Okra Soup with Ham – Instant Pot Recipe
This gluten-free okra soup with ham and zucchini is so easy to make in the Instant Pot. It is a great way to use leftover ham and is ready in under 40 minutes. This okra soup recipe is perfect anyone enjoying a low carb lifestyle, as okra is very low in carbohydrates.
As a child, I was introduced to okra. I know there are some who enjoy it and some who don’t enjoy it. It is definitely a regional preference too. Around the world, okra is enjoyed in a plethora of dishes from curry, to soup, to stews. This Instant Pot Okra soup was inspired by my southern aunt. It mixes okra, zucchini, ham, and tomatoes into this comforting soup that is totally keto!
My favorite part of this soup is honestly the okra seeds! They kind of act like beans in a soup once they’re cooked under pressure! If you’ve been missing beans while eating low carb, you’ll be thrilled with the okra seeds!
Is Okra low carb?
Yes! Okra is a very low carb vegetable. One cup of cut okra is less than 4g net carbs. Okra is high in fiber which slows down the use of carbohydrates in the digestive system. Additionally, okra is a great source of vitamin C, vitamin B-6, and magnesium.
Where can I buy Okra?
Okra is often available at produce markets in fresh form. To prepare it, you simply rinse and chop. You can chop off the stems if you’d like to, some eat the stems.
My favorite and easiest method for getting okra is to buy it frozen. Most grocery stores will stock it in their frozen vegetable section. Thankfully, it is generally very inexpensive. At Walmart, I find it for less than $1.50 per bag! This makes it a great option for cooking for a crowd on a budget!
Uses for leftover Ham
If you’ve been looking for healthy leftover ham recipes, this okra soup is a great option. If you buy a large ham or have a large amount of leftover ham you want to save, freezing is a great option. The texture of the ham does change a bit when it is frozen, but it is fine for soups. I would suggest dicing it up before freezing to make it easy to add to soups!
Adding leftover ham to soups is an easy way to add a lot of flavor! Ham is generally quite salty with a smoked flavor which makes soups taste rich and wonderful.
More Recipes with Leftover Ham!
Ham and Zucchini Stir Fry
Low Carb Broccoli & Ham Casserole
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Creamy Ham and Broccoli Casserole
Ingredients needed to make Okra soup
The ingredients to make this soup are quite simple
- Okra
- Ham
- Zucchini
- Canned crushed Tomatoes (sugar-free)
- Onion
- Garlic
- Avocado oil (or another quality oil)
- Broth (chicken or beef) You can totally make your own!
- Water
- Salt & pepper
- Fresh basil for garnish (optional)
Tips for making this Instant Pot Okra Soup Recipe
I see way too many Instant Pot recipes where ingredients are dumped in and the Instant Pot is set to pressure. This is a viable method of making soup, but you can have so much more flavor if you saute some of the ingredients first.
I always will choose to saute onions if I’m able to! So, be sure to not skip this step. The saute feature on the Instant Pot is one of my favorites, for good reason!
So, first, you’ll need to saute your onions in avocado oil, then add the garlic, then the ham. Each of these ingredients adds a dimension of flavor to the soup when they’re first sauteed or stirfried.
Once you add the liquids and okra, switch the Instant Pot to soup mode and set it for 6 minutes. In total, my 8qt Instant Pot took 22 minutes to reach pressure, cook, and manually release from the soup cycle.
Don’t add the zucchini until after you’ve pressure-cooked the soup. It will get too mushy. Once the soup cycle is done, you can add the zucchini then switch the Instant Pot to Saute mode for 3-5 minutes or until the zucchini is cooked to your preferred texture.
You don’t have to add fresh basil to the soup, but it really adds a wonderful flavor.
Can this okra soup be made ahead of time?
Yes! You can make this soup ahead of time. If you’d like to use this for meal prep, you could portion out the soup in glass jars. I prefer to use wide-mouth pint jars, but as you can see here, I used a few different sizes based on what I had on hand.
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For THM friends, this is an (S)
Okra Soup with Ham – Instant Pot Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Avocado oil or other cooking oil
- ⅓ c Onions thinly sliced
- 4 cloves Garlic Minced
- 2 cups Broth beef or chicken
- 2 cups Water
- 1½ cup Ham Cut in bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups Okra bite-size slices (fresh or frozen are fine)
- 1 can Crushed Tomatoes
- 2 ½ cups Zucchini thinly sliced in quarters
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Fresh basil – for garnish Optional
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to saute mode and heat 1 tbsp of avocado oil.
- Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic. Add the ham and stir fry for 2 -3 minutes until it begins to brown a bit.
- Add the okra, broth, water, and tomatoes. Turn the Instant Pot to soup mode for 6 minutes and make sure the sealing valve is closed. Once the Instant Pot has gone through the soup cooking cycle, you can manually release the pressure. The total time to get to pressure then release was 22 minutes in my 8qt IP-DUO with using frozen okra in the recipe.
- Carefully open the Instant Pot and add the sliced zucchini. Turn the IP to saute mode for 5 minutes.
- At this point, your soup is finished and ready to be served.
- Garnish with fresh basil. (optional)
Notes
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