I remember the first time my mom made okra and thinking what a strange-looking little pod it was with tiny prickly hair and a hard cap. As a kid, I wasn’t much into exploring new foods, especially those with different textures but I liked –no, loved – okra. It reminded me of tapioca pudding. Kind of slippery and slimy, but in a good way. (The grown-up me also loves that it’s a good source of 12 vitamins and minerals.)
This dish is certainly thicker than a soup, but not as thick as a stew. A vegan gumbo, perhaps? Maybe I should just call this an easy-to-make-healthy-delicious-warm-me-up-from-the-inside-out-on-a-cold-day kind of meal.
If you can’t find fresh okra, use frozen. I did and it made the preparation of this simple dish even easier. (The okra even came pre-sliced saving yet another prep step.) All you need to do is toss everything in a pot and after 40 minutes, it’s ready to eat. Serve this up with a chunk of rustic bread and you have yourself a perfect cold-weather meal.
Ingredients
2.5 cup diced sweet onion
2 cups sliced okra (fresh or frozen)
1 cup sliced celery
2 cups diced fresh tomatoes + 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes (or a 28 oz. can of low sodium diced tomatoes)
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 bunch of chopped parsley (about 1 cup)
2 quarts low-sodium vegetable broth
1 tsp. chili pepper flakes
1 ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Place all ingredients except the parsley, salt and black pepper in a large soup pot. Bring it to a full boil, then cover and reduce to low/simmer, maintaining a low boil.
- Cook on low for 40- 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is fully cooked. Add a small amount of water if anything begins sticking to the bottom.
- Remove from heat and stir in the parsley, salt and pepper.
- Serve hot immediately.
Andrea says
This looks delicious, I love okra and I now know another way of preparing it. Thanks !
Amy says
Thanks, Andre!