Good southern soul food is at the core of our family traditions and gatherings. The expression "soul food" originated in the mid-1960s, when "soul" was a common word used to describe African-American culture.
I’m in love with Southern vegan recipes, also known as vegan soul food recipes. A few creative tweaks and plant-based substitutes are all you need to enjoy the essence of soul food while still maintaining a vegan diet. These recipes are a love letter to my roots here in Atlanta and proof that soulful cooking can be just as vibrant, comforting, and satisfying without meat or dairy.
Soul food connects us to each other, our ancestors and carries us into the future. It is how we show reverence, celebrate the major and everyday moments of our lives, and care and love for one another. The smells and tastes of good luck, prosperity and good health in the New Year.
Delight in the comfort of Southern cooking gone vegan! Familiar foods and recipes reimagined.
Soul food staples: collard greens, black eyed peas, sweet potatoes, corn, peaches, and cornbread just to name a few, are staple food items that were cheap leftover foods given to enslaved people. Meat was expensive therefore a limited item.
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Is Vegan Soul Food Healthy?
Yes, vegan soul food can be healthy as well as delicious. Yes absolutely "the African Heritage diet is a way of eating based on the healthy food traditions of people with African roots. This healthy way of eating is powerfully nutritious and delicious, and naturally meets the guidelines experts recommend for supporting good health.
Soul Food's foundation is vegetables with small amounts of meat as flavoring. Without deep frying or the addition of extra calories from heavy creams and butter the caloric intake can remain low. But what about the favor, right?
Vegan Soul Food Recipes
And there is no better way to embrace vegan comfort food recipes than with a classic southern-style platter of goodies. From cozy mac and cheese to fluffy corn bread and of course some BBQ sauce flavors in there too. And not only is this a cozy meal, it's also good for you!
Here are some amazing vegan soul food recipes:
- Vegan Southern Bowls
- Vegan Collard Green Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Vegan Mushroom Etouffee
- Vegan Corn Chowder
- Lion's Mane Crab Cakes
- Vegan Potato Salad
- Vegan Red Beans and Rice
- Vegan Gluten-Free Cornbread
- Southern-style Vegan Collard Greens
- Vegan Pecan Pie
- Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
- Vegan Peach Pie
These recipes are proof that you can honor tradition, savor bold Southern flavors, and still cook with love, health, and compassion at the center of every dish.
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Vegan Baked Mac n Cheese The best Yet
Vegan Southern Bowls
I, like just about everyone else I know, have been super into bowl food lately. Vegan Southern Bowls, of course! The cheesy sauce for my Vegan Southern Soul Bowl contains sweet potato too! Bonus antioxidants and fiber and southern food flavor.
For your Vegan Southern Bowls, try a rich Cashew Cream Sauce made from blended soaked cashews, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast, or a classic vegan Barbecue Sauce for a sweet and tangy flavor. These sauces add delightful complexity to the dish.
You might consider a vegan mushroom gravy, which is rich and savory.
Vegan Southern Bowl Recipe
This Vegan Southern Soul Bowl -- or plate -- depending how you serve it, is plant-based comfort food at it's finest! And don't think that you need hours in the kitchen to bring this meal together. I had my cornbread prepped, but after that, everything came together in under thirty minutes.
Ingredients:
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- Cooked rice
- Black-eyed peas
- Collard greens
- Red onion
- Zucchini pickles
Collard Greens Ingredients:
- Collard greens
- Grapeseed oil
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Red wine vinegar
- Salt
- Pepper
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions:
- Separate the collard green stems from the leaves. Dice the stems and set them aside. Roughly chop the leaves.
- Heat the grapeseed oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the collard green stems along with the sliced yellow onion; sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned.
- Add the garlic to the pan and sauté for an additional minute.
- Add the chopped leaves to the pan along with the red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and 2 tablespoons of water.
- Toss the collard greens to coat the leaves in the pan liquid, then cover the pan and turn the heat down to medium-low.
- Allow the greens to steam, stirring occasionally, until the leaves are bright green and tender (about 4 to 5 minutes).
- Divide the rice, black-eyed peas, and collard greens into four bowls. Top each with a quarter of the red onion and zucchini pickles.
Store any leftover Vegan Soul Food Bowls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, use a microwave or stovetop, adding a little water if necessary to prevent drying out, especially for the greens.
Tips and Substitutions
- Red Wine Vinegar Substitute: Great alternatives to red wine vinegar in the Vegan Soul Food Bowl recipe are balsamic vinegar and apple cider vinegar. Balsamic vinegar adds a slightly sweet and tangy flavor.
- Other Vegetables: To diversify the flavor and nutritional profile of the Vegan Southern Bowls, you might consider adding vegetables like sweet potatoes, bell peppers, or spinach.
- Vegan Butter: Yes, you can use vegan butter in the Vegan Southern Bowls recipe, particularly for sautéing the onions and collard green stems.
Additional Vegan Soul Food Recipes
Explore these other delightful vegan soul food recipes:
- Air-Fryer Okra with Smoked Paprika: Seven ingredients and 20 minutes are all you need to take this vegan soul food recipe from prep to plate.
- Vegan Peach Cobbler: Satisfy your dessert cravings with this delicious plant-based peach cobbler that can be made year-round-use fresh peaches during the summer months and frozen ones for the remainder of the year.
- Southern Okra Bean Stew: This substantial one-pot stew comes together in just 30 minutes and yields plenty of leftovers. Akin to a flavorful tomato soup, this vegan soul food recipe gets its heartiness from okra, brown rice and kidney beans.
If you give these recipes a try let us know!
