Basic lima bean and corn succotash gets a boost from summer bounty with the addition of sweet Vidalia onions, fresh tomatoes, bell pepper, okra and some smoked meat.
Southern Summer Succotash
Hope everybody had a wonderful holiday weekend with friends and family, and an extra day off today to recover. All the carbs and meat of late have me in the mood for some veggies and what a great time to introduce some summer succotash!To be honest, I love a simple succotash mixture of baby butter beans and corn, maybe with a bit of onion and garlic, always some butter, and sometimes just a splash of cream. You can make succotash using fresh, frozen or even canned vegetables, so it's pretty much a year round dish you can serve anytime.
But it's summer, and in the summertime, succotash just calls out for those fresh, abundant summer vegetables - fresh corn on the cob, certainly fresh garden butter beans if ya got 'em, though truthfully, I tend to always keep frozen baby lima beans around, and they are delicious.
Add in some sweet Vidalia onion, garden fresh tomatoes and sweet bell peppers - red, yellow, orange or green, or even a combination of a few. You could even add in some summer squash or zucchini, eggplant, or whatever is fresh at the farmers market or in your own backyard garden.
Include some of your favorite garden fresh herbs too, whether it be simply parsley, or chives, dill, basil, thyme or tarragon - they all add their own unique flavor profile.
The fresh tastes of summer in a beloved succotash, so good, so fresh - I swear, this is one of those dishes where I could literally eat the entire pot, all on my own!
Check out more of my southern favorites on Pinterest!
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Here's how to make my summer succotash.
Recipe: Southern Summer Succotash
©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
Prep time: 10 min |Cook time: 20 min | Yield: About 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Instructions
- 3 medium ears corn
- 1/2 pound fresh or frozen baby butter (lima) beans
- 3 slices bacon, cooked and chopped, reserve drippings
- 1/2 cup chopped andouille or smoked ham or turkey, optional
- 1 cup sliced fresh or frozen okra, thawed
- 1 cup chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
- 1/2 cup chopped sweet bell pepper (green, red, yellow, orange or combination)
- 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning, or to taste, optional
- 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons fresh, chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, or 1/8 cup heavy cream
Cook corn using your favorite method, or place whole, unhusked corn in microwave and cook on high for 12 minutes (1000 watt); use oven mitt to remove and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, add butter beans to a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, boil for 3 minutes, reduce to simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until mostly tender. Drain, setting aside 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Rinse beans and set aside. Use a sharp serrated knife to carefully cut off the root end of the corn, remove husks and silks and cut corn off of the cob. Use dull edge of the knife to scrape down the milk; set aside.
Cook the bacon in a large skillet, remove bacon and set aside to chop, but leave drippings in the skillet. Add sausage or ham to drippings, if using, and cook over medium high until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the beans. Add the okra to the drippings and cook for about 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add onion and bell pepper and cook another 4 minutes until softened; add the garlic and cook another minute.
Add the corn, sugar, butter beans, meat and seasonings to the skillet. Add some of the reserved cooking water, a little at a time, only if mixture is too dry. Reduce heat to medium low, cook and stir until everything is heated through, add tomatoes, bacon and parsley. Stir in butter or cream until warmed through; taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve immediately.
Cook's Notes: I like to precook the corn on the cob using the no-husk, microwave method, however, you may also grill or boil the corn, or remove from cob and skillet cook it before adding to the other ingredients. May also use stewed or diced canned tomatoes - I like adding Rotel. If using refrigerated bacon drippings, you'll need about 1-1/2 tablespoons. For basic succotash, use only cooked baby lima beans and corn, add butter, salt and pepper.
Source: http://deepsouthdish.com
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