Everyday Eats · Late Summer Skillet
Skillet Corn, Okra & Tomato Succotash
Serves 4-6 · 30 min
When the garden hands you sweet corn, okra, and tomatoes all in the same week, this one-skillet Southern succotash is where they belong. It comes together in half an hour, tastes like the tail end of August, and is just as good warm from the pan as it is cold from the fridge the next day.
Ingredients
- 3 slices bacon, chopped (or 2 Tbsp butter for a meatless pan)
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups fresh okra, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
- 3 ears sweet corn, kernels cut from the cob (about 3 cups)
- 2 cups ripe garden tomatoes, chopped (or a heaping cup of halved cherry tomatoes)
- 1 sweet pepper, diced
- 1 cup butter beans or lima beans, cooked (fresh-shelled or frozen)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp fresh basil or parsley, torn
- Splash of apple cider vinegar to finish
Instructions
- In a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until the fat renders and the edges crisp. Scoop out the bacon and leave the drippings in the pan (or melt the butter if going meatless).
- Add the onion and sweet pepper to the hot fat and cook 3-4 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic for the last 30 seconds.
- Turn the heat to medium-high and add the okra in a single layer. Let it sear undisturbed for 2-3 minutes before stirring — this browning is what tames the slick and keeps it firm.
- Add the corn kernels and butter beans and cook another 4-5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the corn is bright and just tender.
- Fold in the tomatoes and smoked paprika. Cook 3-4 minutes more, just until the tomatoes slump and release their juice but still hold their shape.
- Kill the heat. Season well with salt and pepper, finish with a splash of cider vinegar, and scatter the basil and reserved bacon over the top. Serve warm with cornbread.