Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine [Paperback]

Bryant Terry (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. In this electric, eclectic collection of vegan soul food, West Coast chef Bryant Terry (Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen) manages not only to demystify classic southern cooking, he makes it healthier and more accessible. With a low-key approach, commonly sourced ingredients and recipes worthy of any palette, Terry avoids the didacticism and rigidity of other vegan cookbooks. An impressive amount of information for each recipe, including entertainment recommendations, is also provided. Many dishes will make the list of to-trys: a riff on the traditional Gumbo Z'Herbs that's traditionally eaten during Lent; a roasted potato salad with a parsley-pine nut pesto; and the ubiquitous chow-chow, a vinegar-laced relish that's indispensable with greens. Terry's simplicity is also commendable: a side of wilted swiss chard and spinach with lemon-tahini dressing is a healthier, creamier alternative to Caesar salad, and his Simple Seared Green Beans are a terrific way to enjoy the vegetable at its peak; classic treats like peach cobbler and mint juleps are also included. Though something of a Pyrrhic victory-a terrific and tasty collection of healthy Southern variations unfortunately relegated to the "vegan" ghetto-Terry's latest will make a happy discovery for cooks of any dietary persuasions.
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Review

Alice Waters
“Bryant Terry knows that good food should be an everyday right and not a privilege. This book is full of easy, tasty, seasonal recipes that also happen to be vegan and affordable!”

John Robbins, author The Food Revolution and Diet for a New America
“Do you think a commitment to healthy eating means enduring bland and boring food? Vegan Soul Kitchen will not only show you otherwise, but will make it easy for you to create fabulously delicious and exotic dishes. Here’s proof that natural foods can be fascinating and sensuous. Here are recipes you will enjoy using time and again.”

Heidi Swanson, author of Super Natural Cooking, publisher of 101Cookbooks.com
“From gumbo to grits, goobers to greens, Vegan Soul Kitchen dispels the notion that great tasting soul food has to be bad for you. This is a beautiful book brimming with nutrient-packed, approachable everyday recipes. One of those rare cookbooks I look forward to cooking through from cover to cover.”

Van Jones, author of the New York Times bestseller The Green Collar Economy
“Much more than a cookbook, Vegan Soul Kitchen reads like a rich gumbo of the African American experience, a history lesson with a mouthwatering twist. From reaching back to our heritage as stewards of the earth to offering modern recipes, music suggestions and original poetry, Bryant brings together a portrait of a people as well as a movement (food justice) that is poised to save our health, green our communities, and sustain the earth. Bryant knows the shortest way to people’s hearts is through their stomachs.”

Peter Berley, author of The Flexitarian Table
“Bryant Terry’s warm hearted, soulful dishes shout out to you and me with crackling, lip smacking goodness. His fresh and sassy way at the stove puts meat on the bones of the very plants that are sure to sustain us for generations to come.“

Annemarie Colbin, Ph.D., founder, The Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts, author of The Whole-Food Guide to Strong Bones
“Bryant has written a very creative, original, and musical cookbook. I look forward to trying out a bunch of these appetizing recipes. As a teacher, seeing a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute succeed so beautifully warms my heart.”

Ani Phyo, author Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen and Ani’s Raw Food Desserts
“Anyone with soul and good taste will love Bryant’s ‘African Diaspora’ recipes. They're downright delicious and satisfying. By mixing together the freshest beats with local, sustainable ingredients and healthful cooking techniques, Bryant brings to life the festive culture of celebration that comes from eating this way.”

Ann Peebles, Singer and Songwriter (and Bryant’s Aunt)
“That boy can cook!”

Jessica B. Harris, author of The Welcome Table
“Don’t let the Vegan in the title fool you. With food, music, and a zero waste way with watermelon that yields 6 recipes, Bryant Terry’s Vegan Soul Kitchen not just for Vegans. Innovative and taste-full recipes like Sweet Cornmeal Coconut Drop Biscuits, and Baked BBQ Black Eyed Peas, make it a book for anyone who wants to eat well.”

Jay Foster, Farmer Brown Restaurant
“As the chef and owner of Farmer Brown Restaurant, I know firsthand the challenges of bringing soul food to people who haven’t tried it. If you’re new to this cuisine, Bryant Terry’s recipes will open your world; if you’re looking for a twist, prepare to be amazed. All I can say is WOW! Thank you Bryant.”

Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination
“Bryant Terry transforms age-old black culinary traditions into what soul food ought to be—food that sustain our bodies, our earth, our sense of community, and our desire for the delicious. For the naysayers who resist the audacity of okra or the soft power of tofu, Vegan Soul Kitchen is the new manifesto that cries out, Yes We Can give up meat and enjoy gastronomic nirvana.”

Alondra Nelson, Yale University, author of Body and Soul: The Black Panther Party and the Politics of Race and Health
“A pioneer of the East Coast food justice movement, now hailing from the West Coast home of progressive food politics—where the Black Panther Party’s Free Breakfast for Children program made nutrition a key ingredient of social transformation and where Alice Waters started an organic revolution—who else but Chef Bryant Terry could have brought us the finger-licking, ethical eats in Vegan Soul Kitchen. At a moment when food can harm as well as heal, he has ingeniously re-imagined soul food by going back to the roots and back to the land. Recipes paired with vintage R&B, praise songs and poetry remind us that African diasporic cuisine has always been food for living and a total sensory experience.”

Publishers Weekly (starred web exclusive), 2/2/09
“West Coast chef Bryant Terry manages not only to demystify classic southern cooking, he makes it healthier and more accessible…Terry's latest will make a happy discovery for cooks of any dietary persuasions.”

Detroit Metro Times, 3/11/09
“Will convince you that soul food can be delicious without the animal fats and sodium associated with it.”

EbonyJet.com, 3/20/09
“Bryant teaches us that we can eat healthy and soulful, while creating just and sustainable food systems.”

The Root, 3/25/09
“At a time when more people are trying to eat well on a budget, the timing of [Terry’s] contribution couldn’t be better. Not only does Vegan Soul Kitchen prove that vegan soul food isn’t an oxymoron, it shows what’s possible for cooks who want to align their souls with their appetites, feeding their bellies along with their spirits.”

Edible Memphis, Spring 2009
“Bryant proves that soul food can be healthy and worthy of anyone’s (not just the vegans’) table. Not a Vegan? Pick up the book anyway. It’s loaded with 150 easy, flavorful recipes that are economical and healthy.”

East Bay Express, 4/22/09
“Terry draws upon his roots to create seasonal, healthy, animal-free alternatives to butter-drenched soul-food staples. Unlike many vegan cookbooks that call for hard-to-find specialty ingredients, most of Terry's recipes require a few simple ingredients that can be purchased at farmers markets and mainstream grocery stores.”

VegNews, 5/2/09
“With 150 recipes, this can’t miss classic will have you kissing your Collard Confetti without missing a beat.”

GoodCooking.com, 5/11/09
“This is a fun book that is well written with good recipes to boot. It will make a nice addition to your cookbook collection as long as Grandma doesn't swipe it to try a few recipes for herself!”

South Florida Sun Sentinel, 5/20/09
“Terry's recipes stand on their own. They're not about what's missing. They are complete, packed with flavor, color and texture: pan-fried grit cakes are served with caramelized spring onions, roasted sweet potato puree gets its creamy texture from coconut milk.”

New York Times, 5/28/09
“This young food activist makes Southern cooking healthy and cool.”

Uptown Social, 5/26/09
“Vegan is not typically associated with soul food, but Oakland-based eco chef Bryant Terry is not your typical southern son. His recipes will satisfy part-time vegetarians and full-time soul food fanatics who require flavorful meals that combine local ingredients in quirky and tasty ways.”

Los Angeles Sentinel, 5/21/09
“With obesity and high rates of diabetes and other health issues affecting African-Americans, Vegan Soul Kitchen is right on time.”

Slashfood, 7/8/09
“For vegans looking for new and innovative directions to take their cooking, this is an excellent resource. And for non-vegans who are looking for ways to introduce vegetables into their diet—in a way that is worlds removed from the stereotypes (bland, piously healthy) that bedevil vegan cooking—this is also a worthwhile investment.”

Philadelphia Daily News, 7/23/09
“Vegan Soul Kitchen brings the flavor without the fat. It's a collection of fresh fruit-, vegetable- and nut-based meals which, while classified as ‘vegan,’ are also traditional family recipes with a hip and healthy flair.”

Clean Eating, Sept/Oct 2009
“You won’t miss the meat or butter here! Bryant Terry reinterprets popular dishes in an animal-free yet surprisingly rich way that still manages to capture the complex flavors of soul food’s African, Native American, Caribbean and American roots.”

