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    Published July 20, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    This delicious succotash recipe is loaded up with tender fresh corn and caramelized onions, and peppers, and finished with okra, beans, zucchini, and herbs for the perfect vegetable side dish. This succotash pairs perfect with just about any protein or can be served as a side dish all by itself.

    We love using fresh corn on the cob whenever it is in season during the summer months. For more ways to use up fresh corn, try my Corn Chowder or homemade Corn Pudding recipe.

    succotash with tomatoes and okra


     

    Succotash

    Succotash is a name taken from the Narragansett Indian word, “msickquatash,” which means boiled whole kernels of corn. This recipe would have classically been more of a thin soup using few ingredients including corn, beans, and some sort of meat such as cured or smoked pork. In addition, some sort of squash would have commonly been used in Indian cuisine, especially since three sisters, corn, beans, and squash, were such a staple in their agriculture.

    This recipe has since become a popular southern dish as other ingredients were introduced like onions, peppers, garlic, and okra while making it more of a vegetable side dish served hot or at room temperature and less of a soup. It is common to finish off this style of succotash with butter and herbs.  

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    • Corn – Use fresh corn on the cob for this recipe. You can substitute with frozen or canned if out of season.
    • Fat – Traditional cured or smoked hog jowl would be used, but any thick-cut bacon or pork belly will work in this.
    • Beans – Lima beans or even butter beans will work for this dish.
    • Onions – I like to use sweet or yellow onions, but you can use white or red onions.
    • Tomatoes – This would not have been in the traditional recipe, but it is absolutely a staple when making the southern version.
    • Vegetables – All of these vegetables are optional, but I like to use garlic, bell peppers, okra, and zucchini.
    • Herbs – Fresh basil is a great option to finish off this dish, and you can also use fresh thyme.
    ingredients to make corn succotash

    How to Make Succotash

    Use these easy-to-follow procedures and images to make this amazingly flavorful succotash recipe:

    Trim the corn off the cob and prepare all the vegetables and bacon.

    slicing corn off the cob

    In a large frying pan or rondeau over medium to medium-high heat, add in the bacon and cook until the lardons are crispy, and the fat has been rendered, which takes about 5 minutes.

    rendering bacon fat

    Remove the bacon lardons and set them aside.

    adding crispy bacon to a bowl

    Add the onions, garlic, and peppers to the pan with bacon fat and sauté for about 5 to 6 minutes or until lightly browned.

    cooking onions and peppers

    Next, add the corn, okra, and lima beans and sauté for a further 5 minutes or until the corn is yellow and tender, and the okra begins to turn bright green.

    cooking corn and okra

    Stir in the zucchini and crisp bacon and cook for only 1 to 2 minutes while frequently stirring.

    mixing zucchini into corn

    Remove the pan from heat and finish with butter, basil, tomatoes, salt, and pepper.

    adding tomatoes to a succotash

    Garnish with additional chopped basil and sliced green onions.

    garnishing succotash with green onions

    Make-Ahead and Storage

    Make-Ahead: If you are serving this recipe hot, you can keep it warm for up to 20 minutes over low heat before serving. When serving it at room temperature, you can make this up to 30 minutes ahead of time.

    How to Store: Cover the succotash and store it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. This will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.

    How to Reheat: Add a tablespoon of unsalted butter to a large frying pan or rondeau over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted and in the desired amount of succotash and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until warm.

    Chef Billy Parisi

    Chef Notes + Tips

    • Feel free to add any additional ingredients to customize and make it your own.
    • To make this a little more Cajun, feel free to add 1 rib of small-diced celery when cooking the onions, garlic, and peppers to create the trinity.

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    Let's Cook - Chef Billy Parisi

    Succotash Recipe

    5 from 5 votes
    This quick and delicious succotash recipe is loaded up with corn, caramelized onions, beans, and okra for the perfect vegetable side dish.
    Servings: 6
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 18 minutes

    Ingredients 

    • 4 sliced thick-cut bacon slices
    • 1 peeled and small diced yellow onion
    • 1 seeded small diced red bell pepper
    • 2 finely minced garlic cloves
    • 8 ears trimmed fresh corn
    • 5 sliced fresh okra
    • 1/3 cup lima beans
    • ½ medium-diced green zucchini
    • ½ cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half
    • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • sea salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • In a large frying pan or rondeau over medium to medium-high heat, add in the bacon and cook until the lardons are crispy, and the fat has been rendered, which takes about 5 minutes.
    • Remove the bacon lardons and set them aside.
    • Add in the onions, garlic, and peppers to the pan with bacon fat and sauté for about 5 to 6 minutes or until lightly browned.
    • Next, add the corn, okra, and lima beans and sauté over high heat for a further 5 minutes or until the corn is yellow and tender, and the okra begins to turn bright green.
    • Stir in the zucchini and crisp bacon and cook for only 1 to 2 minutes while frequently stirring. This zucchini should not be mushy.
    • Remove the pan from heat and finish with basil, tomatoes, butter, salt, and pepper.
    • Garnish with additional chopped basil and sliced green onions.

    Notes

    Make-Ahead: If you are serving this recipe hot, you can keep it warm for up to 20 minutes over low heat before serving. When serving it at room temperature, you can make this up to 30 minutes ahead of time.
    How to Store: Cover the succotash and store it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. This will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
    How to Reheat: Add a tablespoon of unsalted butter to a large frying pan or rondeau over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted and in the desired amount of succotash and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until warm.
    Feel free to add any additional ingredients to customize and make it your own.
    To make this a little more Cajun, feel free to add 1 rib of small-diced celery when cooking the onions, garlic, and peppers to create the trinity.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 232kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 8gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 121mgPotassium: 580mgFiber: 4gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 1150IUVitamin C: 43mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg
    Course: Side Dsh
    Cuisine: Native American, southern