25 Soul Food Recipes That Shaped Southern Cooking

Read Time: 20 mins

25 Soul Food Recipes That Shaped Southern Cooking1/25 Southern Mac and Cheese 22 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Southern Mac and Cheese Recipe photo by Taste of Home Skill Level Easy Total Time 45 min Servings 6 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: No down-home meal is complete without southern mac and cheese. Three types of cheese and a squirt of mustard make this comforting dish sing! —Katie Sloan, Charlotte, North Carolina Nutrition Facts: 1-1/2 cups: 830 calories, 45g fat (30g saturated fat), 213mg cholesterol, 1368mg sodium, 67g carbohydrate (11g sugars, 3g fiber), 39g protein. One of the most

well-known soul food recipes

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. 2/25 Collard Greens with Bacon 10 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Collard Greens with Bacon Recipe photo by Eric Kleinberg for Taste of Home Skill Level Medium Total Time 1 hour 20 min Servings 9 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: Collard greens are a staple vegetable of southern cuisine. This side dish is often made with smoked or salt-cured

meats, such as ham hocks, pork or fatback

meats, such as ham hocks, pork or fatback. —Marsha Ankeney, Niceville, Florida Nutrition Facts: 3/4 cup: 157 calories, 10g fat (4g saturated fat), 12mg cholesterol, 651mg sodium, 11g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 5g fiber), 7g protein. Chef Darnell Reed from Luella’s Southern Kitchen in Chicago’s Logan Square points out the link between foods of Africa and the recipes 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

This creamy sweet potato pie is subtly spiced and slices beautifully!

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!” 3/25 Sweet Potato Pie 73 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Sweet Potato Pie Recipe photo by Taste of Home Skill Level Medium Total Time 1 hour 20 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: This creamy sweet potato pie is subtly spiced and slices beautifully! We suggest baking up a few sweet potato pies around the holidays to give to friends and family. —North

This is one of the best-loved desserts in the family of soul food recipes

Carolina Sweet Potato Commission Nutrition Facts: 1 piece: 372 calories, 18g fat (9g saturated fat), 86mg cholesterol, 300mg sodium, 48g carbohydrate (25g sugars, 2g fiber), 6g protein. 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. But you don’t have to go to soul food restaurants to enjoy it. 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.”

a very ripe one and fry it for three to four minutes until golden brown.” 4/25 Fried Catfish Test Kitchen Approved Fried Catfish Recipe photo by Taste of Home Skill Level Easy Total Time 35 min Servings 6 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: My son told me he once had fried catfish with Cajun aioli, so I set out to re-create it for him. It was a huge hit with him and my husband. The aioli is also great as a dip for sweet potato fries. —Pattie Prescott, Manchester, New Hampshire Nutrition Facts: 1 fillet with 3

tablespoons aioli: 754 calories, 56g fat (8g saturated fat), 108mg cholesterol, 916mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 1g fiber), 30g protein. Fried catfish was frequently requested by customers at Gladys Luncheonette, an eatery that hosted neighborhood folks as well as famous people during its 50+ years in business. If you don’t live in the South, it’s easy enough to make the iconic fried catfish at home with a coating made from Cajun seasoning, all-purpose flour and white cornmeal. 5/25 Black-Eyed Peas 8 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Southern Black-Eyed Peas Recipe photo by Taste of Home Skill Level Easy Total Time

You can find black-eyed peas all year, but they take on star status

1 hour 5 min Servings 6 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: I find that pork is the secret to a good black-eyed peas recipe. A double dose of ham for flavor and slow, gentle cooking creates this perfect side dish. —Emory Doty, Jasper, Georgia Nutrition Facts: 3/4 cup: 359 calories, 11g fat (3g saturated fat), 5mg cholesterol, 788mg sodium, 48g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 14g fiber), 20g protein. Black-eyed peas are a global legume, eaten in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and South America. You can find black-eyed peas all year, but they take on star status

for New Year’s Day menus

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. 6/25 Candied Yams 4 Reviews Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe photo by Taste of Home Skill Level Medium Total Time 55 min Servings 10 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: My town is known as the yam capital of the United States. This is a simple recipe that goes well with baked ham or roasted turkey. —Essie Nealey, Tabor City, North Carolina Nutrition Facts: 1

serving: 248 calories, 5g fat (3g saturated fat), 12mg cholesterol, 59mg sodium, 51g carbohydrate (31g sugars, 4g fiber), 2g protein. My (Charla Draper’s) grandmother was the primary holiday cook when I was growing up, but she and her next-door neighbor partnered on some foods. My grandmother would make her a pound cake and the neighbor would make us candied sweet potatoes (aka candied yams). Richly flavored with butter and the perfect balance of granulated sugar, brown sugar and spices, oh, my gosh, they were so good! 7/25 Spice Rubbed Ribs 10 Reviews Contest Winner Test Kitchen Approved Taste of Home

It’s made with a wonderful blend of spices

Skill Level Easy Total Time 1 hour 10 min Servings 10 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: For grilling, here’s the rub I recommend. It’s made with a wonderful blend of spices. If you have some left after making ribs, put it in a shaker and use it another day on pork or beef roasts, tenderloins, steaks and more. It’s great alone or under sauce. —Cheryl Ewing, Ellwood City, Pennsylvania Nutrition Facts: 1 pound: 792 calories, 62g fat (23g saturated fat), 245mg cholesterol, 1864mg sodium, 5g carbohydrate (0 sugars, 2g fiber), 51g protein. Most folks know someone they

will swear makes the best baby back ribs

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 at his family’s 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 the spice rub

can get into the meat

can get into the meat. 8/25 Fried Green Tomatoes 5 Reviews Test Kitchen Approved Taste of Home Skill Level Easy Total Time 20 min Servings 8 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: My grandmother came up with her own version of easy fried green tomatoes years ago. Our family loves it. It’s a traditional taste of the South that anyone anywhere can enjoy! —Melanie Chism, Coker, Alabama Nutrition Facts: 2 pieces: 166 calories, 11g fat (1g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 317mg sodium, 16g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 2g fiber), 2g protein. Nicole A. Taylor, author of Watermelon and Red

“When I moved to New York City, all of this food just came back to me

Birds: A Cookbook for Juneteenth and Black Celebrations, 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. … 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.” 9/25 Smothered Chicken Test Kitchen Approved Smothered Chicken Recipe photo by Taste of Home Skill Level Easy Total Time 40

min Servings 4 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator:

min Servings 4 servings Go to Recipe From the Recipe Creator: As with many classic dishes, recipes for smothered chicken vary from person to person. Here is our take on the comforting entree. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen Nutrition Facts: 1 serving: 353 calories, 26g fat (9g saturated fat), 100mg cholesterol, 1108mg sodium, 3g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 0 fiber), 24g protein. This is one versatile, comforting soul food dish! You can make smothered chicken with fried chicken or lightly sauteed chicken, bone-in or boneless, dark meat or white meat—plus the seasonings of your choice. Aaron Hutcherson, aka The Hungry Hutch,

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✅ Key Takeaways

• These dinner ideas are perfect for impressing guests or enjoying special occasions.

• Choose recipes that match your skill level and available kitchen tools.

• Presentation and taste both contribute to a memorable dining experience.

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