cooking Tips:
*Want to make it a main dish? Stir in 2 cups cubed, cooked ham while simmering. Serve over rice.
You can use your choice of rice; instant, yellow, basmati, long-grain, or wild. Each will give the dish a different flavor.
*This dish is naturally allergy-friendly. It contains none of the top 7 allergens.
*Spice it up! Add 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes when you add the salt and pepper.
*Want a vegan version? Replace the beef broth with vegetable broth.
Have you tried okra? What are some of your favorite ways to cook it?
If you’d like an awesome recipe for fried okra, check out The Southern Air Fryer Cookbook. It has 75 easy Southern recipes you can make; most of them in around a half-hour. You can find a copy on Amazon.
Want more easy Southern deliciousness? Check out these posts:
The Best Southern Poundcake Recipe
Easy Peasy Fruit Salad Recipe
The Best Sausage Breakfast Casserole Recipe
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I like okra and the recipe looks incredibly delicious! I’d love to give it a try!
Hmm yum! I never tried this before! I am so loving this Stewed Okra and Tomatoes. I will defitely make this at home.
My husband and I really love okra. We always cook okra in tomatoes sauce too! I can’t wait to make your okra recipe soon!
What a lovely way to use okra now that it’s in season. Sounds delicious and so easy to make. Must give this a try.
This dish sounds perfect for my family. We love veggies a lot!
I haven’t had okra in so many years. My mom used to make something like this. I want to try your recipe.
I need to give okra another try. I wasn’t a fan of it the first time I tried, but your recipe makes it look delicious!
My dad is Southern, and would love this. He loves his okra. Will pass this along!
Yum! This sounds really delicious! I will surely make this Stewed Okra and Tomatoes at home and enjoy this with my wife.
I honestly don’t like okra because of its texture. Then someone told me it’s because I’m cooking it wrong! Maybe I’ll try again because this looks delicious!
Love the combination of the two. Looking forrward to giving this recipe a try.
Now this sounds really interesting, I have to admit I don’t think I’ve tried anything quite like it before! Definitely a skillet recipe I need to try!