25 Best Vegan Soul Food Recipes

Think vegan is no fun? Wait until you try these vegan soul food recipes!

I’m not gonna lie, I also once thought that veganism only consisted of tasteless, boring dishes.

Little did I know that there is a wide array of comfort foods you can make using only wholesome and plant-based ingredients! 

Today’s roundup is full of vegan soul foods waiting for you to discover. 

When I say soul food, I mean serious business. I’m talking mac and cheese, pot pie, banana pudding, and yes, even fried chicken.

If you’re on the fence about being vegan, one bite out of these dishes might just push you to the veg. (Get it?)

Even if you don’t follow the lifestyle, I still highly encourage you to give these a try.

Because whether you’re vegan or non-vegan, these recipes will definitely delight.

25 Vegan Southern Food Recipes

1. Vegan Southern Soul Bowl

This colorful bowl (or plate, depending on what tableware you use to serve it) is made up of mac and cheese, cornbread, collard greens, and sweet and smoky tofu cubes.

It truly is a southern soul bowl!

You’d think with all its many components, this dish would require a lot of work and time, but nope, it all comes together in just half an hour.

2. Vegan ‘Fried’ Chicken

Thanks to mankind’s ingenuity, vegans are now able to enjoy the goodness of a crispy fried chicken, without actually eating chicken.

Now, of course, to a carnivore, the experience just won’t be the same. But if you’ve been a vegan for years and are itching for a good fried chicken, this won’t disappoint.

There are many recipes out there, but this one yields fried chicken with a crispy-crunchy skin and a moist, meaty, and tasty flesh.

3. Classic Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese

It’s easy to make vegetarian mac and cheese, but making it vegan could be a little tricky. I mean, how can you make mac and cheese without the cheese?

With this recipe, that’s how! This food blogger managed to create a pretty impressive mac and cheese that actually doesn’t taste or feel plant-based. The secret? Nutritional yeast.

4. Vegan Collard Greens

A colorful mix of collard green and vegetable tomatoes with garlic, onions, and spices, this is as good as this dish gets.

On its own, it may not be the most exciting dish. But serve it alongside vegan mac and cheese and fried chicken, and you’ll have an unforgettable meal.

5. Vegan Cornbread

Cornbread and other bread recipes normally call for milk, eggs, and buttermilk, but not this one. The results are still pretty epic, though.

All it takes to create the batter are flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, oil, and almond milk.

Notice how easily accessible the ingredients are! I’m pretty sure you have them all on hand already, so why not try the recipe today?

6. Vegan Cheese Grits

Cheese grits without the cheese? While it doesn’t seem ideal to transform a dish that requires cheese vegan, surprisingly, it works.

As long as you’re creative in finding vegan alternatives to traditional ingredients, there’s nothing you can’t do.

In this recipe, you’ll use nutritional yeast and vegan cheddar cheese shreds instead of regular cheese. Problem solved.

7. Vegan Gumbo

While it doesn’t contain the typical gumbo staples – meats and shellfish, this vegan gumbo still manages to taste spectacular.

What it lacks in meat, it makes up for in flavor. The combination of mushrooms, vegetables, beans, and a thick, perfectly seasoned broth guarantees it.

8. Vegan Jambalaya

Here’s another dish your Creole-loving heart will enjoy! It may not be authentic, but this southern-style vegan jambalaya will surely make your taste buds jump up and down for joy.

With its colorful combination of hearty tomato rice, starchy beans, vegan sausages, and Cajun seasonings, what’s not to love?

What’s more, is that this jambalaya takes only 30 minutes to make, which is a lot quicker than a traditional recipe.

9. Vegan Biscuits

These biscuits are fluffy, flaky, savory, and buttery, even without butter. 

The trick is to use non-dairy butter, such as Earth Balance. Thanks to this plant-based substitute, you’re free to enjoy as many biscuits as you like.

Serve these for breakfast or brunch with your favorite jam or preserve, or, just smother it with even more vegan butter.

10. Vegan Fried Okra

I wasn’t a fan of this slimy veggie until I’ve had this classic southern dish. These bite-sized snacks are incredibly addicting, and it just so happens to be vegan.

The batter is made of cornmeal, flour, and buttermilk, and is seasoned with garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper.

That’s what makes the breading wonderfully crispy on the outside, and light and fluffy at the same time.

11. Southern-Style Vegan Black-Eyed Peas

Black-eyed peas are often flavored with meat, so making them vegan can be a little complicated.

Not with this recipe, though!  The key is to season the peas with hot sauce, spices, and liquid smoke.

The spices are great, but the liquid smoke really amps up the peas’ flavor. They’re so good, no one will even notice the absence of meat. 

12. Vegan Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are made rich and creamy with milk and butter. For this vegan version, though, you’ll skip the milk and make up for the lost flavor with roasted garlic and fresh chives.

