Stewed Okra and Tomatoes is a healthy and delicious southern side. Fresh summer okra, sliced and cooked with canned tomatoes (you could use fresh instead), bacon, onion, celery, and a few seasonings makes a delicious vegetable side dish for almost any meal.
I look forward to eating okra each and every summer. Fried Okra is my absolute favorite way to eat it, but stewed okra with tomatoes is a great way to enjoy okra in a healthier form.
Stewed Okra and Tomatoes Recipe
Okra and Tomatoes is a side dish that’s like a thick stew.
This dish starts by cooking some bacon. This is mainly to produce some bacon grease to saute the onions in.
Because onions are always better cooked in bacon. 🙂
Reader Comment
Rebekah says- “Absolutely delicious! I use home canned tomatoes out of my garden and it tastes exactly like what my grandma used to cook on Sundays as a kid.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
How To Make
(More detailed instructions in recipe card below.)
- Cook bacon in a Dutch oven. Remove it and set aside, leaving bacon grease in the Dutch oven.
- Cook onion and celery in the bacon grease for 7 to 8 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, water or chicken broth, okra, and seasonings. Simmer 20 to 25 minutes.
- Crumble Bacon and stir in.
Recipe Tips
I like to use a sweet Vidalia onion, but any kind of onion will do.
I mainly use fresh okra for this, but you could also use frozen okra. If you buy fresh okra at the store or farmers market, plan on using it as soon as possible. The pods will start to develop brown spots. It’s okay to eat them with brown spots, but they are a signal that the okra is getting past its prime.
If you have fresh summer corn available, add the kernels from an ear or two. It tastes really good with the okra and tomatoes.
How To Serve
I like to eat Okra and Tomatoes as a summer side, but you can also spoon it over a bed of rice for a light meal. If you want to keep it vegetarian, or as healthy as possible, skip the bacon and cook the onion in olive oil. And definitely serve it with cornbread, either Buttermilk Cornbread or Hot Water Cornbread.
You’ll want to keep a bottle of Tabasco sauce handy. This is a side dish that really does well with a lot of heat and you may want to add a splash hear and there.
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Okra and Tomatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped celery
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup water or chicken broth
- 4 cups sliced okra
- 3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook bacon in a cast iron Dutch oven. Remove bacon and set aside.
- Add onion and celery to the bacon grease and cook until soft, about 7-8 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, water or broth, okra, and seasonings. Cook 20-25 minutes, maintaining a simmer and stirring occasionally.
- Crumble bacon and stir in just before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published July 7, 2015.
I lucked out when I made this recipe yesterday. Served it over brown rice and it was a big hit.
I followed advice from another okra recipe and rinsed my chopped okra in a colander oh, fifteen or twenty times. Made all the difference with the slime factor.. My okra hating husband loved it.
Thanks for the tip on rinsing the okra well to get rid of the slime Donna!
Ah! I’ve been cooking this for years! I add sausage to it, sometimes diced chicken breast chunks, and a small can of tomato sauce. Enjoy and keep these great recipes coming!
I loooove Okra but it is too bad that in Canada it is very hard to find ;-( Maybe I can find some if I visit China town!
Hi Olivia!
I myself live on Montreal’s South Shore, and can always find frozen okra at my local Metro store, and once in a blue moon, I find fresh okra at Jean-Talon Market in Montreal. So don’t despair, you can find some in your region!
My husband loves okra. But I can cook only one recipe 😀 should learn from you
I always tend to go for fried okra, but this looks delicious! Such a fun way to use okra!
I’m a “good ole boy” from south Georgia (N. Florida). You could always try adding whole okra to your black eyed peas. Add them after the peas have cooked for about 15 mins. Yum.
I am from North Florida and was raised on black eyed peas with okra. Haven’t had that in years. Thanks for reminding me.
I pass the okra at the grocery store every time, EVERY TIME, my thoughts are always, what am I going do with this besides fry it?? I’ve got my answer, this looks FANTASTIC!
Love okra and tomatoes! My mom is a huge okra fan and used to make a similar dish like this for us without bacon when I was younger. Yours looks absolutely delicious, Christin!
Okra is the best! Love the vidalia onions/tabasco 🙂
I have some okra plants growing but they haven’t started producing yet. Can’t wait till they do. This looks so yummy! Definitely Southern cookin! 🙂
So believe it or not, I think I’ve only had okra once before! I definitely need to change that after seeing this recipe. It sounds fantastic, Christin! I love the tomatoes in here, too!