19 Vegan Soul Food Recipes for Down-Home Comfort (2024)

Even though vegan soul food has become totally mainstreamed, there are still people who think that it consists of nibbling on salads like a rabbit. WRONG. With the help of ingredients like jackfruit and surprisingly convincing cheese, vegan cooking yields dishes that are just as comforting and indulgent as their carnivorous counterparts. Whether you're a Southerner who wants to work in some of your favorite classic recipes to your new lifestyle or you've just had a mad craving for killer mac and cheese, these 19 recipes will rock your world. Scroll on for drool-worthy dinner inspo.

Vegan Pot Pie With Cornbread Crust

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There's nothing more nostalgic than a warm and comforting pot pie. Use coconut milk to keep the vegan filling creamy and top with a fluffy cornbread crust that your spoon will sink right into. (via The Fitchen)

Vegan Peach Pie

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If you close your eyes and smell this peach pie, you almost feel like a kid again. Top a hefty slice with vanilla coconut milk ice cream if you really want to go all out. (via Happy Healthy Life)

Paleo Fried Pickles

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You'll be hard pressed to find a fried pickle crunchier than this one, vegan or not. Mix vegan mayo with chipotles to create a spicy dipping sauce to go alongside them. (via Wicked Spatula)

Vegan Fried Green Tomato Sandwich

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There's nothing more Southern than fried green tomatoes — and we don't mean the movie. The good thing for vegans is that they make a wonderful, hearty sandwich filling in the place of meat. (via Notions and Notations of a Novice Cook)

Vegan Mini Pecan Pie Recipe

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The next time you're assigned dessert at a family function, these mini pecan pies will steal the show. They're completely vegan, but everyone will swear that they're not. (via Yummy Mummy Kitchen)

Vegan Macaroni and Cheese

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Little did you know, you would crave the satisfaction of a blue box of mac and cheese as an adult. When that craving hits, this vegan macaroni will do the trick — and you'll eat a ton of veggies at the same time. (via The Green Forks)

Vegan Hoppin’ John

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Take part in the Southern tradition and serve this with a side of cornbread for a year of wealth and prosperity. (via Tori Avey)

Best Ever VeganSweet Potato Casserole With Pecan Crumble

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Is it a dessert or is it a side? Whichever you choose, this recipe for vegan sweet potato casserole is on point. (via Nutritional Foodie)

Vegan Gumbo

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If you thought vegan gumbo was impossible, think again. Using olive oil and flour still allows you to get that deep dark roux that's necessary for a good gumbo. Add in a mix of beans and okra and you'll be on the right track. (via Cilantro and Citronella)

Best Ever Vegan Baked Beans

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You definitely don't need meat products to achieve mouth-watering baked beans. Season with molasses, caramelized onions and bourbon for that rich flavor that tastes like they've been cooking all day. (via Connoisseurus Veg)

Black Eyed Pea Collard Rolls

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At the root of all soul food there are always collard greens. These rolls combine them with two other Southern favorites, BBQ sauce and black eyed peas. (via Vanilla and Bean)

Blackberry and Blueberry Cobbler

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When your dessert can double as your breakfast, that's a great day. These individual cobblers are filled to the brim with blackberries and blueberries and are covered with a sweet crispy almond topping. (via Bakerita)

Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits and Country Gravy

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This is one of those classic recipes that you need to have in your arsenal at all times. Fix the biscuits and gravy together for breakfast or use the separate recipes with other dishes. (via The Simple Veganista)

One-Pot Red Lentil Chili

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One bowl of this chili and you will be absolutely stuffed. Top with a sprinkle of vegan cheddar shreds, red onion and cilantro before you start scooping. (via Minimalist Baker)

Baked Popcorn Okra

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Soul food snacking wouldn't be the same without fried okra. Save the extra calories for dessert and bake the bites in a crisp chickpea flour coating instead. (via Vegan Richa)

Vegan Chicken and Waffles

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Anything fried and perched atop a waffle is a thing of beauty. Saturate this fried tofu with plenty of maple syrup and a sprinkle of sea salt to balance the sweetness. (via One Green Planet)

