Southern Okra and Tomato Stew with Bacon and Corn
A rustic, smoky Southern stew of tender okra, juicy tomatoes, sweet corn and bell pepper, built on crisp bacon and its rendered fat. Quick-searing the okra keeps it from turning slimy, so every bite is silky but not gooey.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 1 hr 10 min
- Makes
- About 7 cups (6 servings)
Steps
Before you start
- Wash the okra and dry it thoroughly with a towel; wet okra turns slimy when cooked.
- Chop all vegetables before you start; the stew moves quickly once the bacon is cooked.
- If using frozen corn, thaw it in a colander first and drain off any liquid.
- Have a lid ready for the pot.
Render the bacon
- Add the chopped bacon to a cold 5-quart (4.7 L) Dutch oven, then set it over medium heat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 9 minutes until the fat has rendered and the pieces are browned and crisp.
- Use a slotted spoon to move the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Leave about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot and discard any extra.
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Ready when: Bacon is deep golden and crisp, with the fat clear and bubbling
Tip: Starting the bacon in a cold pot renders more fat and keeps it from burning.
Soften the vegetables
- Add the onion and bell pepper to the bacon fat with ¼ teaspoon of the salt.
- Cook, stirring often and scraping up browned bits, for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, thyme, smoked paprika and cayenne (if using) and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent at the edges, and the garlic smells fragrant but is not browned
Tip: If the garlic starts to darken, lower the heat immediately; burnt garlic turns bitter.
Sear the okra
- Raise the heat to medium-high.
- Add the okra and spread it out.
- Cook, stirring only every minute or so, for 6 to 8 minutes.
- The okra should turn bright green, then lightly browned in spots, and the sticky strands should cook down.
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Ready when: Okra is lightly browned in places and no longer looks wet or stringy
Tip: Don't cover the pot at this stage; trapped steam makes okra slimier.
Add tomatoes and broth
- Pour in the tomatoes with their juices, the broth and the vinegar.
- Add the bay leaf and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
- Scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits and bring to a boil, about 3 to 4 minutes.
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Ready when: Liquid reaches a steady boil with bubbles across the surface
Tip: The acid from the vinegar and tomatoes also helps tame the okra's slipperiness.
Simmer the stew
- Reduce the heat to low so the stew bubbles gently.
- Cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the okra is tender when pierced with a fork.
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Ready when: A fork slides easily into an okra piece, and the stew has thickened slightly
Tip: Stir gently; over-stirring can break the okra down and make the stew gluey.
Add the corn
- Stir in the corn and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes until the corn is hot and tender and the stew is thick enough that a spoon dragged across the bottom leaves a trail for a second.
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Ready when: Stew is thick and spoonable, not soupy, and corn kernels are tender
Tip: If it gets too thick, add a splash of water or broth.
Season and finish
- Remove and discard the bay leaf.
- Stir in half of the crisp bacon and save the rest for serving.
- Taste and add salt, a few grinds of black pepper, or a bit more vinegar if it needs brightness.
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Ready when: Flavor is balanced: smoky, slightly tangy, and well seasoned
Tip: Bacon and canned tomatoes vary in saltiness, so taste before adding more salt.
Serve
- Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining crisp bacon.
- Pass hot sauce at the table if you like.
- Serve alone or over rice, grits or alongside cornbread.
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Tip: Adding bacon at the end keeps the topping crisp.
Good to know
Tips
- Dry okra thoroughly and sear it before adding liquid; this is the key to reducing sliminess.
- Keep the okra pieces whole-ish and stir gently while simmering for the best texture.
- A splash of vinegar at the end brightens the smoky, rich flavors.
- For a heartier meal, stir in 1 pound of peeled shrimp during the last 4 minutes of cooking, until pink and opaque.
Make ahead
The stew tastes even better the next day. Cook through step 6 and cool, then refrigerate without any bacon. Keep the cooked bacon in a separate container, and re-crisp it in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes while the stew reheats. Add the bacon and finish with step 7.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: airtight container up to 4 days. Freezer: up to 3 months (okra texture softens slightly). Reheat gently in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, adding a splash of water or broth if thick, until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C).
Substitutions
- fresh okra → Frozen cut okra (same weight), not thawed. Add straight from the freezer and sear 2 to 3 minutes longer to cook off the moisture.
- thick-cut bacon → Smoked turkey sausage or 3 tablespoons olive oil with extra smoked paprika. For a lighter or vegetarian version, use olive oil and vegetable broth.
- canned diced tomatoes → 2 pounds (900 g) ripe fresh tomatoes, chopped. Peel if you like; add 5 to 10 minutes of simmering time to cook down the juices.
- low-sodium chicken broth → Vegetable broth or water. Use vegetable broth to make it vegetarian when also swapping the bacon.
