Unlike potatoes or corn, which are universally loved, okra is one of those vegetables that divides people. Some hate it (one chef told The Guardian “It was the most foul thing ever grown”) while others love it. In 2021, James Beard Award-nominated cookbook author and food writer Ben Mims wrote for the LA Times, “In my home, it’s all love,” before declaring it as “a vegetable that deserves the spotlight.”
As even Mims admits, okra can be slimy, which is offputting to many people. But he also speaks of the many reasons to love okra. It’s incredibly versatile, for one. It also connects many different cultures—it’s loved across Africa, the Middle East, and the southern US states, where it’s a gumbo essential.
There are many ways to rid okra of its slimy texture and transform this vegetable into a delicious ingredient you’ll want to cook with all the time. Below, we’ve pulled together a few of our favorite vegan recipes with okra that demonstrate just how tasty this unique plant can be.
Where did okra originally come from?
For many people, okra is more than just a vegetable—the flowering plant has a long and complex history.
When millions of African people were forcibly brought to the US through the transatlantic trade of enslaved people, different ingredients were also brought with them, and one of them was okra. The plant thrived in the heat of the South, and it became a staple ingredient of Southern cuisine, primarily used as the key thickener in gumbo, a Cajun stew.
Today, okra is still used in many Gullah Geechee recipes. The Gullah Geechee people are descendants of enslaved Africans who lived in the coastal regions and sea islands of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina.
But okra is by no means limited to the US. It’s still a staple across Africa—from Senegal to Ethiopia, the ingredient is commonly used in stews and soups. It’s also used in Turkish, Iranian, and Indian dishes in many different ways. Bhindi masala, for example, is a popular North Indian dish consisting of tomatoes, spices, onions, and fried okra.
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What are the benefits of eating okra?
Okra is not just versatile and culturally significant, it’s also nutritious, too. “Okra may not be at the top of most people’s grocery lists,” Sereen Zawahri Krasuna, RD, LD told the Cleveland Clinic. “But it’s easier than you’d think to use it in the kitchen. Okra’s health benefits definitely make it worth the effort.”
In just half a cup of okra, there are two grams of fiber, which is important for supporting digestive and gut health, four grams of carbohydrates, and 32 micrograms of vitamin K. That’s more than a quarter of the recommended daily value of the nutrient, which is essential for several critical functions in the body, including blood clotting and cell growth and development.
Okra is also a good source of vitamin C, folate, magnesium, vitamin B6, thiamin, calcium, and potent antioxidants called polyphenols.
Research has shown that, because of its antioxidant content, okra may help to reduce levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood, which is a risk factor for heart disease. It may also help to reduce inflammation and regulate blood pressure, too.
Plus, okra’s fiber content means it may also help to reduce the risk of colon cancer. According to Healthline, research is still limited on this topic, but “it’s believed that since fiber increases stool bulk and decreases transit time, it helps prevent cancer-causing chemicals from having prolonged contact with the colon and rectum.”
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What is the best way to eat okra?
As mentioned above, many people are put off by okra because of its slimy texture. But Mims maintains this doesn’t have to be a fault of the vegetable—this is what makes it such a good soup or stew thickener, for example. But it also doesn’t have to be slimy at all.
The food writer recommends “[rubbing] the cut pods with spices, salt and sugar and then [blasting] them at high heat in the oven until all the slime is driven out of the pods and into the spices to hydrate them.” You can also fry them in oil “until blistered and caramelized,” he adds.
“There’s more to the pod than the slime,” says Mims. “Okra is a vegetable that adapts to almost any flavors you throw at it and any way you want to cook it.”
7 vegan recipes with okra
For further proof of just how versatile and tasty okra can be, find some of our favorite vegan recipes below.
Holly V. Gray
1 Quick and Easy Okra Pilaf With Coconut Bacon
Okra really shines in this savory, cayenne rice pilaf with smoky, crispy coconut bacon. The dish is quick to make, bursting with flavor, and, dare we say it, guaranteed to win over even the biggest okra skeptic. For maximum enjoyment, pour yourself a glass of white wine before digging in.
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Elavegan
2 Vegan Gumbo With Okra and Lentils
Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without a gumbo recipe. This version from Michaela Vais of Elavegan is incredibly filling, satisfying, and nourishing—everything you want in a hearty stew. “When you want to eat a comforting meal this delicious vegan gumbo is simply perfect,” says Vais.
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Holy Cow Vegan
3 Bhindi Masala
As mentioned earlier, okra is also a staple in Indian cuisine, and, arguably, one of the best ways to enjoy it is in stir-fried bhindi masala. “Whether you love okra or hate it with a passion—and everyone falls in one of those two categories—you will definitely love a Bhindi Masala,” promises recipe developer Vaishali of Holy Cow Vegan.
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Earth Chick
4 Mexican Spiced Crispy Baked Okra
For those who really, really hate slime, this crispy baked okra is the recipe for you. There is no slime in sight, we promise. Earth Chick will walk you through how to eliminate mucilage (that’s a fancy word for slime) to create some of the tastiest okra you’ve ever tried. “I spent many years being terrified of this unusual (and sometimes hard to find!) vegetable, so hopefully this recipe will make you realize okra is not so scary after all,” says Earth Chick founder Aleisha Maree.
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Vegan Richa
5 Baked Popcorn Okra
Another recipe that promises to limit slime is this baked popcorn okra dish from Vegan Richa. The okra is coated in a batter of chickpea flour before being breaded with a mix of tasty spices and baked—so simple, but so delicious. “You know what tastes amazing breaded and crisped? I think everything,” says recipe developer Richa Hingle.
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6 Vegan Khoresht Bamieh
This flavor-laden Iranian stew is made with a mix of vegan chicken, dried black limes, and okra in a rich tomato and garlic sauce. The key to getting the best flavor according to The Iranian Vegan is to leave it to simmer for plenty of time over a low heat, which allows the spices to fuse with the black limes. The latter is key, as they add a “sour, tart and aromatic, earthy flavor,” notes the recipe developer.
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The Vegan Nigerian
7 Vegan Nigerian Okra Soup
Roasted tofu replaces meat in this traditional Nigerian okra stew, which is bursting with delicious flavors and aromas. “If you’ve never cooked with this ‘mind-boggling’ vegetable before, I can assure you that this recipe is wonderfully easy to make and incredibly tasty,” promises Tomi Makanjuola of The Vegan Nigerian.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
