Nathan Zucker
The line for the Radical Rabbit booth at the 12South Farmers Market can stretch back several yards as social distancing customers wait anxiously to pick up prepared meals.
Mariah Ragland, chef and owner, stands behind the booth, ready to discuss the menu—and describe what exactly goes into vegan soul food.
“Vegans are commonly known to eat like rabbits. We challenge this stereotype in a radical way by veganizing traditional black American soul food,” Ragland says of the business.
Ragland grew up on soul food in her hometown of Knoxville, where she learned to cook from her mother and grandmother. But when she came to Nashville to attend Fisk University for a business degree, she started thinking more seriously about her food choices.
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Nathan Zucker
Mariah Ragland
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Nathan Zucker
Mariah Ragland
“I always was connected to animals and to nature,” she says—to the point where she was choosing to save bugs rather than kill them. She soon realized she wanted to eat the same way she felt, with compassion for other beings, and chose to go vegetarian.
“The first year of being vegan or vegetarian, you really crave things. And I was, like, really craving fried chicken. So I just started making things similar to what I craved,” she says.
With a hot plate in her dorm, and on a student’s budget, she taught herself how to prepare certain dishes, like casseroles her mom used to make but with vegetarian ingredients. Soon after, as she learned more and more about the effects that ingredients like cheese and dairy have on the body, she decided to go fully vegan and taught herself how to make vegan cheese and mayonnaise, and how to fry jackfruit as a substitute for chicken. She started informally cooking for friends and after graduation, put plans in place to start a business. Now a pop-up vendor at Richland Farmer’s Market, 12South, Citizen Market, and the Nashville Farmers’ Market, Radical Rabbit sells prepared meals and snacks that are ready to be reheated at home.
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Nathan Zucker
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Nathan Zucker
The menu changes seasonally but might include various plates, like BBQ subs filled with oyster mushrooms and peppers, or the Kentucky Fried Vegan plate, made with fried jackfruit, mashed cauliflower, and a biscuit. The Loaded Mac and Cheeze will combat any notion that vegan food is for rabbits—a pile of creamy, tangy noodles and cheese, it’s got a strong peppery bite and is topped with shredded jackfruit, which has the texture of a good pulled pork. So will the broccoli casserole, which is as creamy and satisfying as one that might be filled with actual cream and cheese. There are also candied yams and sweet chili fried oyster mushrooms, which get an addictive kick of sweet heat.
Some of her dishes are also gluten-free. The magic comes from Ragland’s skill with all-plant ingredients. She’s crafting approachable meals that are both reminiscent of familiar soul food plates, and loaded with body-empowering nutrients. One plate of food could include cauliflower, jackfruit, cashews, potatoes, oats, and vegetable broth that all come together for a seriously satisfying meal—no matter whether you’re vegan or not.
Follow her on Instagram for menu and locations @radicalrabbit_; radrab.com