Mashed Potatoes and Mushroom Gravy

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As if scooping a big spoonful of mashed potatoes wasn't good enough, pour a ladle of mushroom gravy on top and you'll be in heaven. Try kicking up the flavor a notch by mixing in a buttery head of roasted garlic. (via Vegan Huggs)

Vegan Black Eyed Peas With Smokey Collards and Grits

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Who says all soul food is unhealthy? This bowl of grits, collards and black eyed peas is full of fiber, minerals and essential vitamins to keep you full and energized for hours. (via Vanilla and Bean)

Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie With Coconut Almond Crust

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If you can get your hands on purple potatoes, do so and immediately make this plum-colored sweet potato pie. Slice and serve with a dollop of vegan whipped cream for the perfect end to an epic soul food meal. (via The Endless Meal)

Follow us on Pinterest for more vegan soul food recipes and check out our online cooking classes for more inspo!

This post has been updated.

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Paige Johnson

Paige is a blogger, food writer and culinary master from Louisville, Ky. She's a newlywed who's obsessed with dogs and renovating her 117 year old home. When she's not working on her blog — My Modern Cookery — you can find her binge watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S with a triple shot latte in-hand.

19 Vegan Soul Food Recipes for Down-Home Comfort (2024)

FAQs

How to make vegan food satisfying? ›

I highly recommend having a mixture of grains, protein, and vegetables — it provides a great balance not only with flavor/bulk but also texture. Grains and legumes help keep the meal filling while the vegetables bring everything together.

What is the most popular soul food dish? ›

Fried chicken has long been revered as a cherished and iconic soul food item, deeply rooted in African American culinary traditions. With its crispy, golden-brown coating and juicy, flavorful meat, it captivates palates and ignites feelings of comfort and nostalgia.

What is surprisingly not vegan? ›

Beer and Wine

Isinglass, a gelatin-based substance derived from fish, is used as a clarifying agent in some beer and wine. Other non-vegan ingredients sometimes used are casein (from milk) and egg whites.

What do vegans struggle with the most? ›

Numerous studies have shown that vegans consume insufficient calcium and vitamin D, not only owing to the absence of dairy products but also due to calcium bioavailability problems in plant-based diets [28]. Vitamin D insufficiency exacerbates calcium shortage further owing to impaired intestinal absorption.

What do vegans eat to stay full? ›

Eat a protein serving with each meal to keep you feeling full. Great vegan and vegetarian protein sources are beans, tofu, tempeh, nuts, quinoa, lentils, whole grains, and starchy vegetables. As long as you focus on whole foods (rich in nutrients) and avoid processed foods and oils, it will be hard to overeat.

How to be vegan while poor? ›

Staple vegan foods such as oats, lentils, pasta, rice and chickpeas are among the cheapest foods and are in *a lot* of vegan recipes, so should definitely make an appearance on your list. Oh, and avoid shopping whilst hungry.

What do chefs think of vegans? ›

While many chefs ethically understand the reasons behind veganism, the overall culinary ecosystem doesn't support this thought making it difficult for chefs to accept it wholeheartedly. They start making excuses and regard the whole concept of veganism as fake and simply pretentious.

What is a typical soul food meal? ›

A typical soul food meal would feature: Sides: black-eyed peas, candied yams (dark-fleshed sweet potatoes), macaroni and cheese, and stewed greens (cabbage, collard greens, kale, mustard, or turnip); Entree: chicken (fried or smothered), fried fish, or pork (smothered chop or "chitlins," which are pig intestines);

What is a traditional soul food meal? ›

Particularly in rural areas, foods like fried chicken, fried fish, sweet potato pie, red drinks, black-eyed peas and others were served during Emancipation celebrations and church gatherings.

What is a typical Southern meal? ›

A traditional Southern meal may include pan-fried chicken, field peas (such as black-eyed peas), greens (such as collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, or poke sallet), mashed potatoes, cornbread or corn pone, sweet tea, and dessert—typically a pie (sweet potato, chess, shoofly, pecan, and peach are the most ...

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