• lauravalencia on May 14, 2022

  Creative but fussy recipes. I enjoyed referring to the menu suggestions and made the global spread! Big hit and balanced

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Blackened seasoning

  • brynapg on May 11, 2020

    I've made this mix quite a few times. I use it for the blackened okra in the book, but also for other things like tofu. Super useful!

• Creole spice blend

  • hashi on January 04, 2026

    Used in the Stewed Tomato with Black-Eyed Peas recipe. Made 1/2 and had some leftover.

• Basil salt

  • breakthroughc on July 07, 2023

    What a great way to use up extra herbs. Easy method and the end product is great. Beautiful color. I want to try this with dill next.

• Spicy mustard greens

  • sayeater on April 12, 2023

    A zesty condiment to spice up any bowl! I doubled the mustard greens to 2 cups and it is still super spicy. A couple tablespoons is enough to pack a punch on any meal. He says it's like a green harissa. Also reminds me of zhug. Looking forward to adding it to my meals this week!

• Crunchy bean and okra fritters with mango-habanero hot sauce

  • patioweather on April 09, 2018

    I did not soak my peas as instructed and they definitely suffered. The flavors were amazing though.

• Berbere-spiced black-eyed pea sliders

  • deboChicago on June 05, 2020

    Excellent flavor. More spicy than I expected, even though I omitted the jalapeño. I guess it depends on how hot your berebere spice mix is; so YMMV.

  • antimony on March 30, 2024

    Excellent. Intensely flavored (although my berbere was not especially spicy (not the one from the book) so they weren't hot-spicy, just strongly flavored) and I can see why it's a slider rather than a full-size burger. I couldn't find millet and had to substitute amaranth, which worked but didn't add the texture millet would. I oven-baked most of the batch instead of frying all of them, since most were destined to be leftovers anyway, which worked well.

• Hominy and spinach in tomato-garlic broth

  • Nancith on April 24, 2021

    This is a bit of a fiddly recipe, but was very nice, warming, filling. Fortunately there was leftover hominy in my freezer, so I didn't have to go through the soaking & cooking process for that. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough to be used in the soup & also as a fried garnish (so wasn't done), which would have been a nice addition to the soup.

  • suzannahschneider on April 05, 2023

    I’d recommend sautéing the hominy in ample oil, instead of deep frying. The sputtering hot oil felt pretty dangerous! I also decided to hold onto the leftover veg from making the broth, instead of composting like the recipe suggests. There’s still a ton of flavor to be enjoyed with pasta, beans, on toast, etc

• Sweet corn and ginger soup

  • meggan on September 16, 2021

    I thought this was really delicious -delicate and subtle ginger.

  • breakthroughc on September 12, 2023

    I thought this was a delicious soup. I had some overripe corn from my Dad’s garden and this was a good use for it. I did strain the corn broth, but did not strain the soup as indicated in the instructions. I just hit it with the immersion blender and it was perfectly fine. The ginger flavor is really subtle. I would make this again. This is a really economical soup when corn is in season.

• Sweet potato and pumpkin soup

  • skvalentine on October 10, 2022

    Super simple and comforting soup. Required a bit of pre-planning to make the cashew cream. I used a Seminole Squash that we grew in place of the pumpkin. This is going in our fall rotation!

• Creamy coconut-cashew soup with okra, corn, and tomatoes

  • meichal_yfc8fy on January 26, 2026

    I made this a couple years ago and it is delicious! It was my first time eating okra (be sure to broil per the instructions) and now it’s one of my favorite foods. I used the corn broth recipe earlier in the book and made Erika Council’s buttermilk biscuit recipe alongside from Bryant Terry’s other book “Black Food”.

• Peanut stew with winter vegetables and cornmeal dumplings

  • Tealismyname on November 14, 2020

    I really enjoyed this stew and I will definitely be making this again I found the directions for the dumplings unclear because I wasn't sure how thick the batter and my adjustments went awry. I will try them again!

