The BEST Okra Soup Recipe (Takes 5 Minutes Of Prep Work and Made In One Pot)

This okra soup recipe is filled with deliciousness. It combines perfectly cooked okra with tender meat and shrimp in a crazy flavorful and seasoned homemade broth. Honestly, each spoonful is so addicting and will keep you coming back for more! What's even better than how it tastes though is how easy it is to make. In fact, 5 minutes of prep work is all that's required to put it together. 

The Best Okra Soup

This okra soup recipe puts a delicious spin on a West African dish that's been a family favorite in our house for years. It's a rich, hearty soup that's filled with so much goodness. I mean, it's filled with fresh okra, chopped spinach, juicy steak, tender pieces of shrimp, white fish, and a blend of spices and seasonings that pack the broth with flavor.

It's seriously so satisfying, and I love how easy it is to make!

Plus, it's a breeze to whip up. In fact, the entire process of making it is super passive. Pretty much all you have to do is just add all of the ingredients to a pot and let 'em cook to perfection. And since everything for this soup cooks in just one pot, the cleanup is so quick and easy, and you know I'm a fan of that.

Now, this okra soup is delicious all by itself for a hearty meal, but I love serving it with these Jamaican fried dumplings. They're just delicious dipped in the soup broth and really make for the perfect side.

Ingredients

Another reason to love this easy okra soup recipe is that it's made almost entirely with kitchen/pantry staples. In fact, you probably have most - if not all - of them on hand already.

Anyway, here's what you'll need to make the soup:

• 1 lb. fresh okra, sliced
• ½ pound steak or stew meat, cubed
• ½ cup onions chopped
• 1 tsp. garlic, minced
• 1 chicken bouillon
• 1 cup water
• ½ pound shrimp
• ½ pound white fish
• 2 cups of chopped  frozen Spinach
• 1 tbsp. smoked paprika
• 1 cup of water
• Salt and pepper to taste

Not bad, right?

Now, if you have to go to the store to pick up some okra, make sure to grab some extra so you can make this simple air fryer okra next!

Ingredient Substitutions and Suggestions

I always make this soup recipe with the ingredients listed above, but there are plenty of changes you can make to the recipe, and it'll turn out just as delicious.

For example, you can definitely use frozen okra if you don't have fresh okra on hand. You'll just want to make sure that you thaw it before starting the recipe.

As for the steak, you can use ground beef in its place. I've done this several times when I've made this soup, and it always turns out fantastic. Alternatively, in place of the beef, you can use oxtail instead. Oxtail is what's used in most traditional okra soup recipes.

As far as the chicken bullion goes, if you don't have any on hand, you can always swap it - along with the water - out for a cup of chicken stock.

By the way, don't be afraid to explore adding some more vegetables. You can try adding some Scotch bonnet peppers, zucchini, eggplant, green beans, lima beans, and corn. In fact, you can even throw in some diced tomatoes or - tomato paste - to make the okra soup a bit hearty and give it a nice zing of acidity.

Oh, and if you want to add even more flavor to the soup, feel free to sprinkle some garlic powder or onion powder in the broth.

Finally, if you want to add a little heat to the soup, feel free to top it off with some freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper seasoning, or even some hot sauce.

How To Make Okra Soup

Now it's time for the fun part, making the soup!

As I've mentioned a few times, this soup is actually super easy to make. Seriously, all you have to do is cook the meat, then add everything to the pot and let it cook. That's all there is to it.

So, without further ado, let's not waste another second and get cooking.

Step 1: Brown The Meat

First things first, take out a large pot and put it over medium-high heat.

Then, you'll want to add the meat, garlic, salt, smoked paprika, and onions to the pot and cook everything until the meat has browned on all sides. Also, make sure you mix the ingredients around the pot as they cook and flip the meat every minute or so as it cooks as well.

Just keep in mind the meat doesn't have to be fully cooked in this step, you're just browning the exterior of it.

Step 2: Cook The Soup

Once the meat has been browned, you can add the chicken bouillon and water to the large soup pot. Now give everything a stir and cook over medium heat until the meat is tender. Cooking the meat will take about 30-40 minutes.

Step 3: Blend The Okra

Next, after the meat has cooked, you can add the fresh okra - or frozen okra that has been thawed - to a food processor and blend the okra until it's chopped into a coarse consistency.

Then, go ahead and add the okra to the large soup pot along with shrimp, white fish of your choice, and frozen spinach. Cook the soup for about 5 more minutes or until the shrimp and fish are fully cooked through.

Step 4: Serving

Finally, you can serve this okra soup warm with anything you want with it! I like to top it off with a little more salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and/or some red pepper flakes.

For what it's worth, it also goes great with a side of Jasmine rice.

How To Store Okra Soup

This recipe for okra soup will make 4 hearty servings, so it should be plenty for a big family dinner.

If you happen to have any leftover soup, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3-4 days.

Having said that, if you want to store this soup for even longer, you can freeze the cooled soup in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. Stored this way, it'll last in the freezer for 2-3 months.

How to reheat Okra soup

Whenever you're ready to enjoy your leftover soup, it's definitely best reheated.

So, to reheat the soup, just add it back to a pot and warm it over medium heat for a few minutes - stirring frequently until it's warmed through.

Alternatively, to warm it up even quicker, you can microwave the soup in 30-second increments stirring between each one until it reaches your desired temperature.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make okra soup in just a few simple steps!

This is such a unique soup recipe that really has a taste like no other. From the okra and spinach to the mix of steak and fish all of the flavors work so well together.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this easy soup recipe as much as I/we do.

As always, if you give it a try, leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts.

More Soup Recipes

If you're looking for more easy soup recipes that are just as comforting and satisfying as this one, we have a bunch of different ones you can try next.

Here are some of our readers' favorites:

• Seafood soup
• Dill pickle soup
• Udon noodle soup
• Potato leek soup
• Crack chicken noodle soup
• Ground beef vegetable soup

Also, don't forget to follow us along on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram for even more deliciousness. We post new recipes on them every single day.

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