Charred Okra Salad With Garlicky Yogurt

Published Sept. 7, 2022

Charred Okra Salad With Garlicky Yogurt
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Greg Lofts.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(119)
Comments
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Broiling okra until golden crisps it nicely throughout and chars it at the edges. In this recipe, it’s then spiced with cumin and turned into a salad filled with herbs, lettuces, tomatoes and other vegetables. Dressed with yogurt and topped with spicy cayenne onions, it makes a flavorful and unusual side dish or a light, vegetable-filled meal.

Featured in: This Salad Silences the Okra Critics

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Ingredients

Yield:3 to 4 servings
  • 2limes, halved
  • 1medium red onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
  • 1teaspoon honey
  • Salt and pepper
  • ¼teaspoon ground cayenne, plus more to taste
  • pounds okra pods (about 7 cups), washed, stem ends trimmed, pods halved lengthwise
  • 3 to 4tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
  • teaspoons ground cumin, plus more to taste
  • ¼cup whole-milk plain yogurt
  • 1garlic clove, finely grated or minced
  • 2cups baby lettuces, Little Gem or Boston lettuce, washed and torn into bite-size pieces
  • 1cup arugula or radicchio, washed and torn into bite-size pieces
  • 1cup coarsely chopped mixed herbs, such as cilantro, basil and dill
  • ¾cup thinly sliced cucumber
  • ¾cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

238 calories; 13 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 956 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Squeeze the juice of half a lime into a bowl and add the red onion slices, then stir in honey, a large pinch each of salt and pepper, and cayenne. Let sit at room temperature while preparing the other ingredients (or for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld). Stir occasionally. Before serving, taste and add more salt or squeeze in more lime juice, if you like.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the broiler and line a sheet pan with foil. Add okra to the pan, drizzle with enough oil to coat the pods and sprinkle with salt, tossing well. Arrange okra into one layer. Broil until tender and charred, 5 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with cumin right out of the oven while still hot. Taste and add more salt or cumin, if you like. Let cool slightly.

  3. Step 3

    While the okra broils, make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine yogurt, garlic and a squeeze or two of lime juice. Slowly whisk in 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil until the dressing has the texture of heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  4. Step 4

    Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine lettuce, arugula, herbs, cucumber and tomato. Season to taste with a squeeze of lime juice, a little more olive oil to coat the vegetables, and salt and pepper, tossing well.

  5. Step 5

    To serve, place salad on individual plates. Top with okra. Drizzle with yogurt dressing, and garnish with some of the cayenne onions. Serve immediately.

Ratings

4 out of 5
119 user ratings
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Comments

We grow our own okra and have perfected this style of cooking, but it is better when fried in a pan with the olive oil, plenty of cumin, and importantly, red pepper flakes, Drain, pat with paper towels, salt generously and eat with your fingers. Best ever!

Just had this as a late summer meal using the plethora of okra and tomatoes from the garden. Best salad ever.

This salad is amazing. The broiled okra with cumin is so good I could seriously just eat those like french fries.

Wow!! This is far too busy a sold, with so many competing flavors! The okara is completely lost in the mix with red onions, honey, Youst dressing, fresh-herbed salad, tomatoes, etc.etc., etc.

The prep time for this salad far exceeds 30 minutes if you are washing and drying greens and cutting and chopping by hand lettuces, okra, herbs, garlic, etc.

Grilling the okra for this recipe cuts down in the oil but still gives a nice char. Delicious!

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