18 Soul Food Recipes That Shaped Southern Cooking

From the Recipe Creator: This is one of the best-loved desserts in the family of soul food recipes. Maya-Camille Broussard, owner of Justice of the Pies, bakes a well-known sweet potato and plantain pie. To make a similar dessert, Broussard says, “Bake the potatoes, which allows them to caramelize and makes things even sweeter. You can add in any type of plantain, but use a very ripe one and fry it for three to four minutes until golden brown.” Here are a few soul food restaurants that you should try.

From the Recipe Creator: Black-eyed peas are a global legume, eaten in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and South America. You can find them all year, but they take on star status for New Year’s Day menus. Folklore attributes good luck throughout the year to those who eat black-eyed peas or Hoppin’ John on the first day of the new year.

From the Recipe Creator: My grandmother was the primary holiday cook when I was growing up, but she and her next-door neighbor partnered on some foods. My grandmother made her a pound cake and the neighbor made us candied sweet potatoes. Oh my gosh, they were so good! Richly flavored with butter, and the perfect balance of granulated sugar, brown sugar and spices.

To this day, we’re all still looking for a recipe that re-creates the sweet potatoes we grew up on.

From the Recipe Creator: Most folks know someone they will swear makes the best baby back ribs. That may be true, but pitmaster Rodney Scott is one that everyone can take a lesson from. Scott cooked his first hog at the age of 11, working in his family business in Hemingway, South Carolina. He is now the owner of Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ. In his book, Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ, Scott shares his recipes, advice and cooking tips to help the amateur pitmaster.

Here’s one essential tip for cooking spareribs: Remove the membrane that runs along the back of the rib, so that all of the spice rub can get into the meat.

From the Recipe Creator: Though this recipe isn’t originally from the south—it was first created in New York—it wouldn’t be a southern dinner without pimiento cheese. The mayonnaise, cheddar and pimiento-based spread pairs deliciously with crackers, sliced carrots and celery sticks. You can also use it to top a sandwich or mix it into pasta salad.

From the Recipe Creator: Nicole A. Taylor planned to distance herself from the soul foods she grew up eating; however, after her husband’s job transferred them to New York, Taylor missed that home cooking. “When I moved to New York City, all of this food just came back to me and I started back eating meat, I started making black-eyed peas and putting ham hocks in it,” she says. “Everything I grew up with, the memories, the taste, the cravings, all just came back.”

Taylor published the book Watermelon and Red Birds: A Cookbook for Juneteenth and Black Celebrations. She has celebrated Juneteenth for more than 10 years and her book celebrates Black freedom and classic food—including fried green tomatoes.

From the Recipe Creator: My mother received this peach cobbler recipe from a friend of hers many years ago, and fortunately she shared it with me. Boise is situated right between two large fruit-producing areas in our state, so peaches are plentiful in the summer. —Ruby Ewart, Boise, Idaho

From the Recipe Creator: Chef Darnell Reed from Luella’s Southern Kitchen in Chicago’s Logan Square points out the link between foods of Africa and the recipe we enjoy today: “It is said that collard green recipes in the U.S. came from slaves working the fields and this was one traditional meal, but I know it dates back before then. One of our Ethiopian team members showed me the similarities [between] my collard green recipe and Ethiopian gomen, which had almost identical ingredients. Then when you research the word ‘gomen’ you realize it’s Greek and they’ve harvested collard greens for thousands of years!”

From the Recipe Creator: Okra has a reputation—some can’t get enough of it and others give it a thumbs down. It can be grilled, pickled, served in soups and stews and fried. Chef JJ Johnson, author of Between Harlem and Heaven: Afro-Asian-American Cooking for Big Nights, Weeknights, and Every Day and owner of Field Trip in New York, confesses that he used to hate okra.

“As I kid, I thought it was slimy and terrible. My first taste of okra fries didn’t do much to dispel my childhood aversion. But I kept thinking, how can I make okra fries good? You never get crispy okra fries.” This James Beard Award-winning chef updated the technique by using rice flour and cornstarch, and slicing the okra pod lengthwise, so the batter stays on the pod.

From the Recipe Creator: I’ve stirred a few pots in my career as a former food editor for Ebony and Southern Living magazines. I’ve made by grandmother’s recipe for cornbread many times through the years. Her recipe includes a package mix with a sweeter flavor than some you’ll find, but her recipe is a keeper. Our family serves cornbread with greens, beans, soups and stew.

From the Recipe Creator: This drink is a must-have for soul food dinners, says the Soul Food Scholar, Adrian Miller. Miller is the award-winning author of Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine. “I like this drink because of the way the tartness of the hibiscus and lime, the spiciness of the ginger, and the sweetener all play off each other,” he says.

Look for dried hibiscus flowers in the supermarket produce section or at an international market.

From the Recipe Creator: Now a staple of New Orleans cooking, shrimp and grits is a creamy, hearty dish that originated in Africa. The meal of ground maize and shellfish is perfect for a simple brunch, whether or not the other dishes are soul food.

From the Recipe Creator: Growing up, I was not a banana pudding girl. The recipe at Virtue Restauant in Chicago’s Hyde Park converted me! Chef Becky Pendola says, “Everyone has memories connected to this classic southern dessert. For me, the most memorable component happens to be the addition of Nilla Wafers and thinking about sitting on the porch with my mom as a kid, eating as many as she would allow me to have.”

Yes, banana pudding is delicious—but what makes it special is the nostalgia attached to every bite.

From the Recipe Creator: One of the most well-known soul food recipes, the original baked mac and cheese was created by James Hemings, an African American enslaved at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello plantation.

Serve this mac with other southern comfort foods, like fried chicken or pulled pork sandwiches.

From the Recipe Creator: If you've wanted to learn how to make crispy fried chicken, this is the recipe for you. Always a picnic favorite, this deep-fried chicken recipe is delicious either hot or cold. Kids call it my Kentucky Fried Chicken! —Jeanne Schnitzler, Lima, Montana