A fantastic vegetarian dish that has all the flavor of the Greek Islands. This dish can be served with a tomato and feta salad and a side of bread.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. fresh or frozen okra. If using fresh okra, below you’ll find some tips about how to clean and prepare this vegetable
vinegar
1 cup olive oil
3 onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups chopped tomatoes
salt and pepper
1 bay leaf
2 lbs. potatoes, pared and cut into large chunks
vegetable stock
Directions:
1. If using fresh okra, sprinkle them with a bit of salt and vinegar. Then toss together. After a few minutes, rinse them and spread on a tray to air dry.
2. Pour the oil into a large pot, add the onions and garlic and fry until translucent.
3. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and bay leaf and simmer together for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the okra and potatoes, and enough stock to cover it. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.
Enjoy!
P.S. – here are a few tips on how to prepare fresh okra:
You have to be very gentle when handling okra. If you break the pods and any seeds come out, they will turn your soup “glutinous” (slimy) when you cook them.
Fill a large bowl, half full with water – about 2 quarts, and pour 1 cup of plain vinegar. Begin by rinsing them. If you’re leery about this step, simply rinse them under running water in a colander. Lay out a large kitchen towel, and spread the rinsed okra on it to dry as you’re working.
Take an okra in one hand and paring knife in the other. You want to peel off the outer layer of the cap. Don’t cut straight across or you’ll cut into the pod. Cut it on a diagonal, round and round, so it looks like the okra has a little pointed hat. Use a few okra as practice pieces, it really isn’t difficult at all. Put the cleaned okra into the vinegar water and proceed with the next one. When you’re done with all the okra, strain them from the vinegar water. You can use them right away in a recipe or put them in a air tight bag and freeze them for later use.
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