Okra and tomatoes is a classic southern side dish that’s as delightful to eat as it is easy to make. The two garden favorites make obvious companions, with the tomato’s acid preventing the smothered okra from becoming slimy texture and improving its consistency. Okra and tomatoes are also abundant summer crops, often piled high at farmers markets and produce stands during the dog days of summer. (And, botanically speaking, they’re both considered fruits, not vegetables, thanks to their seeds.)
Cooked together in this dish, the tomato’s natural sweetness accentuates the smothered okra’s grassy, pastoral notes, and the pair melds together beautifully. Like other southern okra recipes, okra and tomatoes can be cooked as a delicious main course (just add beans!) or as a side dish. And if you use frozen okra with canned tomatoes, it can be enjoyed at any time of year.
How do you keep okra from being slimy?
Okra often gets a bad rap for its slimy texture, but these long green pods are crisp when cooked properly. To prevent okra from becoming slimy, use a high-heat preparation to cook okra: grilled, boiled, roasted or fried okra fit the bill. Acidic ingredients also help, and soaking it in vinegar to make pickled okra or simmering it with tomatoes to make smothered okra both keep it from getting slimy.
Believe it or not, okra’s slimy-gooey texture is actually prized in dishes like okra gumbo, where it acts as a thickener. Plus, the slime is quite good for you. The viscous mucilage inside okra is full of soluble fiber and antioxidants.
Ingredients for Okra and Tomatoes
- Okra: When choosing fresh okra, look for smallish, firm pods free from blemishes or discoloration. Store fresh okra in the refrigerator. If you can only find frozen okra, that’s fine. It can be cooked from frozen, so there’s no need to thaw it before making smothered okra.
- Tomatoes: This is a perfect recipe for using fresh tomatoes when they’re tumbling out of the garden. You can use fresh tomatoes from the grocery store any other time of year, and canned diced tomatoes also work in a pinch.
- Onion and green pepper: These veggies are an essential part of the Cajun holy trinity, the aromatic base used to make Cajun and Creole dishes like smothered okra. (The third is celery, which is not used in this recipe.)
- Sugar: A bit of sugar helps balance the acidity from the tomatoes and adds a subtle sweetness to the dish.
- Cooked rice: We usually serve smothered okra over rice in order to sop up every last bit of the delicious sauce.
Directions
Step 1: Boil the okra
Place the sliced okra in a small saucepan, and cover it with water. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat. Let it simmer, uncovered, for 7 to 10 minutes or until the okra is tender.
Editor’s Tip: Boiling okra helps to lessen its sliminess. It also softens the okra, so it stews more quickly with the tomatoes.
Step 2: Cook the tomatoes and other ingredients
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and green pepper. Cook and stir until the veggies are tender, four to seven minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, sugar, flour, salt and pepper. Bring everything to a boil, then cook, stirring, until the tomatoes are tender and their juices slightly thickened, three to five minutes.
Step 3: Add the okra
Drain the boiled okra, and stir it into the tomato mixture. If desired, serve okra and tomatoes over rice.
Okra and Tomatoes Variations
- Add bacon: Bacon makes everything better! It adds smokiness, flavor and fat to smothered okra and tomatoes. Cook a few pieces of bacon in the pan, turning so both sides get crisp. Remove it from the pan and drain it on paper towels, leaving behind 3 to 4 tablespoons of bacon grease. Then, cook the onion and green pepper in the bacon fat instead of oil. When the dish is finished, sprinkle crumbled bacon onto the dish just before serving.
- Include shrimp or sausage: You can make smothered okra with sausage or shrimp. Simply add sliced precooked smoked sausage (like andouille) or peeled, deveined shrimp to the stew toward the end. Cook until the sausage is warmed through, or until the shrimp are opaque and curled into a C shape.
- Add more vegetables: Add celery or corn to the mix, either freshly cut from the cob or frozen.
- Make it spicy: Kick up the heat with a shake of Creole or Cajun seasoning, a dash of hot sauce, or a pinch of cayenne or smoked paprika.
How to Store Okra and Tomatoes
Store okra and tomatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for three to four days.
Can you freeze okra and tomatoes?
Yes, you can freeze okra and tomatoes. It will change the texture of the dish (read: make it mushier), but it will keep in the freezer in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to three months.
Okra and Tomatoes Tips
Can you use frozen okra to make smothered okra?
Yes, frozen okra is perfectly fine for this and many other okra dishes. One thing to remember, though, is that frozen okra might be a little bit softer than fresh okra, so adjust the recipe’s cook time accordingly.
How do you know when smothered okra is done?
You’ll know that smothered okra is finished cooking when the okra is soft and loses its slimy texture. When using boiled okra, smothered okra cooks in about 10 minutes, but it will take longer if you decide to simmer the okra in with the tomatoes. Without the boiling step, smothered okra can take 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on whether you use fresh or frozen okra.
What do you serve with okra and tomatoes?
As a main dish, serve okra and tomatoes with white rice or fluffy sides like buttermilk biscuits or buttery cornbread. You can also serve smothered okra and tomatoes as a side dish for southern entrees like fried chicken, fried catfish or any classic barbecue dish.
