Vegan Soulfest is Returning to Baltimore This August!

The 4th annual Vegan SoulFest, the city’s largest festival centered around vegan food, is slated to take place on Saturday, August 26th in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded by health and foodie mavens Brenda Sanders and Naijha Wright, Vegan SoulFest is a celebration of vegan living and culture with a focus on — you guessed it — soul food. It is sponsored by A Well-Fed World, a non-profit organization that promotes hunger relief and animal protection.

The one-day festival will have free admission and feature plant-based versions of soul food classics as well as keynote speakers such as David “The 300-Pound Vegan” Carter, Tracye McQuirter, author of By Any Greens Necessary, and Monique Koch, creator of the lifestyle and recipe blog The Brown Vegan. The festival will also feature musical guests Mova Kween, Ama Chandra, and more.

Now, let’s talk about the food. At this time, the list of vendors has yet to be released, but as the name of the festival implies, it will be centered around soul food — think mac and cheese, collard greens, cornbread, vegan fried chicken, and more.

Can’t Make it to the Festival? Throw Your Own Soul Food Party at Home! 

If you aren’t close to Baltimore but find yourself feeling jealous of all the festival attendees and the amazing food they’ll get to eat, don’t worry. We’ve put together a few recipes from our Food Monster App that will help you make soul food from the comfort of your own kitchen!

Hushpuppies With Remoulade

These Hushpuppies With Remoulade by Hailee Repko are the perfect recreation of the classic fritter. While the cornmeal in the original recipe utilizes eggs as a binder, this recipe uses “flax eggs,” or a tablespoon of ground flax seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons of water. They are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and finished with a creamy, dairy-free remoulade quickly.

Crispy Tofu Nuggets

How do you replace fried chicken? Try these Crispy Tofu Nuggets by Attila Hildmann. For this dish, tofu is dredged in flour and then dipped in smashed corn flakes, then deep-fried until crisp and golden. But for those who are avoiding oil, there is the option to fry them in a skillet. The curry ketchup is a unique dipping sauce that packs a punch and perfectly complements the dish. Yum!

Extra Creamy Mac and Cheese

No soul food platter is complete without a side of mac and cheese. So, get on this Extra Creamy Mac and Cheese by Molly Patrick. The dairy-free sauce is made by combining steamed Russet potatoes and carrots with sautéed onion, nutritional yeast (also known as the secret to making vegan cheese), vegan butter, and a pinch of turmeric for color. Definitely a necessary side to those crispy tofu nuggets.

Coconut Milk-Braised Collard Greens

Don’t forget the collards! These Coconut Milk-Braised Collard Greens by Courtney West are a new take on a classic Southern side. Garlic, pepper, cumin, and mustard seeds give this recipe a great spice, while coconut balances it out with a delicious creaminess.

Barbecue Seitan Ribs

These Barbecue Seitan Ribs from the Veganize It! Cookbook are the mother of all vegan barbecue recipes. Tender, meaty homemade seitan is slathered in sticky homemade barbecue sauce, seared, and then baked until slightly crisp and caramelized around the edges.

Looking for more? Our Food Monster App has all the tools you’ll need to create even more vegan soul food festival-worthy dishes right in your own kitchen! You’ll find will find plenty of Southern classics and then some on the app, which is available on both Android and iPhone. You can also find us on Instagram and Facebook. The App features 8000+ vegan, allergy-friendly recipes with at least 10 new recipes added daily! Check it out!

Lead image source: Vegan SoulFest