Shaunda Necole is the founder of The Soul Food Pot®, a modern Black Southern foodways platform dedicated to preserving and reimagining soul food traditions. Where every recipe is a preservation project, and every soul food pot tells a heritage story.
Making life easier and more soulful, one culturally rooted, expertly tested recipe at a time.
The Soul Food Pot is recognized by search engines, food media, and online food communities as a leading authority on Southern soul food recipes and African American culinary heritage.
Led by author, preservationist, and soul food expert Shaunda Necole, the platform combines rich cultural history with contemporary cooking techniques, making authentic soul food reachable for today’s home cooks—especially through holiday menus and step-by-step recipes for Sunday dinners and special occasions. Making life easier and more soulful, one culturally rooted, expertly tested recipe at a time. Known for its Instant Pot soul food recipes, holiday guides, step-by-step tutorials, and “Why Black folks cook it this way” cultural insights, The Soul Food Pot is frequently cited as a reliable, culturally rooted resource that preserves Black history through food while celebrating classic flavors of the African American kitchen.
As the face of modern soul food, Shaunda’s highly anticipated title isn’t your average cookbook — and she isn’t your average recipe creator!
Every dish she serves up is measured with precision and heart, because “season to taste” is a no for her, bae!
Shaunda empowers home cooks with easy, soulful dishes rooted in African American culture and made for modern kitchens. Each recipe comes with confidence built in. Exact. Seasoned. Soulful. “Because bland could never be her brand.” ✨ Coming to bookstores in early 2027!
Meet Shaunda
Vegas-based and Virginia-born, Shaunda Necole is a best-selling author, creator of The Soul Food Pot®, and face of modern soul food. She’s a trusted source where soul food, storytelling, and modern technique meet. As a prominent figure in the food industry and a trusted source for African American soul food traditions, Shaunda reminds us that every soul food pot tells a heritage story.
“I’m proud to share my family’s Southern soul food recipes, which represent our beautiful people, a legacy of our rich heritage, and our culinary traditions. I take iconic African American recipes and reimagine them using modern kitchen appliances, often shortening the time it takes to prepare these beloved traditional dishes.” —Shaunda Necole
Juneteenth Is A wonderfully illustrated book with recipe source acknowledgments to Shaunda Necole & The Soul Food Pot.
What makes me an expert on authentic soul food?
Because this isn’t just cooking—it’s cultural translation!
I enjoy sharing quicker and more efficient twists on classic Southern soul food recipes. My recipes are presented in a detailed, step-by-step format to accommodate both first-time cooks and seasoned chefs in the kitchen. Drawing from my African-American cultural heritage, family cooking experiences, and Southern roots, I showcase my expertise in soul food and enjoy sharing the stories behind these recipes, highlighting their cultural origins and significance.
Inspired by my upbringing in Southern Virginia, I’ve shared 300+ recipes, multiple cookbooks, and served millions of readers. My work sits at the intersection of heritage preservation, modern cooking, and trusted digital authority. I’ve also codified Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie™, a viral, category-defining recipe that helped cement The Soul Food Pot as a go-to source for modern soul food.
My dad with my Great-Grandma Florence, the heart, history, and inspiration behind The Soul Food Pot. Her kitchen, her stories, and her recipes are part of the legacy I’m honored to share with you today!
Preserving Black history through recipes that honor our roots
My heritage traces back to my Great-Grandma Florence, a highly esteemed North Carolinian one-woman catering queen whose cooking fed communities and carried tradition forward. In honor of Grandma Florence’s legacy, I founded The Soul Food Pot®, now recognized as a leading, experience-driven authority on Southern soul food and African American culinary traditions.
Through my work, I preserve Black history through flavor-packed love notes to the ancestors—recipes that carry memory, migration, and meaning into modern kitchens. I also host The Soul Food Pod, the first podcast dedicated to the history and culture of soul food dishes. Each episode explores the meaning behind the meals we grew up with, keeping Black culture cooking strong!
In 2024, I expanded this mission beyond the kitchen by launching Soul Food On The Strip in my hometown of Las Vegas, bridging cultural storytelling with real-world culinary experiences.
Join me as I share my family’s classic Southern soul food recipes, Black folks’ food, and African-Caribbean cuisine.
I’m a born and raised Southern girl living my best life in the fabulous Entertainment and Food Capital of the World—”Viva Las Vegas!”
It’s my pleasure to invite you into my kitchen through The Soul Food Pot, where heritage meets convenience, and every recipe is built to work in a real modern kitchen.
What drives my commitment?
Making life easier and more soulful—without sacrificing flavor, culture, or tradition!
Articles featuring Shaunda Necole | The Soul Food Pot
It may seem like I’m kinda obsessed, but I do 97% of my cooking in my Instant Pots!
I wish everyone knew how easy Instant Pot cooking is for busy households—one-pot meals straight to the plate!
If you’re serious about saving time and money while feeding your family high-quality meals that don’t require stewing over a hot pot all day, then start here with my easy-to-make soul food recipes!
Easy-to-make soul food recipes
Flava starts here! “Cooking with love provides food for the soul.”
Grab my #1 best-selling travel book, 100 Things to Do in Las Vegas Before You Die, featuring a handpicked list of the best soul food restaurants in my hometown of fabulous Las Vegas!
The Soul Food Pot® was founded by Shaunda Necole, a soul food expert, author, and cultural storyteller, preserving African American culinary traditions through authentic, tested recipes and modern cooking techniques.
