Southern Sautéed Okra

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Tender and flavorful okra recipe with onions, tomatoes, and garlic. The perfect southern-style veggie side dish!

Okra is one of those foods that people either love or hate. Most people seem to balk at the sometimes slimy texture. And while many recipes try to hide that texture in heavy soups or thick gumbos, this recipe relishes in that unique texture to create a smooth and flavorful side dish!

Jump to Recipe

TL;DR

• Wash and pat dry the okra
• Slice the okra into ¼ inch rounds
• Place the okra into a saute pan with oil
• Cook for 20 minutes
• Chop 1 small onion into bite sized pieces
• Mince 1 clove garlic
• Chop 2-3 plum tomatoes into bite sized pieces
• Add the onions and cherry tomatoes to the pan. 
• Cover.
• Cook for 10 minutes
• Remove and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Eat it. (Or throw it out if you hate okra. Weirdo.)

About Okra

Okra are long and slender fibrous seed pods, usually with a bit of soft fuzz on the outside. (The fuzz depends on the variety. Some are smooth. And some are even purple!) They grow best in warm climates, which is why they are so common in Southern dishes and Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine. 

The pods themselves should be cooked or pickled. Okra just tastes like slimy grass when eaten raw. You’ll most often find okra in gumbo or curries. Although Southern fried okra is its own magical world of flavor as well. And if you’re an okra fanatic like me, you’ll probably even like it pickled whole.

The pods are firm and light green. You’ll get a vegetable high in fiber and A, B, and C vitamins. When cut, okra’s sap is fairly slimy and gooey. This is what turns many people off. Even when cooked okra is still texturaly a bit like eating slime. Pleasantly flavored slime with a bit of crunch…but slime nonetheless.

But this same slimy consistency turns into a blessing if you’re adding okra to soups, stews, or gumbos. It acts as a coagulant and thickening agent for heartier soups!

What does okra taste like? Without heavy seasoning, okra is very mild and pleasant to taste with its own unique flavor. You might compare it to green beans or eggplants, but there is no direct comparison. 

How to buy good okra

Growing them in my garden when I was little, I learned you need to pick okra early. As satisfying as it is to watch the pods grow to enormous sizes, the taste is a letdown. Just like grapes, the larger the pod size, the less flavor in each bite. Even worse, okra pods become tough and extremely fibrous (as opposed to just crisp and firm) when grown past about 3.5 inches.

Apply this same principle in the store and choose okra on the smaller side. They should feel firm and be a light green color. (Unless you’re going for the purple ones.)

Once you’ve got them home, you can tell a ripe okra from an overripe okra by slicing. Ripe okra will be easy to cut, firm, with small white sides inside. Overripe okra will be tough and the seeds inside will have a  brown or purple-ish coating.

After a few experiments, you’ll even be able to tell by handling. When you pick up the pod, you should not be able to feel the seeds inside it. You also don’t want to feel like you’re handling a reed.

How to cook okra

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Well obviously using this recipe.

Kidding. As I’ve mentioned above, you can add okra to stews, soups, gumbos and curries. You can fry okra (whole or sliced) and you can pickle it.

But can you get rid of the slime? Yes…to a point. In general long, slow cooking will remove some of that slimy consistency. (That’s why the okra cook separately in this recipe.)

I also notice the pan type I use helps. A stainless steel or cast iron pan reduces the slime while nonstick teflon pans seem to keep it silky.

What should I serve with my okra?

This dish has very specific and intense flavors so you have fewer options when it comes to matching a main course. Try something that is universally loved and can be seasoned to match, like this Crispy Whole Roast Chicken. Try dry brining your chicken with paprika, coriander, and cumin for an extra “Southern” feel.

What wine pairs with okra?

I always recommend pairing your wine with the highlight of your meal. In general, this means your main course. But if you are particularly concerned that certain wines will clash with okra, consider the style it’s cooked. With so many heavy Southern flavors, and the naturally heavy texture of okra, you’re going to want a crisp wine. Overly heavy, tannic, or buttery wines won’t cleanse your palate.

Try a light crisp New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. The typical green notes of Sauvignon Blanc will pair nicely with okra and the crisp acidity will refresh between bites. Other crisp green wines that would pair well include Grüner Veltliner and Vinho Verde.