Recipes for Change: Meet the Black Chefs Leading the Vegan Movement
From world-renowned chefs to social media ‘foodies’, here are some of our favorite black figures cooking up a storm.
Chef Bryant Terry. Credit: Facebook / Bryant Terry
African Americans are the fastest-growing vegan demographic in America, and it’s easy to see why when you see the inspiring work and delicious recipes of the black plant-based chefs at the forefront of the vegan movement. Here are some of our favorites to follow.
Charity Morgan
If you’ve seen The Game Changers or you’re a big NFL fan, you’ve probably already heard of Charity Morgan, who’s famously responsible for turning many of the Tennessee Titans onto vegan food.
Thanks to her delicious recipes like fried vegan ‘chicken’, the Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef helped maintain the strength and weight of 300lb NFL athletes through healthy and protein-packed vegan meal plans that she devised specifically for the team. No wonder she’s become such a popular source of inspiration for those looking for healthy and delicious plant-based recipes.
Bryant Terry
We included Bryant Terry’s brilliant cookbook Afro-Vegan in our selection of favorite vegan cookbooks already - and we’ve got to mention him again here too. Afro-Vegan was lauded as one of the best vegan cookbooks of all time by cooking publication Bon Appétit, and it makes a great intro to Terry’s approach to food, which collects recipes of the African diaspora to present familiar and original dishes full of flavour.
Terry’s work as a food justice activist helps show the direct links between plant-based food, race, and social justice, marking him as someone who is taking vegan cooking in exciting and innovative directions.
Tabitha Brown
Chances are you’ve already seen a video or two from vegan foodie and home chef Tabitha Brown, who has quickly become a viral sensation thanks to her relatable, humorous, and uplifting videos on food, family, and lifestyle advice.
Her home recipes are constantly going viral: one of her latest videos for ‘carrot bacon’ - a bacon substitute made from just carrot peels - has over 17 million views on TikTok. Watch that video below:
Aisha Cole
When entrepreneur Aisha Cole couldn’t find any vegan comfort food in Atlanta, she decided to make her own - and soon opened her own restaurant, the hugely-popular Slutty Vegan. Bringing healthy plant-based food to Atlanta has proved so successful that Cole is busy opening a second branch, and counts celebrities including Snoop dogg, Usher, and Tiffany Haddish among the fans who love the brand.
Not only does Cole’s work show how plant-based food can directly have a positive impact on local communities, but she also uses her Pinky Cole Foundation to support black students by encouraging them to stay in education and through helping pay college debts.
Brenda and Aaron Beener
Mother-son-duo Brenda and Aaron Beener run soul food restaurant Seasoned Vegan, Harlem’s first fully vegan restaurant. Their organic menu features everything from lasagna to sushi, and has successfully brought vegan food to Harlem by showcasing just how tasty (and healthy) plant-based comfort food can be.
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