Summertime Shrimp, Okra, & Corn Succotash

Shrimp, Okra, & Corn Succotash is a flavorful and colorful side dish turned into a main course. Make the most of your abundant summer vegetables with a Southern favorite full of Cajun spice.

I love cooking with shrimp and tomatoes in the summer – Shrimp Creole and Seafood Gumbo are some of my favorites, so this past spring, when we moved into a house on an acre, all I could think of was making a huge garden.

The garden started growing okra and tomatoes like CRAZY. We could pick everything and, the next day, have enough to pick for another meal. I cut the “suckers” off the tomatoes and replanted them – it is tomato city over here.

We have been trying to come up with fun and tasty ways to use our okra and tomatoes, and aside from paleo chicken and sausage gumbo, our favorite dish so far has been this Shrimp, Okra, & Corn Succotash.

What is Succotash?

Succotash is a Southern side dish – made from corn, okra, and tomatoes. It is so easy to make, but it is so fresh and flavorful. It is a great way to use the summer vegetables that are in abundance in most Southern gardens and are also cheaper at the grocery store. It’s different than Corn Maque Choux, though both are delicious!

🥘 Ingredients Needed

When I make succotash, I use the vegetables that are in season or things that we need to use up. My favorite combination has been: corn, okra, green beans, red onions, orange bell peppers, jalapeños, and cherry tomatoes. I served this over orzo, though the pasta is not necessary.

I added shrimp to this dish to make a main course, but you could just as easily skip the shrimp to make a side dish or add tofu to keep it vegetarian.

📖 Options

You can add any fresh veggies that you have but always start with a base of corn, okra, & tomatoes. You can add lima beans, zucchini, bell peppers – whatever sounds good.

🥣 How to Make Okra Succotash

To make okra succotash, begin by cooking the corn. (If you do not have access to fresh corn or if you want to save time, you can use frozen corn. I would not recommend using canned corn here.)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Suggestion: Never boil your corn in water with salt! It can make the kernels tough and chewy.

Once the water is boiling, drop in your corn and boil for 4 – 7 minutes. You can also cook the ears of corn in an Instant Pot.

While the corn is boiling, dice up your veggies and season your shrimp. (Toss and coat in half a teaspoon of Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning and let sit.)

Remove your corn. It should be soft but still crunchy – it will still cook more once thrown in the pan. Let cool and cut the corn kernels off the cobs.

Next, heat 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet until it melts. Add diced red onions to the butter and begin sauteing.

Once your onions are translucent, add your garlic and shrimp to the pan.

Cook the shrimp until they are pink, and then flip them over. Shrimp can overcook really easily, so make sure you watch them.

Cook until the second side is pink, and remove the shrimp from the pan.

Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, then add the veggies, starting with okra and bell peppers.

Leave out the tomatoes until the very end.

Once the okra is cooked well, add your corn. Season your vegetables with a teaspoon of Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning (or your favorite Cajun Seasoning) and a teaspoon of salt.

Continue cooking for 5 – 10 minutes, and add your shrimp back to the pan with cherry or grape tomatoes.

Add a few more shakes of Creole Seasoning and serve either alone or over orzo or cooked white rice or rice pilaf.

How yummy does that look?

Can you Make Paleo Succotash with this Recipe?

Yes! You absolutely can make a Paleo or Whole30 friend succotash. Just follow the recipe as instructed, but use ghee in place of the butter and leave out any corn or lima beans. Add extra peppers or tomatoes! Yum.

🥫 How to Store Leftover Succotash

Refrigerate any leftovers for 3 – 5 days in an airtight container – leftover shrimp degrades in quality pretty quickly.

How Do You Reheat Shrimp Succotash?

Reheat on medium power for 1 – 2 minutes. If you overheat leftover shrimp, it will overcook and get tough.

Other Succotash Ideas

Here’s another Succotash we just made. I called it “Leftover Vegetable Succotash.” It is made of zucchini, broccoli, red onion, corn, okra, and garlic; then I added fresh cherry tomatoes from our garden at the end! Yum!

We ate this with some buttermilk fried chicken tenders, but you could also serve it with fried catfish or fried shrimp.

Have You Tried This Recipe?
Please rate it and leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think!