Okra and Tomatoes — a Southern Classic

Stewed Okra and Tomatoes is a classic Southern dish! Flavored with bacon, onion, garlic and cider vinegar, you know these vegetables are bound to be good. Serve garden fresh okra and tomatoes during the summer months, or use canned and frozen ingredients in the off-season. Paired with a side of cornbread, this is a simple and affordable dish to enjoy year-round!

Table of Contents

You are watching: Okra and Tomatoes — a Southern Classic

1. How to Make Stewed Okra and Tomatoes | 1-Minute Video
2. Why This Recipe is So Delicious
3. Ingredients
4. How to Cook Okra and Tomatoes
5. What to Serve with Southern Okra and Tomatoes
6. Storage
7. Recipe Variations
8. Tips for the Best Okra and Tomatoes Recipe
9. Okra and Tomatoes Recipe

How to Make Stewed Okra and Tomatoes | 1-Minute Video

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Okra seems to be quite divisive: folks either love it or they hate it! This mild green fruit (yes, we treat it like a vegetable, but it’s actually a fruit) that has a unique grassy flavor — somewhat similar to eggplant or green beans — thrives in hot and humid climates, making it a staple in Southern cuisine. My mom has always loved fried okra, so I suppose that I come by my affinity for the little pods naturally! That said, I think that I might just prefer this easy stewed okra and tomatoes recipe over the breaded, fried variety. Hard to believe, right?! It’s just that good…

Maybe it’s the bacon, onion and garlic that really sets this dish apart? My local friends were laughing recently when I shared my recipe for Southern-Style Green Beans (which of course includes bacon as well) — one said that, “I was a teenager when I learned not all vegetables have meat in them or are soaked in butter,” and another said, “whhaaaaaaatttt????? “Fat back” isn’t a vegetable????” I suppose that we learned a long time ago — bacon, fatback, and ham hocks make okra and just about every other vegetable taste better!

How do you make okra not slimy?

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Okra contains mucilage, a substance that acts as a natural thickener when heated. While this is beneficial to dishes like gumbo, it also produces the sliminess that’s often associated with okra. Honestly, I haven’t noticed that the okra has a slimy texture in this particular recipe. That said, there are a few proven methods for reducing the slime quotient of cooked okra. Some folks suggest waiting to slice the okra until right before you’re ready to cook it. Others claim that soaking it in vinegar before cooking helps minimize a slimy texture. Again, I’m not too worried about slimy okra here, as I haven’t noticed that it’s a problem.

What to Serve with Southern Okra and Tomatoes

If you’d like to offer the okra and tomatoes as an entrée for a light lunch or dinner, pair the dish with cornbread, corn muffins, rice, cheese biscuits, sour cream muffins, or buttermilk biscuits.

As a side dish, okra goes well with any of these easy Southern-inspired entrées:

• Crispy Fried Chicken
• Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy
• Pecan-Crusted Chicken
• Virginia Crab Imperial
• Southern Chicken and Pastry (Chicken and Dumplings)
• Grilled Pork Tenderloin
• Oven BBQ Chicken Breast
• Shrimp and Grits
• Slow Cooker Cowboy Pork and Beans
• Oven-Fried Cornflake Chicken
• Crock Pot Ribs
• Pulled BBQ Chicken in the Crock Pot
• Crab Cakes
• Shrimp Creole
• Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy
• Chili con Carne or “Good Luck” Southern Chili
• Smothered Pork Chops
• Southern Fried Catfish
• Sheet Pan Low Country Boil
• Whole Roasted Chicken
• Sweet Heat Southern Glazed Salmon
• Mississippi Roasted Pork Shoulder

Recipe Variations

• If you don’t have thick-cut bacon, increase the total amount of bacon to 4-5 regular strips.
• For a heartier meal, add shrimp or sausage to the dish.
• Try Creole seasoning for a Cajun twist, or a bit of cayenne to make it spicy.
• Corn is also a nice addition to the pot. You can use fresh corn off the cob, or stir in frozen kernels instead.

More Okra Recipes to Try

• Fried Okra
• Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
• Southern Minestrone Soup
• Virginia Chicken Gumbo with Ham

Source: https://gardencourte.com
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