Southern Soul Plant-Based Meal Plan

We’re celebrating National Soul Food Month with Southern Soul, a plant based meal plan highlighting the deep, delicious flavors of Southern soul food and the tastes of the rural American south.

The culinary heritage of Southern soul food runs deep. Enslaved Black cooks transformed the scraps of meat and veggies they were given for their meals into an important American culinary tradition whose popularity continues to grow. It is a testament to ingenuity, creativity, and perseverance. 

Enslaved cooks used traditional West African techniques and West African staple crops brought to America, like rice and okra, as well as “castoff” cuts of meat the white enslavers didn’t want to create the beloved flavors we’re familiar with today. During The Great Migration, a decades-long exodus of Southern Black Americans to the North and Mid-West in search of better opportunities, soul food was brought along and introduced to new communities. 

My mouth is in heaven!!! Southern Soul, I bow to you.

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Soul food has largely been relegated to its own unique identity separate from the larger Southern food genre. However, the truth of the matter is that Black cooks and elements of soul food have influenced Southern food across the board. It’s important to honor and acknowledge the history and importance of soul food, without glossing over its impact on the food of the region as a whole. 

Soul food continues to evolve and change as cooks infuse their own creativity into the mix. There’s been a surge in the popularity of plant based soul food recently—and for good reason! As people give up meat and dairy for their health or the environment, they still desire the bone-deep satisfaction of rich and savory comfort foods. Soul food is a fantastic medium for this marriage of health and taste. It’s always been vegetable-heavy and relied on a knowledgeable use of spices and seasonings for its depth of flavor.

Southern Soul is a perfect example of this.

I will never look at grits the same way again. Southern Black Eyed Peas and Extra Cheesy Grits & Greens is probably the biggest mouthgasm experienced since turning into a Dirty girl. I literally licked my plate, it was soooo good. Be sure to add the pickled jalapenos, hot sauce, and sunflower seeds!

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If you haven’t made the creamy dreamy sauce from Southern Soul get on that shit!

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Holy shit. This cheese sauce. Wtf magic just happened?! After dunking two tortillas and finally just moving on to a spoon to shovel it into my mouth, I just had to physically stop myself to save it for dinner tonight.

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Simple Southern Soul

Drawing from the same Southern soul food flavors, but with streamlined recipes and ingredients, Simple Southern Soul is the perfect meal plan to indulge in your cravings without sacrificing much time.

Simple plant-based recipes include:

1. Maple-spiced Sweetie Soul Wrap with Crisp Apple Slices
2. Crispy Tempeh Topped Mac & Cheese and Juicy Grapes
3. Okra & Butter Bean Soup and Sliced Tomatoes
4. Loaded Chopped Salad with Cashew Blue Cheese Dressing
5. Easy Cheesy Seasoned Garlicky Beans & Rice Bowl

Let’s get cookin’!

These meal plans are available in Clean Food Dirty Girl. If you’re not a member, join now to get immediate access to hundreds of whole-food plant-based meal plans and thousands of recipes.

Our recipes are free of meat, dairy, eggs, oil, and highly processed ingredients and taste-tested so you can be confident when choosing what to cook.