Also, you’ll use vegan butter instead of the regular kind.

You’d be surprised at how much it tastes just like the real thing!

13. Ultimate Vegan Chili

It’s hard to imagine chili without ground beef, but don’t knock it till you try it. This vegan chili is so sumptuous, it might just be your new favorite.

Swimming with beans, marinated tofu, and seasonings, this chili is the ultimate vegan comfort food.

It comes together in just an hour, to boot. It’s freezer-friendly, too, which means you can enjoy a bowl of hot chili anytime a craving strikes. 

14. Crispy Vegan Deep-Fried Pickles

These deep-fried pickles are crispy on the outside and crunchy-juicy on the inside.

They’ll also have the perfect flavor balance between salty, savory, and spicy breading and sweet and tangy pickles.

You’ll experience all those flavors and textures in just one bite! Seriously, you’ll be surprised at how addictive this snack can be.

I like to dip these pickles in ranch dressing for a cool and creamy contrast, but they taste great even without.

15. Vegan Pot Pie

A crispy and flaky golden pastry crust encases a creamy and bubbly vegan stew. If all vegan dishes are this good, I might just convert!

I love how despite the absence of the usual meat component, this pot pie is still wonderfully meaty. Vegan sausage and tofu do the trick.

The meat alternatives are awesome, but honestly, what makes this pot pie such a success is the mix of vegetables.

Carrots, potatoes, cremini mushrooms, butternut squash, celery together make a wonderful medley of colors, tastes, and textures.

16. Vegan Chicken and Waffles

Nothing beats waking up on a Saturday morning to the smell of sweet waffles and savory fried chicken! Chicken and waffles: they’re great apart, but are even greater together. 

The chicken component might not be legit, alright, but the flavors and textures are definitely on point. 

Serve it with waffles drizzled with maple syrup and vegan butter and I bet no one will even notice it’s not real chicken.

17. Vegan Beef Stew

How can there be beef stew on a list of vegan dishes? I was perplexed by this recipe, too, but it’s definitely worth trying.

This stew is brimming with potatoes, carrots, and celery. The “beef” part in this stew is actually made of TVP (textured vegetable protein) or soy chunks. 

These chunks might not taste exactly like beef, but the broth is so delectable, it masks the flavor so well.

18. Vegan Hoppin’ John

Ever heard of hoppin’ John? If not, you’re in for a treat!

It’s a classic southern dish of peas, vegetables, and rice. It seems basic, but the tastes and textures will absolutely blow your mind.

A traditional plate of hoppin’ John normally includes bacon, sausage, ham cock, or some type of meat. This one uses mushrooms instead.

19. Vegan Corn Fritters

These fritters aren’t just bursting with corn, but with bell peppers and green onions as well. It’s as crunchy, crispy, and flavor-packed as you’ll imagine them to be.

You can enjoy this as a snack with your favorite vegan dip, or serve it with soup or salad for a well-balanced meal.

20. Vegan Potato Soup

This potato soup is ridiculously rich and creamy. It’s the kind of soup that’s hearty enough to be eaten as a meal on its own.

You can serve it as-is, but that’s no fun, so go crazy with vegan toppings! 

This recipe recommends you garnish the soup with tempeh bacon, parsley, and roasted potato chunks, and I concur.

21. Vegan Hush Puppies

These hush puppies are crunchy and crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside. Every bite is of utmost perfection.

Not only are they vegan, but low in calories, to boot. Instead of deep-frying in oil, these bad boys are baked. Don’t worry, they’ll still be as amazing as regular, deep-fried hush puppies.

22. Vegan Baked Beans

These baked beans are sweet, tangy, smoky, savory, and spicy all in one bite. It’s the epitome of all southern BBQ side dishes!

The secret to how insanely delicious these beans are is not that it’s cooked for hours. In fact, this version comes together in just 1 hour.

It’s the combination of molasses, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, sriracha, and apple cider vinegar. Together, they’ll create a harmony of contrasting flavors. 

23. Vegan Pecan Pie

Time for dessert! When it comes to vegan sweets, you can’t go wrong with this decadent pecan pie.

With a sweet and crumbly crust and a thick and sticky, caramel-like pecan filling, this pie is phenomenal, to say the least.

24. Vegan Banana Pudding

A mix of bananas, plant-based milk, vanilla, turmeric, sweetener, and vegan butter, this banana pudding is silky, creamy, and unbelievably delicious.

In fact, you might not want to make banana pudding any other way again!

25. Vegan Blueberry Cobbler

With a cake-like biscuit at the bottom, a crunchy and crumbly topping on top, and sweet and juicy blueberries scattered everywhere, this cobbler is the definition of dessert perfection.

It’s sensational on its own, but I suggest you serve this with a scoop of vegan ice cream, to get that lovely warm and cold temperature contrast.