One of my favorite parts of the summer season is cooking with all the summer fruits and vegetables. While I love summer vegetables, one that I used to shy away from cooking was okra. Whenever I would cook it, the result would be slimy and mushy. After experimenting with various preparation methods for okra, I have found that I most enjoy roasting it in the oven. While roasting is my preferred method, there are several other delicious ways to cook this versatile summer vegetable.
Preparation Methods
Some of the most popular ways to prepare okra include:
- Adding it to gumbos, soups, and stews
- Sautéing along with other vegetables in a stir-fry
- Frying with a cornmeal breading mixture
- Roasting
- Grilling
- Pickling
- Blanching
In Southern cuisine, okra is often featured in dishes like gumbo, succotash, and stewed tomatoes. As it cooks, okra releases mucilage, which is a natural substance that can help thicken soups and stews. This unique characteristic of okra contributes to the hearty texture that makes these dishes so appealing.
Frying okra is also a popular preparation method, but calories from breading and frying in oil can add up quickly and lead to excess calorie intake. As a lighter alternative, try roasting, grilling, or sauteing okra with a small amount of a heart-healthy oil, like olive or avocado oil. Additionally, roasting deepens okra’s flavor and can reduce the amount of mucilage that is released while cooking.
Pickling okra helps to reduce food waste by preserving these pods for enjoyment throughout the year. Garlic, dried herbs, and even dried red chiles can be added to the jars along with okra and pickling brine to spice up the flavor. Blanching okra helps retain its beautiful green or red color and makes it a vibrant addition to salads or vegetable trays served with sauces or dressings. If you plan to freeze okra for later use, blanching is an important step in the preservation process because it helps to remove dirt and microorganisms, like bacteria, along with helping to retain the vegetable’s flavor, color, and texture.
Nutritional Value of Okra
A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of cooked okra contains:
- 22 calories
- 1.9 grams protein
- 0.2 grams fat
- 4.5 grams carbohydrates
- 2.5 grams fiber
- 2.4 grams sugars
- Vitamins A, C, and K
- Folate and vitamin B6
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Calcium
Because it is low in calories, fat, and sugars, consuming okra can support healthy weight management. Its fiber content can help with satiety so you feel fuller for longer. Fiber also helps support digestive health by feeding beneficial microbes in the gut. In addition to fiber, okra pods also contain antioxidants in the form of polyphenols which help the body to fight inflammation.
Make Summer Vegetables the Star of Your Plate
Consuming more fruits and vegetables during the summer is a great way to ensure you are getting the nutrients you need to support your health. Increasing fruit and vegetable intake can help you build healthy eating habits that stick with you throughout the year. Fruits and vegetables contain a variety of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants along with carbohydrates that fuel countless processes within the body.
Vegetables like okra are very versatile and are a great addition to meals. Unless I had experimented with different preparation methods, I might have given up cooking okra altogether. However, since I have found roasting to work best for me, I regularly enjoy eating okra throughout the summer. If you’re on the fence about okra, I encourage you to try some different preparation methods as you may just find the right recipe for you.
Additional Resources from UF IFAS Extension
- UF IFAS Gardening Solutions – Okra
Recipes and Preservation Resources
- Freezing Okra from the National Center for Food Preservation at the University of Georgia
- Okra recipes from Fresh from Florida®
- Oven Roasted Okra from Clemson Cooperative Extension Service
- Pickled Dilled Okra from the National Center for Food Preservation at the University of Georgia
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