Southern Style Okra and Corn

Roasted. Sautéed. Caramelized. Three methods. One tasty dish.

Stress Scale: ✅✅ | Prep time:  10 min | Total time:  30 min  | Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained

• 2 small yellow onions, sliced thin 

• 14-16 fresh okra, cleaned and ends cut off  

• 3 T bacon oil (I reserved from frying vegan bacon for another recipe) or vegetable oil

• 2 T + 1 T vegan butter, divided 

• Olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

To caramelize onions:

1. Melt 1 T butter in dutch oven (or a cast iron saucepan) over medium-high heat.

2. Add onions. Cook (stir frequently) until bottom of pan is glazed in brown bits.  Mine takes about 4 minutes.

3. Add 2 T water, stir and scrape up those brown bits. Continue to cook (and keep stirring) for about 2 more minutes or until the brown bits build up again.

4. Add 2 T water again. Repeat this process until the onions are all softened and dark brown. Mine takes about 16 minutes total.

5. Remove onions from pan; set aside. Soak your pan immediately for easier cleaning later.

To roast okra:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.

2. Toss clean (and dry) okra in olive oil and salt and pepper.

3. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Don’t crowd the okra. Bake for 20 minutes. Shake the pan every 5 minutes or so.

4. Remove from oven; set aside.

To sauté corn:   

1. Heat bacon oil (or vegetable oil) and 2 T butter in sauté pan, over medium heat. 

2. Add corn.  Add salt (if your corn isn’t salted already).

3. Sauté for 5 minutes over low-medium heat.

Putting it all together:

1. Mix roasted okra and caramelized onions into the sautéed corn. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Serve immediately. 

TIP: For the ease of understanding, directions are written separately for each veg. When I make this, I make all simultaneously (okra in oven, onions in dutch oven, corn sautéing). No need to be a hero here, tackle at your skill level.