The Soup

Included in the Charleston Receipts Cookbook (1950) is a recipe for, “Charleston Okra Soup”.

Okra is one of the main staples of the diet of South Carolinians. One of the many foods America inherited from the enslaved West Africans on the Middle Passage, okra is a thickener in many soups and stews, like gumbo. Okra is rich in vitamins C and K, fiber, protein, and antioxidants.

Okra can be prepared many ways including grilled, deep fried and pickled. I prefer to eat it sliced, tossed in olive oil with seasoning and cooked in my air fryer.

This okra soup was a 5-hour project.  And it was worth it!

Core ingredients of okra soup (or stew) are tomatoes and okra. Variations can include other vegetables and protein such as seafood, chicken, or pork. This recipe began with a beef shank slow cooked for two hours in water to create the broth base. Next, I added okra, tomatoes, and onions to the broth to simmer for an additional two hours.

In Charleston Receipts, each recipe’s contributor is listed. The contributor of the Charleston Okra Soup is listed as, “Mrs. Daniel E. Huger (Louise Chisolm)”.  I was curious about the faces connected with these names. My internet investigation revealed “Huger” was a family of historical significance in Charleston who were politicians and lawyers. A search for “Louise Chisolm” produced basic information from the 1940 census for an 11-year-old Black female in South Carolina. Beyond that, there were many twists and turns to nail down the exact Mrs. Huger and I found no pictures.

I believe the contributors of this recipe were a white housewife and her black maid/cook. This may be the case with many, if not all of the entries in Charleston Receipts. Further research through historical documents at a library would likely confirm my hunch.

Enjoying my first serving of this labor of love, I tasted the onion and tomato sweetness against the savory richness of the broth; the okra was in the background. I began to visualize the woman who created this recipe working tirelessly in kitchens of privileged families. I could see her prepping ingredients to create dishes from knowledge handed down from her ancestors. I imagined her prepping seafood dishes, sauces, and desserts to be displayed for elaborate parties using creativity and techniques to be envied by chefs today.  

As I consider all the black cooks from slavery through the 1960’s who have gone faceless and nameless, I give thanks. I am thankful for their contributions to this historic document as well as to the culinary cuisine and culture of the low country and beyond.

I have shared my okra soup project with family and friends. Since they’ve enjoyed the results, this recipe is a keeper.