Fresh okra is at the top of my summer vegetable list. I love it breaded and fried, I love it stewed with tomatoes. And I especially love roasted okra with sweet bell peppers and Vidalia onions. This easy and fresh side dish is full of flavor. Plus it is super-healthy. Simply seasoned with olive oil, garlic, fresh lemon, salt and pepper, you will soon be addicted to this awesome summer side dish.
Roasted Okra, Peppers and Vidalia. I could eat this every night of my life.
This is not an exaggeration. Sit me down in front of a pan of these beautiful and delicious roasted vegetables and I am a happy girl.
And that's exactly what happened.
A couple of days before I made this recipe, I had stopped by a local farmer's market and picked up the first okra of the season. That's when it is the best. Young and tender.
(Sorry, guys. No garden here this year. I know, I know, lazy me.)
My husband and I were planning an evening of grilling, but we got the munchies. That's what happens when you hang out on the deck all day. You laugh, you talk, you get hungry.
We didn't want to spoil our evening meal, but we wanted something ...different.
I sacrificed my sweet little baby okra to make my husband happy. 🙂
Ingredients Needed:
- Fresh okra
- Red bell peppers
- Vidalia onion - Or other sweet variety.
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Salt + pepper - Feel free to get creative with the spices based on your personal taste.
Roasted Okra, Peppers and Vidalia is so easy and yummy. You get the caramelized sweet flavor of the onions and peppers, and the tender roasted okra. The okra seeds are toasted and tasty.
Call me a simple country girl if you want, but these are mind-blowingly good. Pretty sure mind-blowingly is not a word in the English language, but I'm also pretty sure I don't care.
How to Make:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Toss the prepared vegetables with the olive oil and garlic. Spread evenly on a heavy duty sheet pan with sides. Squeeze the lemon juice onto the vegetables evenly.
- Place in the oven and roast on middle rack for 25 minutes. Toss with a spatula and return to oven. Cook for an additional 20 - 30 minutes until the vegetables are roasted and the edges are crispy.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm.
More of my personal favorite recipes:
Tennessee Tomato Gravy
Lemon Pepper Kielbasa + Potatoes
Fiesta Grilled Corn on the Cob
Poor Girl's Okra + Tomatoes
Fried Green Tomato BLTs
Pan Seared Salmon + Herbed Butter
The fresh vegetables were tossed with olive oil and minced garlic then spread on a heavy-duty sheet pan. I'm currently obsessed with mine. Can you ever really have enough sheet pans?
The answer is no!
Here are some tips on making roasted okra:
- Fresh, fresh, fresh. If okra sits around too long, it has a tendency to get tough. The fresher the better.
- Use small to medium sized okra for the best results.
- Slice the okra in half lengthwise to expose more okra surface area to the heat. More brown = more yum.
- You can also cut it into traditional slices for little roasted okra bites.
- Season the roasted okra SIMPLY. Feel free to experiment, but the flavor of okra doesn't need a lot of fussy ingredients.
- Make sure your oven is properly pre-heated.
- Don't use too much oil. You want to roast the okra, not fry it. (Although fried okra has a special place in my heart, too.)
- Serve HOT.
For an extra burst of flavor, I squeezed half a lemon over the okra, peppers and Vidalia onions. This gives just a little bit of pop to bring out the best flavor possible.
Then you pop the whole thing in the oven and wait. Patiently. Roast, flip and roast some more.
Salt and pepper to taste after the vegetables are done.
Of course, you could really wow your guests and place these on a lovely serving platter.
Or, do it like I did. Toss down a couple of forks and go for it.
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Roasted Okra Peppers and Vidalia
Ingredients
- 5 cups fresh okra sliced in half lengthwise
- 2 red bell peppers seeded and sliced into strips
- 1 large Vidalia onion peeled and sliced into wedges
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ lemon
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Toss the prepared vegetables with the olive oil and garlic. Spread evenly on a heavy duty sheet pan with sides. Squeeze the lemon juice onto the vegetables evenly.
- Place in the oven and roast on middle rack for 25 minutes. Toss with a spatula and return to oven. Cook for an additional 20 - 30 minutes until the vegetables are roasted and the edges are crispy.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm.
Agness of Run Agness Run
This makes a perfect lunch idea! Loved the recipe, Teri!
Teri
Thank you so much! It is one of my favorite ways to prepare okra, and the peppers and onions ...that caramelized sweetness. So yum!
Anna
Soooooo goooood!!! Thank you!!
Teri
Glad you liked it, such an easy recipe. Just throw it on the pan and go.