Mexican Cuisine with a Plant-Based Twist: An Interview with Alexa Soto

We had the pleasure of talking with Alexa Soto about her work, food, Mexican cuisine, and Hispanic Heritage Month. We hope you enjoy this interview and her Vegan Calabacitas con Crema recipe.

As an expert in Mexican cuisine with a plant-based twist, how have you found food to be an important part of your culture and how you share your culture with others?

The way I approach my passion for cooking is by going back to the indigenous roots of Mexican cooking, which is rooted in plants. Mexican cuisine at its core is abundant in nuts, seeds, legumes, vegetables, and fruits. I really enjoy highlighting ingredients that come from the earth through traditional dishes that celebrate my culture that is rich in joy, celebration, and pride.

When did you start cooking and developing your own recipes? How do you educate people about making beautiful Mexican dishes using plant-based ingredients? Are people ever surprised to learn your recipes are plant-based?

When I first explored a plant-based diet nearly ten years ago, I was 20 years old and living with my Mexican grandmother and my parents. It was a strange feeling, because while I felt pulled to learn to cook in a new way that led with plants and honored my morals, I also longed to hold onto my Mexican heritage through food. With many phone calls to family members, asking for recipes, traveling to different parts of Mexico, and becoming familiar with seasonal produce at my local farmers market, I found lots of inspiration. I have so much pure joy sharing my passion for food in a way that feels most authentic to me, and that’s highlighting plants and my culture at the same time! I really try to create food that either feels familiar to people or just brings overall excitement, with new innovative takes on classic Mexican recipes, so my community stays interested and excited to get in the kitchen.

What are some plant-based ingredients and/or vegan dishes that you’d like to highlight as part of Mexican food traditions? Anything you’d especially like people to know about these foods?

One of the most ancient dishes in Mexican cuisine that is naturally plant-forward is mole, a unique experience of endless flavorful layers, consisting of chilies, nuts, seeds, spices, herbs, dried fruits, chocolate, and tomatoes, making for a sweet, spicy, savory, and smoky luscious sauce. This sauce is the main star of the dish, made with love and a long list of plant-based ingredients, whose roots lie in pre-Hispanic cooking techniques of the indigenous people. Typically, mole is served with chicken, but for a plant-based take, I love to serve it with roasted oyster mushrooms or crispy tofu, or simply with warm corn tortillas and a side of rice.

What do you envision as the way forward to encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables and return to traditional Hispanic eating patterns?

It is important to explore true authentic Mexican dishes to truly honor and respect the diversity of this cuisine. To look beyond the dishes that are represented in America and, instead, explore regions of Mexico such as Oaxaca and Merida where there are several dishes that use indigenous cooking techniques and plant-based ingredients. One that comes to mind is the blending and grinding of nuts and seeds in sauces like mole or a Roasted Pumpkin Seed Dip (Sikil P’ak) native to Merida. These ancient techniques are now used frequently in plant-based cooking.

What does National Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?

I honor my culture daily through food, language, music, and tradition, so to see others honor my culture rich in love and pride is really special to see. I am beyond proud of my heritage and happy to share it with the world in a more intentional way throughout the month of September!

Please tell us a little bit about your work and career.

I am a Mexican-American culinary enthusiast passionate about vegan Mexican cooking. I specialize in transforming traditional Mexican dishes into delicious plant-based versions, blending my rich cultural heritage with a modern, health-conscious twist. Over the past decade, I have shared my recipes, bits of my life, and deep care for mental health advocacy with my audience that has grown and become a community that feels like family!

Please tell us a little bit about your book.

A rich tapestry of traditional Mexican cuisine, reimagined with a plant-based twist to bring you simple, affordable, and nourishing vegan delights from the first light of morning to the sweet end of dinner. With my very own photography capturing the essence of each dish, Plantas is your heartfelt invitation to experience the cherished food of Mexican culture through a plant-based lens. It’s a celebration, an homage to the vibrant plants that are the cornerstone of the cuisine we’ve all come to adore!

Vegan Calabacitas con Crema Recipe

This delicious Vegan Calabacitas con Crema is my Abuelita’s creamy zucchini dish. It’s so satisfyingly delicious! Serves 5-6 ½ cup cashews ½ yellow or white onion, thinly sliced 3 zucchinis, halved lengthwise and sliced thin in half moons 1 pint cherry tomatoes or 2 Roma tomatoes, diced ½ – ¾ teaspoon miso paste 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 cups filtered water Pepper to taste Small handful of cilantro, chopped

• Add the cashews to a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak for at least 15 minutes.
• In a large pan over medium heat, add the onions and sauté for 3 minutes, adding some water as needed.
• Push the onions to the edges of the pan, add the zucchini, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, miso paste, and minced garlic, and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes.
• Drain the cashews, then add them to a blender with the 2 cups of filtered water. Blend on high for 1 minute, until smooth.
• Add the cashew cream to the vegetables and mix. Season everything with pepper to taste and let it simmer on medium low for 5 to 6 minutes or until thickened. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
• Enjoy with tortillas or as a side!

For more from Alexa Soto, check out Fueled Naturally and @alexafuelednaturally on Instagram.