• Stewed tomatoes and black-eyed peas with cornbread croutons

  • hashi on January 04, 2026

    I really loved the tomato and spiced flavor of this dish. The croutons add a whole other level that is necessary to balance it all out, so don’t skip those. Other recipe referenced: Creole Spice Mix (I made 1/2 and had some leftover), Cornbread (only 1/2 is needed for the croutons),

• Tofu curry with mustard greens

  • meggan on June 24, 2014

    I used chicken stock and didn't have any garlic powder. I also used dandelions greens instead mustard. It was good but next time I would use the mustard greens as they are heartier.

  • TrishaCP on November 08, 2014

    This was a delicious and satisfying meal. The flavor of the curry sauce is rich, especially with the peanut butter. Like the reviewer below, I used chicken stock (what was on hand) but subbed chard for the mustard greens (again, on hand). Mustard greens would be better, but the chard was fine. I used half a jalapeño WITH seeds (the recipe calls for a whole jalapeño unseeded), and it wasn't nearly enough- next time I would definitely use the whole jalapeño because the sauce can really take some heat. Also, I wasn't careful in watching the tofu pieces crisp in the oven, so they dried out a tad too much. Just check them much earlier than called for in the recipe.

  • lizbot2000 on November 10, 2017

    Holy moly this was divine. I used roasted vegetable stock, which was amazing with this. I also roasted some sweet potato alongside the tofu to give it a little extra oomph. It was exactly the perfect amount of spicy and peanutty. Though it took a while to make, I'll definitely make it again.

  • Bloominanglophile on January 12, 2018

    Afro-vegan sounds so much more exciting than just plain...vegan. And considering that this dish got several good reviews, I decided to try it to use up a bag of mustard greens. My daughter and husband really enjoyed it. I thought it was fine but could be better: roasting the tofu for 30 min. made it rubbery--either roast half the time or not at all next time. I used an organic peanut butter, which may be more insipid than other brands--increase the amount to taste next time. I do like the idea of adding some sweet potato to this dish, and it would help fill it out so the three of us in our family could have leftovers the next night (seemed to serve 5 people instead of 6-8). I served this over basmati rice and with a citrus fruit salad.

  • jenburkholder on August 22, 2020

    This is lovely and easy, perfect for a winter dinner with some brown rice. I ignored his directions for the tofu and did my usual baking method - toss with rice flour and bake at 425 for 30 minutes until shatteringly crisp. Flavorful and healthy.

  • LFL on July 28, 2022

    4 stars. I had extra mustard greens so we threw them all in (one pound instead of 12 oz.). We also added about a teaspoon or so of agave nectar at the end and and extra teaspoon of the peanut butter. This was good. The combination of curry spices, peanut butter, tomatoes and mustard greens was refreshingly different for us. We would make this again, I think (I might add in another teaspoon or two of the peanut butter). It's relatively quick—most people could probably make in an hour or less—and it's also a tasty way to consume a lot of leafy greens. Healthy and creative.

  • katiesue28 on August 16, 2023

    This was a delicious and deceptively simple recipe. A perfect light curry for summertime. I forgot to press my tofu prior to baking (not in recipe directions but I always try to do), but the high baking temp dried the tofu perfectly. Another commentor said that they added agave nector; I think that would be a great addition that I'll try next time.

  • jhallen on March 08, 2025

    This was very good - really good spice blend. Excited to eat the leftovers.

  • Tealismyname on May 04, 2025

    This was delicious. I can't get mustard greens where I live so we used a seasonal blett (swiss chard but it looks more like spinach) I think any dark leafy green that has a bit of texture would work. I also can't get jalapeno so used a small birdseye chili---I thought the heat worked well here. Would definitely make again!

