Sometimes soup doesn’t need a ton of ingredients to make a huge impact! This okra soup is the perfect example. With just garlic, sausage, okra, tomatoes, chicken stock and seasoning, you can create a soup worthy of drinking! I mean it. I literally drink this broth like water. And with the addition of heavy “sinker” matzo balls made with sweet and rich duck fat, this soup is definitely made to impress. I know lots of people say they don’t like okra, but maybe it’s just the slime on the vegetable that you don’t like. With the right technique and a long simmer in flavorful chicken stock, you can turn that scary vegetable into a delicious treat!
In a large heavy pot, I warmed the olive oil over medium heat then added the garlic and sautéed for 1 minute. I added the sausage and cooked it in the hot pan for 3-4 minutes, until browned. I added the okra and stirred to combine. I cooked the okra and sausage together for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
I added the broth and diced tomatoes to the pot and stirred. I scraped the bottom of the pot with my spoon to pick up all of those brown bits from the cooked sausage. Don’t forget about those bits! They create tons of flavor in the soup. I then added the Cajun seasoning and saffron threads and stirred to combine. I brought the soup to a boil then lowered the heat to medium-low and simmered the soup for 1 hour.
While the soup was cooking, I made the matzo balls. Be warned: these are very dense matzo balls! I like to call them “sinkers.” So if you want a light and fluffy matzo ball, these are not the balls for you. I melted the duck fat in the microwave and set it aside. I froze this duck fat when I made a beautiful citrus duck a few months ago and I knew I would get a chance to use it for something delicious!
I whisked the eggs in a bowl then added the duck fat and chicken stock. I whisked in the salt and pepper then stirred in the matzo meal. I set the matzo ball batter aside for 30 minutes.
Once the soup was ready, I formed the matzo meal mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, into balls. Since the batter is a bit sticky, you should dip your hands in water before forming the matzo balls so they don’t stick to your hands.
I dropped the matzo balls into the simmering soup. If you want to make these matzo balls for another recipe, you can just cook them in chicken stock or water. I cooked the matzo balls for 10 minutes. And that’s it!
The Cajun spiced okra broth is hearty, spicy and packed with flavor. By cooking the matzo balls right in the soup, it takes on the essence of the okra and spices but you can still taste that rich duck fat. You will be licking your bowl when it’s all done!
Kitchen Tested
Save RecipeIngredients
Instructions
