Chef Rene Johnson has built much of her career on nurturing her community through plant-based soul food. As the first granddaughter in her family, Johnson recalls cooking alongside her grandmother from an early age. This focus on fresh, simple ingredients would go on to shape Johnson’s approach to cooking in both her personal and professional lives. Never sacrificing flavor for the sake of being strictly plant-based, Johnson’s technique involves sticking to the basics as often as possible. She urges, “Instead of opening up a can of tomatoes, I would love for you to cut up a fresh tomato.