10 Classic Dishes to Celebrate National Soul Food Month

June is National Soul Food Month and we’re here for all the deliciousness it brings! Started 24 years ago, National Soul Food Month began as a way to recognize the food and foodways of African Americans and the African diaspora.

Not only does it honor the many hands that contributed to shaping what we call soul food today, but it also turns the spotlight on the ingredients that make soul food recipes on par with many of the world’s great cuisines.

When Soul Food Gets Its Own Month

“June was chosen as the month to celebrate because it brings in fresh, seasonal foods and coincides with family celebrations and Juneteenth. If you’re in the South, many of the foods that we don’t see till July [in other parts of the country] are already hitting peak growing season in the southern part of the United States,” shares Charla L. Draper.

The Chicago-based food writer started the culinary celebration in 2001 as a way to honor soul food, which is uniquely American cuisine. “The contributions that our group has made to the culinary world has had an indelible impact on the American menu.”

What Is Soul Food?

“Soul food is really the food of our ancestors and elders, evolving from what was eaten during enslavement,” defines Draper about the cuisine. “Soul food—the food—was the original comfort food. It’s the food that evolved from what we were fed, or created when we were enslaved.”

As such, the ingredients that makeup soul food recipes are an undeniable part of its DNA, with the resulting traditional dishes finding a place of honor on the tables of many family celebrations.

10 Soul Food Dishes Always On the Menu

While soul food recipes vary, these ten iconic dishes will never fail to make an appearance at the celebratory table.

Mixed Cooked Greens—Collards, turnips, cabbage and kale are just some of the mixed greens that are seasoned and cooked in a number of ways in soul food recipes. “The type of greens folks tend to eat is based on the area of the country where their families grew up,” notes Draper. “For example, kale is more popular on the East Coast, whereas my grandmother who was originally from Alabama, always made turnip greens and mustard greens.” The food expert observes that collard greens may have gained in popularity not only for their taste but also because they are the easiest to clean.

Cornbread—Of course, you can’t have cooked mixed greens without cornbread. Whether traditionally made from scratch with yellow or white cornmeal, milk and eggs or cooked quickly with the help of a box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, cornbread can take on a sweet or savory flavor profile. “The recipe that I used was my grandmother’s cornbread recipe, and she always added a box of Jiffy mix to her cornmeal and other ingredients,” shares the culinary consultant. “Jiffy mix has more of a sweet profile. If people prepare cornbread using a different box mix, such as Martha White Buttermilk Cornmeal Mix, that’s a less sweet cornbread.”

Black-Eyed Peas—“You can’t start the year without black-eyed peas,” attests Draper about their reputation for ushering in good luck for the coming year. Soaking the uncooked peas in tap water overnight begins the softening process. She’ll then combine the peas with a broth, flavored from ham hocks or ham, along with garlic and pepper flakes, cooking it for two and half hours or until the peas are tender. “When shopping for the black-eye peas, check the expiration date on the package because if your peas are old, they will not soften,” she cautions.

Ham—”The thing with baked ham is that it will feed multiple meals…You can have that big Sunday meal with sliced ham and the next day, you can add that ham to a casserole with egg noodles and vegetables. The following day you can have ham sandwiches. Finally, you should be getting down to the ham bone where you can use it to create a delicious broth,” details the food influencer about the multiple ways ham fits in with soul food recipes. “Ham is a great meal in itself but it’s also economical.”

Fried Chicken—While Draper points out fried chicken recipes are aplenty, she likes to prep her fresh chicken pieces by brining them in buttermilk overnight. After draining the chicken, and discarding the buttermilk, she’ll prep the bird for frying by coating the pieces with a combination of flour, cornmeal, paprika and salt. She adds, “The buttermilk gives a nice, moist buttermilk-flavored chicken.” Whether you grab this fried yardbird to go or heat up the oil to cook it, fried chicken is a classic that always has a place on the soul food table.

