Southern cooks may have developed these recipes full of deep flavor, but that doesn’t mean we all can’t enjoy them. No matter where you live, if you haven’t tried soul food, you’re missing out. Bonus: These recipes are all slowly cooked, simmered and stewed for rich flavors without you having to spend a lot of money. Perfect for the frugal foodies.
Discover how to make authentic soul food at home with these delicious recipes.
1. Perfect collard greens recipe
Image: Dessert for Two
Hearty greens like these collard greens are made even more delicious with the addition of bacon and by slow-cooking them to soften the leaves.
2. Catfish and collard greens recipe
Image: Tori Avey
This combination of fried catfish and collard greens is a classic soul food recipe — perfect crunch in the fish and deliciously smothered greens.
3. Black-eyed pea cakes with collard greens recipe
Image: Eats Well with Others
A vegetarian meal if you don’t add pork products to the greens, these black-eyed pea cakes with collard greens are delicious.
4. Southern butter beans recipe
Image: Never Enough Thyme
Southern butter beans — not to be confused with lima beans — are creamy and so delicious when slow-cooked.
5. Southern cornbread recipe
Image: Oh Sweet Basil
Southern cornbread is a staple in all Southern homes, and everyone has a favorite recipe. We’re loving this delicious one.
6. Hoppin’ John recipe
Hoppin’ John, a mix of black-eyed peas and rice, is a traditional side dish in soul food cookery.
7. Fresh black-eyed peas with ham hock recipe
Image: In Erika’s Kitchen
Try making these fresh black-eyed peas with ham hock if you can get your hands on fresh beans — so worth it.
8. Southern-style black-eyed peas recipe
Southern-style black-eyed peas — not only for eating during New Year’s, but all year-round, as they are a great source of iron, vitamins and nutrients.
9. Southern-style sweet potato casserole recipe
Image: Bakes in Slippers
Southern-style sweet potato casserole — what you’d think of as dessert, in the South is a perfectly fine side dish to accompany your pork chops and gravy.
10. Smoky black-eyed pea and ham soup recipe
Image: The Daring Gourmet
The perfect way to start a meal, this smoky black-eyed pea and ham soup freezes really well, so we recommend making a double batch.
11. Oxtail stew recipe
Image: Never Enough Thyme
This oxtail stew is the perfect example of making do with what you have. Oxtail was considered scraps, and soul food transformed it by simmering and slow-cooking it into goodness.
12. Fried chicken recipe
Image: Oh Sweet Basil
You can’t forget fried chicken in all its glory.
13. Chicken-fried steak recipe
Image: Miss in the Kitchen
Steak that’s battered like chicken, and you get chicken-fried steak. We’re drooling.
14. Chicken-sausage dirty rice recipe
Image: Bakes in Slippers
This chicken-sausage dirty rice would make the perfect side dish to your soul food-inspired dinner table.
15. Fried okra recipe
Image: Never Enough Thyme
Serve this fried okra as a snack or crispy side dish to a meal.
More Southern recipes
Travel down South for cheddar stone-ground grits with bacon and shrimp
24 Southern recipes that even a Yankee would love
Grandma’s perfect buttermilk biscuits
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