Edible Ojai, Summer 2009
“[Terry] has come along to dispel the misconception that traditional Southern cooking consists primarily of over-cooked collard greens and foods saturated with animal fats.”

YourVeganMom.com, 7/22/09
“This is the sort of cookbook that you will want to read from cover to cover. With its emphasis on healthy whole foods updates of soul food classics, you will also want to do some cooking.”

Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, 8/11/09
“With 150 creative recipes, Terry almost makes you believe soul food can be made without bacon grease.”

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; 1st Da Capo Press Ed edition (March 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738212288
• ISBN-13: 978-0738212289
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #24,769 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

  #69 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Vegetables & Vegetarian > Vegan
  #1 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Regional & International > U.S. Regional > Soul Food

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

71 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Vegan Soul Food" - for the Food Lover with a Heart!!!, February 24, 2009

By	Val Pavlik "VeganVal" (Long Beach, CA, USA (temporarily in Nashville, TN)) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine (Paperback)

As a cook and food lover with a heart, my choice not to eat animals is the reason I became vegan. "Vegan Soul Kitchen" by Bryant Terry caught my eye for a couple reasons, the main one being that after moving to the South about 3 months ago, I decided that I'd learn to cook southern food. I was raised in Asia, and had absolutely no exposure to either Southern Food nor "soul food", however I loved the vegan soul food that I've had in Seattle over the past year. I was therefore, thrilled to see a recipe for "Open Faced BBQ Tempeh Sandwich with carrot-cayenne coleslaw" on page 12. The ingredients were readily available even here in the South (at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's) and the BBQ tempeh sandwich was absolutely delicious! The only thing that I did differently was to bake my own Focaccia bread, instead of buying it already prepared. The "Minimalist Survival Snack Mix" on page 44 is a great snack when you don't have time for a sit down breakfast, or as an alternative to "not so healthful" snacks sold at the grocery store. My favorite recipe so far is the "Sweet Cornmeal Coconut Butter Drop Biscuits" on page 158. And yes, the recipe is vegan and no "real butter" is used. It's still delicious though!! I can't wait to try the rest of the recipes in this amazing book.

Terry doesn't appear to be vegan anymore but he does know what he's talking about as he was vegan in college and knows all about the health benefits as well as compassionate reasons for being vegan, and this guy can cook! If not for the Gumbo poem on page 92 about sea creatures in a meal "... a mound of sea creatures, a crab leg reached over the lip ...", I'd have given this book 5 stars. I just thought it was an inappropriate poem for a vegan cookbook. You wouldn't throw in a poem about pork in a Muslim or Jewish cookbook now, would you ? Vegans and vegetarians, don't let that poem stop you from buying this book though. It's still a great cookbook for anyone who loves soul food, or anyone like me who now calls the south their home.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some of the best vegan recipes to date, March 29, 2009

By	Michele B. Perez "clunkygirl" (orlando, fl) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine (Paperback)

I have had this book for just three days but I jumped at the chance to try it out yesterday and what a find! I made the black eyed peas fritters with the recommended hot sauce, the succotash soup with garlicky cornbread croutons, and molasses ice cream with candied walnuts. While, admittedly, it took all night since each ingredient requires from-scratch making (I cheated with canned black-eyed peas), it was well worth it. Everything was just perfect. I would like to clarify something in case others have some confusion regarding the succotash soup, I didn't see the step where you drain the bean mixture after cooking and before pureeing but I am sure that is what is meant. I think most people would notice that 10 cups of water would make for a very liquid-y soup, but some wouldn't know this until it was too late and I would hate for that to happen! Also, I only used a couple of tablespoons of coconut "oil" because it was so expensive ($9 for a small jar), and make my fritters in the shape of small medallions so that I could flip them in the shallow oil and it worked just fine. This is a collection I'd recommend to vegans and non-vegans alike.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yummy Soul Kitchen, March 6, 2009

By	L. Han - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine (Paperback)

I bought this book because of his previous work Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen, which is a groundbreaking green 'lifestyle' book for city dwellers. Vegan Soul Kitchen could just as easily be called Yummy Soul Kitchen- I'm not a vegan but the way the author shows how to build flavors I think will be a benefit to any cook. I highly recommend VSK to anyone who likes southern food, strives to be healthy, and wants to incorporate a spirit of sharing, joy, and community in their cooking. Includes several features (music, book, art recommendations) that make his book stand out from the typical cookbook.