Macaroni and Cheese—The gooey, rich goodness of macaroni and cheese may just be the personification of the phrase “soul food comfort dish.” “Everybody’s family has their own macaroni and cheese recipe. Some folks are purists where they may only use one cheese; and, then other people have a macaroni and cheese that has evolved to be a more expensive dish that includes maybe five cheeses,” notes the culinary consultant. In her family, Draper cooks the pasta first until al dente then adds Cheese Whiz and the shredded cheese along with eggs and evaporated milk topped with a layer of the same shredded cheese. “It would bake for 35-40 minutes in the oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 165,” she shares. “Once it comes out of the oven, you have to let it ‘rest,’ before serving, for about ten minutes–just to get that crust right.” As any soul food lover will attest, that crispy, cheesy crust is everything!

Potato Salad—Variations on this soul food favorite are plenty. “My personal favorite potato salad always has hard-cooked eggs in it,” offers Draper. “There are so many different potatoes available to choose from with some recipes specifying using Yukon gold potatoes, which have a buttery flavor on their own. You can also use red potatoes. Sometimes I use potatoes that I don’t peel because the peel brings nutrients and it’s a good source of fiber.” To finish off her version of this soul food favorite: celery, a little bit of green onion, seasoning, salt and smoked paprika all blended with Miracle Whip (or mayonnaise) as a dressing.

Okra—Love it or hate it because of its silky-slimy texture, okra is deserving of its place on the soul food menu. Often used as a thickening agent in soul food recipes, like in gumbo, okra can also stand alone as a dish. “What most people don’t like about okra is that [thick] consistency. To cut that texture, add some vinegar or an acidic component,” coaches Draper, who enjoys serving up a cold okra salad with an acidic dressing. “Fried okra is very delicious or use it in a dish with corn and tomatoes.”

Rib Tips—“Rib tips were created here in Chicago,” cites the food writer about this iconic soul food dish. “When Chicago was the meat packing head of the country, that portion of the beef was being thrown away. Someone decided, ‘Hey, wait a minute, this is meat. We can use this!’” Most often rib tips are grilled then slathered with barbecue sauce and served. “Some people like a sauce that has more of a vinegar flavor, whereas other people prefer a sauce that has a sweet tomato flavor,” notes Draper.

Sweet Potato Pie—We’re ending this list of top ten soul food menu favorites on a sweet note with sweet potato pie. “I make a traditional sweet potato pie with butter, eggs and milk. I always roast my potatoes—because you will get more flavor when you roast the potatoes versus when you boil them,” offers the food expert. Once the potatoes are tender, she’ll peel off the skin and mash them, adding spices to make the sweet potato pie batter. As for the crust, you can make it from scratch but there’s no shame in opting for a pre-made crust. However, Draper cautions, “You don’t want to try to cut the pie fresh out of the oven. It’ll be too soft. You need to allow it to cool—for about three hours until it’s totally set.” Top off this delicious soul food dish with whipped cream or Cool Whip and serve.

RELATED: Soul Food Macaroni and Cheese: Its History and Iconic Status in Black Households

Soul Food With a Vegan Twist

Can you make soul food–and have it taste right—using vegan soul food recipes?

Absolutely says the food pro. The key is substituting the right ingredients. Instead of meat-based broths, Draper suggests using vegetable broth. Likewise, tofu makes a great meat substitute in vegan soul food recipes. “Soy-based tofu can also certainly be fried,” she suggests. “And you probably would want to use something like coconut oil—because that would be a plant-based fat for frying.”

Soul Food Cookbooks Bring History, Culture and Flavors

As the former food editor at Ebony magazine, you can bet Draper knows her way around a good cookbook. Here she shares three cookbooks that will bring soulful recipes to life and onto your table. “The recipes that I’ve found from Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking by Toni Tipton-Martin are recipes that I would make again and again,” shares Draper.

“Date With A Dish: Classic African-American Recipes by Freda DeKnight was written by the first food editor at Ebony magazine and was the cookbook that established that African American cooks have a broad repertoire of things that they prepare and eat. Lastly, Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate At A Time, by Adrian Miller, gives a good backstory of how the different soul food recipes evolved—and what adjustments may have been made, or not made, in creating those beloved dishes.”

All of these soul food cookbooks and more are available online at the Food Temptress Cookbook Store.

While the recipes of favorite soul food dishes will vary with time, as will the hands that prepare the food, it’s important to enjoy the dishes that bring so much culture and history with every serving—and there’s never been a better time to do that than National Soul Food Month.