Healthy Okra Recipes

In Kerala in southern India, this classic stew is eaten at just about every meal. It's typically enjoyed for breakfast with idli (steamed rice cakes) or dosa (rice crêpes). For lunch and dinner, it's eaten with steamed rice and fish curry or braised beef dishes. Sambar powder is a mixture that includes coriander, fenugreek, cumin, black peppercorns, red chiles and asafetida. Find it at Indian markets or online.

Meaty snapper holds up well on the grill, but any firm white fish will work well in its place. Look for U.S. red snapper caught in the Gulf of Mexico for the most sustainable option according to Seafood Watch. Serve with a cold pale ale or lager.

Browning the flour gives this seafood gumbo recipe a distinctive rich color and flavor.

Lean chicken breast and a small amount of spicy andouille sausage along with okra and plenty of other vegetables are at the heart of this version of gumbo. With significantly less fat and sodium plus loads of vegetables, you can feel good about eating this Cajun gumbo any day of the year.

The classic Bloody Mary is an easy, go-to brunch cocktail meant to jolt you back into reality with spice and booze after a late night out. "Hair of the dog" is a tried-and-true treatment for those droopy-eyed mornings, but spike your Bloody Mary with a lively jumble of these cider vinegar pickles for a real cure-all that will open those eyes. Green cherry tomatoes are especially fun in this mix because they end up looking like green olives.

This updated version of a traditional Southern dish recipe includes lima beans and is seasoned with lively crushed red pepper.

The fire of the grill creates a tender texture while infusing the okra with subtle heat in this easy okra recipe. You can adjust the level of spiciness in this side dish by choosing chiles that are either tame, incendiary or anywhere in between.

Simmered in a tomato sauce fragrant with garlic and cilantro and finished with pomegranate molasses, this okra recipe might be just the dish that turns okra haters into lovers.

Okra retains a delightful tender-crisp texture when cooked in a packet. Here, it teams up with shrimp, tomatoes and Cajun seasoning for a satisfying meal with a taste of New Orleans. Serve with grilled whole-grain bread or polenta.

For this revamped, lower-fat Creole gumbo recipe, the flour is browned in a Dutch oven without butter or oil. To keep the fat further in check, we opt for smoked turkey sausage.

In this dish, one of the myriad Creole variations on white rice, the okra is steamed, not boiled, and has none of the gummy properties for which it is known. Frozen okra may be substituted. Partially thaw it before slicing and add it directly to the boiled rice in the colander before steaming. There is no need to brown it.

Comfort food with a Southern accent, this dish was inspired by our friend, Jimmo, who ate it growing up in South Carolina. Serve over brown rice or Quick Cheese Grits.

You may not think to combine olives and okra, let alone throw olives in your pickle jar. But trust: get your hands on the nicest okra possible and tuck it in a jar with briny olives, summer basil and a mean pickling liquid--you'll see what the fuss is about with this quick preserve. Speaking of pickling liquid, this recipe calls for rice vinegar, which has less than 5% acidity--the minimum for safe canning--so these pickles are for the refrigerator only. Chop and scatter them over roast chicken, toss into salads, spoon onto cheese plates or eat 'em straight from the jar.

In the South, scoring fresh-picked okra at the farmers' market is as exciting as discovering the ripest heirloom tomato. In this healthy tomato salad recipe, addictive roasted okra fries add crunch to balance the creamy dressing and soft tomatoes.

Enjoy the flavors of Louisiana Cajun cooking with this lightened-up version of the famous shrimp and rice dish.

This dish puts other healthy leftover turkey recipes to shame. Chef Hugh Acheson puts his unique spin on gumbo by mixing untraditional spices like allspice and coriander with must-have thyme and filé powder. Also called gumbo filé, filé powder is the finely ground leaves of the sassafras tree; look for it in well-stocked supermarkets or online. Serve the gumbo over rice and don't forget to pass the hot sauce.

This salad marries the flavors of cooked and raw ingredients, celebrating the wide array of produce that is grown and harvested at OtraCosa, a small communal farm in Caguas, Puerto Rico, and on neighboring farms.

A taste of summer, Louisiana-style. Serve this zesty sauté with grilled chicken or fish. When fresh corn is not in season, substitute frozen.

These awesome habanero-spiced pickled okra are the perfect crunchy treat to turn anyone on to the beauty of this underappreciated vegetable.

This Southern succotash is packed with flavor and fresh ingredients, including okra, tomatoes, corn and bacon—so much goodness in one bite! If you can't find fresh okra, feel free to use thawed frozen okra.