Recipe
Old-Fashioned Okra Salad
Tender cooked okra dressed with oil and vinegar: a simple side dish inspired by a Cuban cookbook from 1925.
- Preparation10 min
- Cooking10 min
- Total time25 min
- Servings4 side dish servings
- DifficultyEasy
This salad recovers a preparation collected in Delicias de la mesa, by María Antonieta Reyes Gavilán y Moenck, published in Havana in 1925. The okra is cooked whole and served with a simple dressing of oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
The adaptation is intended to accompany fish, chicken, or rice. Choose small, tender pods: they should soften without losing their shape.
Ingredients
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Method
- Wash the okra under running water. Trim the dry part of the stem with a small knife, without opening the pod or cutting its tip. Discard any hard, damaged, or overly fibrous pieces.
Image generated with AI.CiberCuba - Bring 1.5 liters of water to a boil in a large pot. While it heats, mix the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a bowl until you obtain a uniform dressing.
Image generated with AI.CiberCuba - Add the okra to the boiling water and cook for approximately 4 to 6 minutes, counting from when it returns to a boil. Check one piece: it should be tender when pierced but retain its shape. Larger pods may need a little more time.
Image generated with AI.CiberCuba - Remove the pods with a slotted spoon and let them drain for 5 minutes in a colander. Do not squeeze or stir them vigorously. Good draining prevents the water from diluting the dressing.
Image generated with AI.CiberCuba - Transfer the okra to a salad bowl and distribute the dressing over it. Mix gently or shake the dish to coat the pods without breaking them. Taste and adjust the salt level if needed.
Image generated with AI.CiberCuba - Serve the salad warm. If you prefer it cold, store it covered in the refrigerator once it stops steaming; calculate at least an additional 30 minutes for cooling. The 25 minutes of total time correspond to the warm version.