  • pixie_brsj1p on April 29, 2026

    Lovely flavour, works with various greens, reduce the cooking time by half for more delicate greens

• Sweet potato and lima bean tagine

  • lauravalencia on May 14, 2022

    Such a big hit with my guests!! Mustard green flavor sauce DEFINITELY recommended

• Sautéed sugar snap peas with spring herbs

  • LFL on July 17, 2022

    3 stars. Bulked this up with sauteed tofu (multiplying the herbs and other flavorings to make enough for the extra volume) and skipped the blanching stage, just sauteed the peas (separately from the tofu). This turned out okay but not that flavorful. Keeping in mind that it’s supposed to be a side dish and would probably be better if we’d followed the directions (there’s salt that goes in the blanching water and I’m sure penetrates the snap peas better than sprinkled-on salt would later), it’s a good enough recipe, but maybe not one I would make again. Although if I were making it again and wanted to bulk it up with some protein, I might use white beans instead of tofu.

• Millet-and-peanut-stuffed avocado with harissa salsa

  • breakthroughc on July 07, 2023

    These were perfectly okay, but not voted a keeper at our house. I used barley instead of millet, but I don’t think that would be a game changer. It needs a crunch element besides the peanuts. I thought the avocado would add enough richness, but it didn’t. It felt like you were eating something super healthy instead of super delicious.

• Citrus salad with arugula

  • chezmaryb on January 13, 2022

    Better than you'd think for such simple ingredients. The citrus shines and is delicious

• All-green spring slaw

  • breakthroughc on July 23, 2023

    This was a delicious and beautiful slaw. I used savoy cabbage and it didn’t release much water, I would skip that step next time. I used frozen peas as I couldn’t find fresh and they were fine. I also omitted the lime as I couldn’t wrap my head around that flavor addition. I will definitely make this again as it is an interesting side salad that would compliment a lot of menus.

• Quick-pickled vegetable salad

  • deboChicago on May 28, 2020

    This is very tasty, but more time than I would expect for these flavors. A simple curtido recipe achieves about the same results with less fuss.

• Slow-braised mustard greens

  • TrishaCP on March 04, 2018

    These were quite delicious. I had made the braised greens portion of the recipe back in November and frozen it during a greens glut at my CSA. So today, I reheated the greens and prepared the onions. I couldn't remember how many greens I used so prepared half of the onion mixture. (Once thawed, I would say I used maybe 1/4 to 1/3 of the required pound of greens.) This recipe continues the annoying fallacy that you can make caramelized onions in 15 minutes so I ignored that instruction and cooked until caramelized. I tweaked the recipe slIghtly by adding minced jalapeño to the onion mixture (a whole one unseeded) when I added the tomato paste, since I was using a frozen chile. I was heavy-handed with the onion topping, and it was exceedingly good with the greens, but I have a lot of onion left. I would definitely make the greens in advance and freeze them again.

  • sweatpants on October 28, 2018

    I was disappointed in this recipe mostly because the headnote calls it his favorite recipe in the whole book. I thought that would mean the relatively plain braised mustard greens would taste more special than the ingredients suggested, but it tasted just like greens cooked for a long time with a single clove of garlic and vegetable broth. The onions were okay, though obviously not caramelized in 15 minutes. The vinegar with serranos and black pepper (separate recipe) was good and lent some flavor to this bland dish.

• Za-atar-roasted red potatoes

  • jenburkholder on August 22, 2020

    Tasted like potatoes roasted with za’atar. Nothing special, but I’m always on the lookout for new ideas to use up the big bag of za’atar in the pantry.

• Savory grits with slow-cooked collard greens

  • TrishaCP on February 13, 2018

    I thought these collards were excellent, some of the best I've made. They had a nice kick to them, but I would probably leave the seeds in the jalapeño next time. I had frozen and already blanched and chopped collards so just cooked them a little longer in the onion and spice mixture rather than the 10 minute pre-cook in salted water. I liked the technique of making and using cashew cream as a non-dairy alternative to make the grits creamy, but I don't think I blended the cashews sufficiently when making the cashew cream, which made it hard to tell when the grits were done. The grits were really just a foil to the excellent collards though, in my opinion.

