LOWCOUNTRY OKRA SOUP RECIPE

Lowcountry Okra Soup Recipe image

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 14

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2 tablespoons neutral oil
2 pounds turkey necks
1 pound smoked turkey leg or thigh meat
1 medium white or yellow onion, quartered
Salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
15 ounces (fresh or canned) diced tomatoes (about 2 cups)
1 pound okra (fresh or frozen), trimmed and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
3 ears sweet corn, sliced off the cob
2 cups cooked fresh or canned butter beans (about 15 ounces), drained
Freshly cooked long-grain white rice, cornbread and hot sauce, for serving

Steps:

Set an 8-quart Dutch oven or similar pot over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add oil. When oil shimmers, lay in turkey necks and sear until evenly golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.
Add 4 quarts water, smoked turkey, onion and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a heavy simmer, with the lid ajar to ensure the pot doesn't boil over. Check pot every 30 minutes to remove any scum that forms, and add water as needed to ensure that the meat is always submerged. Cook for about 3 hours or until all the meat is tender and broth is flavorful.
While it's traditional to leave onion and bones in the soup (and suck meat off turkey neck as you eat), you can strain broth, remove onion and pick meat off bones at this point if desired, returning meat to broth. Either way, reduce broth to about 3 quarts, then stir in onion powder, paprika, cayenne and pepper, and season to taste with salt.
Stir in tomatoes, then simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Taste, and adjust seasoning for salt, then add okra, reduce heat to low and cook until okra is just tender, not mushy, and still has bite to it, no more than 10 minutes. The okra will naturally thicken the broth as it cooks.
Stir in corn and beans, cook for another minute or 2, then serve immediately with rice, cornbread and hot sauce. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 1 month. Return to a boil for 3 minutes before serving.