The crew at Souley Vegan is passionate, honest, and fun-loving.

Is this your first restaurant?

Yes.

When did it open?

July 2009.

Do you want to have more than one restaurant?

We’ll see . . . .

What’s your favorite dish on the menu?

Our okra gumbo; it’s okra, corn, peppers, stewed tomatoes, seaweed, onion, garlic, spices, and love.

What’s your most popular appetizer?

Fried kale and Buffalo (seitan) wings.

What’s the most popular entrée on the menu?

Southern fried tofu.

What’s your most popular dessert?

The cheesecake—a tofu-based dessert with raw sugar and fresh fruit.

What do you feel is special about your restaurant?

My recipes aren’t from a book; they’re from my heart. Our customer service also sets us apart.

How often do you change your menu items? Do you have daily or weekly specials?

We do have daily specials: Our lunch specials are from 11 am to 3 pm, and we have happy hour from 3 pm to 6 pm. I usually don’t take things off the menu since everything sells really well; however, I do enjoy adding crazy new things from time to time.

Do you have gluten-free, soy-free, and sugar-free options on your menu?

Yes, plenty.

What do you do to reduce your environmental impact?

We recycle as well as compost. Of course, that’s in addition to our plant-based menu, which helps with the environment.

What are the most important lessons you’ve learned as owner or chef of this restaurant?

As an owner, I strive to make my business consistent. Our customers rely on the quality, texture, and flavor of the food as well as the customer service to be consistently good. I try to hire people who smile naturally so they’ll be able to deliver genuine warmth to our customers at Souley Vegan.

Food is art, and people appreciate it as such. I’m grateful to be able to create food from my heart and see the community enjoy it. The impact we’ve had on the community is humbling. I’ve had people come in almost in tears because their loved ones are eating our food and loving it. It’s amazing, actually. To be able to change people’s minds through my self-expression is a beautiful thing.

What led you to want to open a vegan restaurant, and/or what led you to the vegan diet yourself?

I’ve been cooking vegan food since age eighteen. I felt I had something to offer the community, so I worked hard to bring Souley Vegan to life.

Since your restaurant first opened, has your view of what constitutes healthy or delicious foods changed? Have you changed the types of foods you offer?

Yes, definitely. Our customer base has developed into not only vegan and vegetarians but meat-eaters that are interested in changing their diet to live a better quality of life. Young and old, people are becoming aware of their health and want to do better for themselves and their families.

I am always looking to get better and do better, which is why we have options for everyone, whether you eat gluten-free, soy-free, sugar-free, etc. I cook with fresh herbs and spices that I mix myself. That builds a strong flavor, but it also happens to be immune-building and blood-cleansing. And those ingredients help to build a superior quality of life. I never thought I would be making seitan, but the community asks for it, so we make our own in-house. I learned in the process that seitan has almost zero fat and almost zero carbs, and it’s packed with even more protein than meat.

Where do you see the plant-based food movement going in coming years?

I see it developing and progressing. As we get more and more vegan food options, there will be no reason for people to revert back to eating death once they’ve had a taste of life.

Black-Eyed Pea Fritters

Makes 20 fritters

½ cup chopped green bell pepper

½ cup chopped red onion

1 tablespoon and 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 cups cooked black-eyed peas

½ cup water, plus more as needed

1 cup brown rice flour

In a pan, sauté the bell peppers and red onions in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sauté for about 2 minutes then add salt, pepper, cayenne, and minced garlic. Sauté for another 2 minutes and set aside.

Combine sautéed ingredients and cooked black-eyed peas in a blender with ½ cup water. (Note: If too thick for blender to blend, then add small amounts of water as needed. The mixture needs to blend like a slightly thick cream; too much water will make it too thin.)

Pour 2 cups olive oil into a pot and place it over medium heat.

Pour blended mixture in a medium bowl and add brown rice flour. Roll into 1" balls and place the balls carefully into 1 tablespoon hot oil. Fry until golden brown. Set fried balls on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Serve while warm.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Pudding with Cinnamon-Glazed Apples

Serves 6

2 pounds firm tofu

3½ cups cocoa powder (or more if you like extra chocolate)

2 cups raw sugar

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Juice of ½ lemon

1 cup water

¼ teaspoon olive oil

1 cup diced apple

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon raw sugar

In a large bowl combine tofu, cocoa powder, raw sugar, sea salt, and lemon juice and thoroughly mix together.

Transfer the tofu-chocolate mixture to a blender and blend, adding small amounts of water until mixture looks smooth and creamy. Remove and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

In small pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and diced apple. Carefully turn apple pieces in pan as not to mash them. Let the apples heat for 1 minute, then add cinnamon and raw sugar. Let simmer in its juices for 1 more minute, then set aside to cool.

Place the tofu pudding in a dessert bowl, top with glazed apples, and serve!