Summer Stew With Okra
My summer veggie garden is in full swing and there is plenty of tomatoes, capsicums, eggplant, zucchini and okra. If you do not have a veggie garden you will probably have been seeing them at reasonable prices at your farmers market. Stewing these summer staples is another way to showcase their flavour than yet another salad. Hot or cold this stew is amazingly tasty and nourishing.
I am new to growing okra and have stupidly planted it in the veggie plot farthest away from the kitchen. This means that if I do not look at my plants for a day or two they are suddenly covered in giant okra! I realise okra is best cooked when small, young and tender however in this recipe even my giant ones still shine.
Ingredients for Summer Stew Fresh Garden
The health benefit of okra is attributed mainly to it’s combination of soluble and insoluble fibre that helps to stabilise blood sugar levels and promote good gut health through feeding the good bacteria and cleansing the intestines. It is also a great source of B vitamins, folate and eye protective nutrients such as beta-carotene and, zeaxanthin and lutein.
The more you slice okra the more it exudes a slimy mucilaginous substance. Some people find this a little off putting however in this bright stew it is not very noticeable and serves to thicken the sauce, especially if you are using fresh tomatoes and not passata.
If you are one of these people that just does not like okra you can make this summer stew by substituting it for another podded vegetable. Like all my recipes feel free to fiddlle around with the ingredients – if you have beans (blue lake, winged, snake etc) they are a great substitute for the okra or can take the place of the capsicum.
Summer Stew Ingredients Chopped and Ready For The Pot
Summer Stew With Okra (Or Without!)
2016-02-27 07:34:37
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Ingredients
- 3 - 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 large brown or red onion, finely diced
- 2 cups of okra, sliced into rounds
- 1 - 2 capsicum diced
- 2 - 3 Lebanese eggplants, sliced into rounds
- 3 cups fresh tomato pulp or chopped tomatoes or passata
- 1 cup bone broth or stock or water
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin, ground
- 1 tbsp coriander seed
- Unrefined salt and pepper
- Herbs to garnish - coriander and/or flat leaf parsley work well
- Cheese to garnish - I used sheep feta however nut cheese also works well
- Chilli to garnish or to taste in the stew
Instructions
- 1. Heat oil over medium heat in a heavy based saucepan or lidded enamel cast iron pot. Add onion and cook until translucent and slightly golden stirring occasionally.
- 2. Add garlic and cook for another minute or two and then add the paprika, cumin and coriander seed, stirring for another minute or so unit fragrant.
- 3. Pop all the vegetables into the pot except the okra and stir occasionally for a few minutes until they are sweated and slightly softened.
- 4. Add tomatoes, okra and stock. Cook on a very slow simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes and then take the lid off and cook for a further 10 - 20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked and the sauce has reduced to your liking.
- 5. Season with salt and pepper.
- 6. Serve into bowls on it’s own or with a base such as quinoa or buckwheat. Garnish with your choice of herbs, chilli and feta.
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Due to our prolific garden I tend to make huge pots of summer stew and keep leftovers in the fridge. It is lovely at cold or at room temperature as a quick lunch or dinner on a hot day.
Enjoy your Summer Stew with Okra!
I’m envious of your vegie garden! We moved a few months ago so are still in the process of getting our new one up and running. The stew looks delicious too, think I’ll have to give it a try. Not sure if I can get okra locally though, I’ll have to keep an eye out!
Kath, if you are a veggie gardener I know how you feel not having one. We have just got the soil right in this one after two years and it is now going gangbusters. We are moving again next year so I am dreading starting again. Just treat your new plot with love and lots of good soil and you will be up and going in no time :)