Delight in the comfort of Southern cooking gone vegan! Our Vegan Soul Food Bowls, packed with wholesome black-eyed peas, offer a guilt-free twist on traditional flavors.
I’m in love with Southern vegan recipes, also known as vegan soul food recipes. Now that we’ve made some Southern-style vegan black-eyed peas and put up a few pints of spiralized zucchini pickles, what should we do with them?
Vegan Southern Bowls, of course! I, like just about everyone else I know, have been super into bowl food lately. I’ve been itching to get my hands on this awesome vegan bowl cookbook. In the meantime, I’m just making up my own fun ways of shoving a bunch of food into a bowl and eating it in front of the TV.
It might have all started with my Vegan Cuban Bowls, but now it’s taking over my life, even my breakfasts (mainly due to sweet potato power bowls).
Table of Contents
Reasons to Love These Vegan Bowls
- Rich in vitamins, nutrients, and minerals, Vegan Soul Food Bowls offer a healthful meal choice without compromising taste.
- Despite being plant-based, this vegan soul bowl is designed to be filling and satisfying.
- I love that these Vegan Southern Bowls are the perfect comfort food, providing a cozy mix of flavors, satisfying textures, and spices that warm the heart.
Recipe Ingredients
- Collard Greens: These leafy greens provide a slightly bitter, earthy flavor with a chewy texture.
- Red Wine Vinegar: This adds a tangy and slightly fruity note and adds a bright zing to the dish.
- Red Pepper Flakes: These bring a subtle heat and spicy kick.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Sauce Options: For your Vegan Southern Bowls, try a rich Cashew Cream Sauce made from blended soaked cashews, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast, or a classic vegan Barbecue Sauce for a sweet and tangy flavor. These sauces add delightful complexity to the dish. You might consider a vegan mushroom gravy, which is rich and savory. It’s made by sautéing mushrooms and onions, then thickening the mixture with flour and vegetable broth.
- Red Wine Vinegar Substitute: Great alternatives to red wine vinegar in the Vegan Soul Food Bowl recipe are balsamic vinegar and apple cider vinegar. Balsamic vinegar adds a slightly sweet and tangy flavor. While Apple cider vinegar has a fruity and slightly tart taste.
How to Make Vegan Soul Food Bowls
Step #1: Separate the collard green stems from the leaves. Dice the stems and set them aside. Roughly chop the leaves.
Step #2: Heat the grapeseed oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the collard green stems along with the sliced yellow onion; sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic to the pan and sauté for an additional minute.
Step #3: Add the chopped leaves to the pan along with the red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and 2 tablespoons of water.
Step #4: Toss the collard greens to coat the leaves in the pan liquid, then cover the pan and turn the heat down to medium-low. Allow the greens to steam, stirring occasionally, until the leaves are bright green and tender (about 4 to 5 minutes).
Step #5: Divide the rice, black-eyed peas, and collard greens into four bowls. Top each with a quarter of the red onion and zucchini pickles. Garnish with sliced green onion and serve warm.
Expert Tips
- Deglaze with Vinegar: Briefly deglaze the pan with a splash of red wine vinegar after sautéing the onions and garlic for an extra layer of flavor.
- Handling Onions: For sensitive palates, consider soaking onions in cold water, leaving them off, or using quick-pickled red onions for a milder flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
To diversify the flavor and nutritional profile of the Vegan Southern Bowls, you might consider adding vegetables like sweet potatoes, bell peppers, or spinach.
Yes, you can use vegan butter in the Vegan Southern Bowls recipe, particularly for sautéing the onions and collard green stems. Vegan butter is a great dairy-free alternative that adds a rich, creamy texture and a buttery flavor to the dish
Storage Info
Store any leftover Vegan Soul Food Bowls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. While it’s possible to freeze the components separately (especially the black-eyed peas and collard greens) for up to 2 months, be aware that the texture of the greens might change slightly.
To reheat, use a microwave or stovetop, adding a little water if necessary to prevent drying out, especially for the greens. It’s best to add fresh garnishes like sliced onions or pickles after reheating.
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Vegan Soul Food Bowls Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 bunch collard greens
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- 1/2 cup sliced yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 1/2 cups cooked white rice - warmed
- 2 1/2 cups southern-style vegan black eyed peas - warmed
- 1/2 cup sliced raw - or pickled red onion
- 1/2 cup spiralized zucchini pickles
- 1/4 cup sliced green onion
Instructions
- Separate the collard green stems from the leaves. Dice the stems and set them aside. Roughly chop the leaves.
- Heat the grapeseed oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the collard green stems along with the sliced yellow onion; sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic to the pan and sauté for an additional minute.
- Add the chopped leaves to the pan along with the red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and 2 tablespoons of water.
- Toss the collard greens to coat the leaves in the pan liquid, then cover the pan and turn the heat down to medium-low. Allow the greens to steam, stirring occasionally, until the leaves are bright green and tender (about 4 to 5 minutes).
- Divide the rice, black-eyed peas, and collard greens into four bowls. Top each with a quarter of the red onion and zucchini pickles. Garnish with sliced green onion and serve warm.
NOTES
Nutrition
Made a double batch for meal prep and it lasted a couple of days. The pickled zucchini and onions were the highlight for me. Even my partner went back for seconds.