It doesn’t get more comforting than soul food. This Southern style of cooking is known for its hearty meals, homey vibes, and bringing people together to enjoy these warm meals.
Quite a lot of soul food is made with meat as one of the main ingredients, and there’s lots of dairy too.
If you’re vegan, you probably think this means that you can’t enjoy soul food, but we promise you this isn’t the case at all!
There are plenty of vegan alternatives to some classic soul food dishes out there that taste just as good as the real thing. You don’t have to miss out when you try these dishes.
15 Amazing Vegan Soul Food Recipes To Make At Home
From Mac and Cheese to sweet potato chili, there is no shortage of vegan alternatives to classic soul food.
There is something for everyone on this list, so you’re sure to find the perfect recipe for your own dinner. Give some of these recipes a try and see which one you enjoy the most!
To start, we have this absolutely delicious recipe for sweet potato chili. It’s an incredibly hearty dish that will warm your stomach and leave you feeling comfortable and relaxed after every single bite.
You can make this recipe in an instant pot or you can let it simmer in a slow cooker all day if you have the time. Either way, it’s going to taste fantastic.
You can find the full recipe for this sweet potato chili here
Pumpkin pie is another classic, and this vegan alternative tastes just as good as the original. This is the perfect recipe to make during the Fall, and its warm spices will really get you feeling festive.
You’ll be using vegan condensed milk in this recipe, which takes away the need to use any dairy. Whether you’re vegan or on a dairy-free diet, you’ll be able to enjoy this tasty dessert no questions asked.
You can find the full recipe for this vegan pumpkin pie here
This is arguably the best vegan mac n cheese recipe out there. If you’ve recently turned vegan then you’re probably missing the sweet comfort of dairy mac n cheese, but once you try this recipe, you won’t feel like that ever again.
It’s incredibly creamy and very rich, so you will be satisfied after every bite when you try this recipe for the first time.
Another great thing about this vegan mac n cheese recipe is that it’s completely gluten-free and it will only take you 30 minutes to make.
You can find the full recipe for this vegan mac and cheese here
This oven-fried okra is incredibly crunchy and delicious, and while it does have “fried” in the name, this particular recipe is completely free of oil!
If you want to give it a bit of a smoky flavor, you might want to consider roasting the okra before you get to the frying process, but even if you skip this step, it still tastes absolutely amazing.
This is another vegan recipe that is completely gluten-free too, so you can share it with lots of people who may have specific dietary needs.
You can find the full recipe for this oven-fried okra here
This recipe takes the classic red beans and rice dish and makes it a bit lighter, healthier, and completely vegan!
Just because it’s a bit healthier though, that doesn’t mean it isn’t jam-packed with fantastic flavor. It’s also incredibly filling and comforting, but because it’s so tasty, you’ll probably be coming back for seconds.
You can find the full recipe for this Cajun-style vegan red beans and rice here
These sweet potato biscuits are incredibly fluffy and buttery.
The beauty of this recipe is that it can be used with any sweet or savory dish you’re planning on making, so you can really make these sweet potato biscuits whenever you want!
Because this is a 100% vegan recipe and butter is one of the main ingredients, you’ll have to swap out dairy butter for something of the vegan variety, but we promise you that you won’t really be able to taste the difference!
You can find the full recipe for these sweet potato biscuits here
Another staple in Southern homes, this recipe perfectly combines sweet and salty together to create an absolute taste sensation in your mouth.
While you would use real chicken in the original recipe, this vegan equivalent is a lot more accessible and allows you to enjoy practically the same thing without having to break your diet.
A lovely addition to this recipe is the spicy maple syrup which just adds an impeccable amount of flavor to the overall dish.
You can find the full recipe for these vegan chicken & waffles here
It’s a bit of a split down the middle when it comes to pumpkin pie and sweet potato pie, so if you’re on the sweet potato side, this is a recipe for you!
This recipe takes sweet potato pie and makes it even better by adding purple yams.
These yams actually make the whole pie purple, so if you want something that is as visually pleasing as it is tasty, this is a great recipe to try.
You can find the full recipe for this purple sweet potato pie here
A soul food spread is never complete without some delicious homemade coleslaw, and this vegan recipe is absolutely perfect.
It’s crunchy but creamy and incredibly sweet, pairing exceptionally well with the rest of your food. Some of the most popular combinations include a bit of slaw and burgers or hot dogs.
If you are making some soul food, you never know when you might need some coleslaw, so it’s always better to have a recipe close by.
You can find the full recipe for this coleslaw here
Fish is a well-used ingredient in soul food, but if you’re vegan, you won’t be able to eat it. However, this vegan fish stick recipe will solve that problem in a flash!
The “fish” is made out of heart of palm and seaweed, which create a pretty realistic fish texture, so you’ll be able to enjoy fish without actually breaking your diet.
You can find the full recipe for these beer-battered vegan fish sticks here
It wouldn’t be a soul food list without the inclusion of gumbo! This popular southern dish is one of the ultimate classics when it comes to soul food.
This vegan equivalent is made using beans, mushrooms, okra, and a secret umami ingredient that will make it hard to believe that there isn’t a single bit of meat in the dish.
You can find the full recipe for this vegan gumbo here
This is another side dish that will complete your soul food spread. Black-eyed pea salads are incredibly light and refreshing and they work incredibly well with pretty much all of the other recipes on this list.
You can make this recipe ahead of time or you can make it quickly because it doesn’t take very long to make at all!
You can find the full recipe for this black-eyed pea salad here
You can find the full recipe for this vegan cornbread here
Conclusion
Soul food is one of the most comforting types of cuisine on the planet, so try some of these recipes for yourself and see which one you enjoy the most!
Hi, I’m Eve Mason and I’ve been a vegan since almost five years now.I can honestly say that veganism has changed my life for the better.The past few years I’ve been on a quest to find affordable vegan friendly food.Fortunately, meat-free alternatives have now become available in most supermarkets, which has made my life a lot easier.
I love cooking at home, but for those who don’t like cooking at all, there are more and more restaurants that offer vegan options as well nowadays.
I hope you enjoy my website and have fun preparing your own homemade vegan meals.
