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For decades black folks have been spinning gold out of whatever they had access to, not least in the kitchen. And for decades black folks have been making vegan soul food. My own dad worked at one of Atlanta’s very first vegan restaurants, Soul Veg, in the mid 80s. Before we had Whole Foods, and a national dialogue around limiting animal products, or a strong vegan movement, restaurants like this were serving collard greens, mac and “cheese”, cakes, pies, and ice cream without animal products.
Soul Food
Google “vegan soul food” and you will find an amazing array of blogs, recipes, restaurants, and cookbooks dedicated to offering vegan options for this quintessential cuisine. Of course, we must also acknowledge that most traditional foods throughout the world are plant-based. Relying on animal meat and secretions is and will always be an egregiously inefficient way to nourish ourselves. It’s an indulgence most people in most parts of the world can’t afford.
Look back just a couple of generations and you’ll find that soul food is highly plant-based. After all, my African and southern US ancestors did not have an industrialized food system to feed them. Rather, they relied on family gardens. Thus we have the essential plant-based soul foods like collard greens, candied yams, cornbread, red rice, and gumbo.
As you can imagine, it’s not too hard to create vegan versions of recipes that are already so plant-centric. Making them unique, fun, beautiful, and absolutely delicious is my job.
Chicken and Waffles
This recipe is a fine example of how creating vegan soul food can be both easy and tricky. Easy because people have been making vegan chicken and waffles for a long time. I came at it knowing all the cool swaps: cauliflower for chicken…soy for chicken…gluten for chicken…mushrooms for chicken…
And tricky because I want this one to be uniquely delicious while still staying true to the original. (Just without the dead animal.) The result is crispy, juicy, double-breaded oyster mushrooms over fluffy waffles. Top that with a drizzle of real maple syrup and some southern hot sauce and you’ve got yourself a crazy good meal.
Serving Suggestions
Serve vegan chicken & waffles with one of these delicious vegan soul food recipes:
- Vegan Collard Greens
- Vegan Mac & Cheese
- Easy Braised Cabbage
- Sweet Potato Biscuits
- Black-Eyed Pea Salad
More Vegan Soul Food Recipes
Main Dishes
Vegan Fried Chicken
Main Dishes
Vegan Red Beans and Rice
Side Dishes
Corn Ribs | Finger Lickin’ Good
Salads & Bowls
Vegan Potato Salad
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Vegan Chicken and Waffles
Ingredients
Vegan Waffles
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 4 tbsp water
- 1¾ cups soy milk, or other non-dairy milk
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar
- 1½ cup whole wheat pastry flour, or a vegan, gluten-free flour mix
- ⅓ cup brown sugar , or coconut sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- non-stick cooking spray
Vegan Buttermilk Fried “Chicken”
- ¼ cup unsweetened plain soy milk , or other non-dairy milk
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup all purpose flour , or brown rice flour
- 1 tbsp arrowroot powder , or cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika, sweet or smoked
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 8 large oyster mushrooms, tough base of stem removed; see notes
- 5 cups safflower oil, or other frying oil
- maple syrup , for serving
- hot sauce, for serving
Instructions
Vegan Waffles
- Combine the flax and water in a large mixing bow to make the flax egg. Set aside to thicken.
- Pour the soy milk into a mixing bowl and add the vinegar. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in another mixing bowl.
- Pour the flax egg into the soy milk and stir well.
- Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Preheat the waffle iron and spray both sides with non-stick spray.
- Ladle some batter onto the waffle iron (about ½-3/4 cup) and cook for about three minutes, or until the iron's indicator shows that they are done.
- Complete with the remaining batter.
- To maintain the waffle's crispy exterior, transfer them to a cooling rack while you cook the remaining batter, or transfer them to a baking sheet and keep them warm in an oven preheated to 200°F.
Vegan Buttermilk Fried “Chicken”
- In a mixing bowl combine the soy milk and vinegar. Stir well, then set aside.
- In another mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients: flour, arrowroot powder, spices, and nutritional yeast.
- Heat the frying oil in a large dutch oven or fryer. It should be around 350°F.
- Use one hand to carefully dip a mushroom into the wet mixture, then drop it into the flour mixture. Use your other hand (it should be dry) to coat it completely. Dip it back into the wet mixture, and again into the dry mixture, keeping one hand devoted to wet and one to dry.
- Carefully lower the twice-coated mushroom into the hot oil. Repeat with remaining mushrooms until you can’t fit any more into the pot. Be mindful not to overcrowd; I can usually fit three to four in my large dutch oven at a time. Cook for about three minutes on each side until golden.
- Transfer fried mushrooms to a large plate covered with two sheets of paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Continue to cook the remaining mushrooms.
- Serve hot over the waffles, and top with maple syrup and hot sauce.
Notes
- This recipe can be made gluten-free by subbing brown rice flour in the mushroom batter and using a vegan, gluten-free flour mix for the waffles.
- If you can’t get your hands on oyster mushrooms (look at an Asian grocery store) try this vegan chicken and waffles using cauliflower. Simply swap cauliflower for the mushrooms.
- I use regular oyster mushrooms for this recipe, but king oyster will work too. Look for bunches of thinner, longer mushrooms that are attached together at the base. Remove as much of the tough base as possible without separating too many of the mushrooms, then follow the rest of the recipe as normal.
Nutrition
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Spicy Fried Cauliflower “Chicken”
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ⅓ cup hot sauce
- 1/4 cup unsweetened plain soy milk or other non-dairy milk
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 5 cups safflower oil, or other frying oil
- 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into large florets
Instructions
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine the flour, arrowroot powder, salt, cayenne pepper, white pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, Old Bay, and nutritional yeast.
- In another bowl combine the hot sauce, soy milk, and Dijon mustard and whisk until creamy.
- Heat the frying oil in a large dutch oven or fryer. It should be around 350°.
- Use one hand to carefully dip a cauliflower floret into the wet mixture, then drop it into the flour mixture. Use your other hand (it should be dry) to coat it completely. Dip it back into the hot sauce mixture, and again into the dry mixture, keeping one hand devoted to wet and one to dry.
- Carefully lower the twice coated cauliflower into the hot oil. Repeat with remaining cauliflower until you can’t fit any more into the pot. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, until the pieces are golden.
- Transfer fried cauliflower to a large plate covered with two sheets of paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Continue to cook the remaining cauliflower.
- Serve hot.
I made these, paired with your vegan collard greens recipe, for dinner last night. My husband usually enjoys my cooking, and last night was no exception. It’s his birthday month, and he just said, “THIS is my birthday dinner.” Definitely a winner!!!
Quick note: I did add more vegan milk than the recipe called for. +1 cup.
Fabulous! Happy birthday to your husband 🙂