  • jenburkholder on August 22, 2020

    We felt completely opposite to Trisha - the collards were good, but nothing special, the grits, however, were absolutely delicious. The seasoning is on point and the cashew cream makes it perfectly creamy. Will repeat.

  • louie734 on April 19, 2021

    Made with the black eyed peas + tomato stew in the book. Didn't make the grits. I liked the red pepper's color, certainly an eye-catching addition. Delicious next to black eyed peas and tomatoes with cornbread muffins, but nothing exotic here. Will use this again as most collard recipes call for porky bits, and it's nice to follow a recipe already tweaked for absence of meat.

  • Acarroll on February 25, 2022

    So good! My husband ate his with a fried egg on top. We loved this recipe.

  • Bloominanglophile on December 27, 2022

    I made this for a Christmas brunch that had some gluten and dairy-free folks in attendance. I made twice as much as I needed, but I thoroughly enjoyed the leftovers for breakfasts the next week (and I'm not vegan). The recipe linked didn't include how to make the cashew cream. I made it by soaking 1/2 cup cashews in hot boiled water for about 20 minutes, drain, then add 1 cup fresh water and blend until creamy.

  • Chefjames1 on February 14, 2026

    This was great, went really well with beans in tomato sauce from The Bean Book

• Dirty millet

  • jenburkholder on August 22, 2020

    Meh. We didn’t love the flavors, and with the millet and the tempeh it was a bit bitter. For a better vegan dirty rice, try the one from Mississippi Vegan. Won’t make this again.

  • chezmaryb on September 18, 2020

    Agree that I didn't love the flavors. Mainly tasted of the dried mushroom

  • LFL on July 17, 2022

    4.5 stars. Millet is bitter unless soaked overnight and we didn’t want to soak it, so we made this with white basmati rice instead, with a few adjustments (toasting for a minute less, cooking for 3 minutes longer, and letting sit just ten minutes). This was really delicious. It reminded me a lot of a mushroom rice pilaf I make for Thanksgiving. Highly recommended.

• Lil' tofu po'boys with creamy red bell pepper sauce

  • racheldobric on December 05, 2021

    The tofu in this was amazing! Crunchy batter and very good spice mix.

  • amanda_43tuj8 on April 14, 2026

    Pretty tasty sandwich.

  • pixie_brsj1p on May 02, 2026

    Lovely combinations, dip is great. Added avocado & had on seedy sourdough.

• Skillet cornbread with pecan dukkah

  • jenburkholder on November 19, 2020

    This had good flavor, but didn't hold together at all for me. Even with a generous greasing, it stuck to the pan everywhere, and I wound up with a pile of cornbread crumbs. Won't replace my go-to, that's for sure.

• Cornbread croutons

  • hashi on January 04, 2026

    Used in the Stewed Tomato with Black-Eyed Peas recipe. This is a nice, crunchy complement to the texture of the peas. Super flavorful, too. You only need 1/2 of the cornbread recipe for these croutons.

• Creamy red bell pepper sauce

  • racheldobric on December 05, 2021

    Ended up quite thin - not sure if this was user error from blending it too much! Seemed a little vinegary for my taste. Nice, but not a stand-out.

  • amanda_43tuj8 on April 14, 2026

    Did blend up thinner than I thought for a sandwich sauce but was tasty. Works well with the tofu.

  • pixie_brsj1p on May 02, 2026

    Lovely on sandwiches

• Date-almond cornbread muffins

  • lauravalencia on May 14, 2022

    My guests liked it but did not like the orange tofu cream. I think it was an error on my part though!

• Way to Garden

  An interview with author Bryant Terry.

  Full review

• Serious Eats

  Terry's recipes are flavor- and culture-driven first, and vegan only as a matter of course. There are no apologies or tricks to cover up the flavor of the substitutions.

  Full review