Best Vegan Cookbooks
Maybe you’re finally feeling ready to eat a more plant-based diet but aren’t totally sure how to prepare vegetables without being totally boring. Maybe you’ve decided to give up all animal products in your diet but aren’t sure where to start, or maybe you’re a longtime vegetarian or vegan who’s trying to shake up your routine and get a few new vegetarian recipes under your belt. Whatever your reason for wanting to cook more vegetarian dishes or vegan recipes, there’s a cookbook that can help you make better plant-based and vegetarian meals, no matter your skill level.
What is a Vegan Cookbook?
A vegan cookbook is an ebook that features vegan recipes that you can read and try out without worrying about animal products. A vegan cookbook is a recipe book that contains vegetarian or vegan recipes, with the primary focus on using the power of plant-based ingredients to make delicious, wholesome meals that meet your dietary needs. It may have very few, or no animal products in it, and some vegan cookbooks may even have several recipes without meat and dairy in them.
If you’re wondering whether a recipe requires animal products or not, check the ingredient list. If you’re unsure about a recipe, feel free to check out this vegan cookbook list to help narrow down the results. If you’re starting on your vegan journey, you probably want something easy to navigate and includes recipes suitable for beginner and experienced cooks.
According to Martha Stewart, a “vegan cookbook” is a collection of recipes that uses up everything from plants to make one or more “meals” in one go, instead of the same old blend of legumes and grains. A vegan cookbook contains recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and desserts. Instead of using eggs or dairy, or meat, it usually includes rice, soy, tempeh, seitan, oats, potatoes, carrots, and squash.
It should go without saying that a vegan cookbook does not contain recipes using processed foods, such as cake mix, canned biscuits, or pasta sauce, which are all ingredients that any modern vegan recipe guide should bar from inclusion. Some vegan cookbooks are small and are more aimed at occasional cooks.
A “vegan cookbook” isn’t just a book that doesn’t contain any animal products. If you find yourself searching for recipes that require eggs, milk, and/or butter, that’s just a standard cookbook that can still be a helpful resource for vegan food. But if you have a great collection of tasty vegetarian and vegan recipes that require no meat or animal products, you’re looking for a cookbook that’s just for vegans.
Choosing a Vegan Cookbook
How do you narrow it down? We like to recommend the vegan cookbooks that are complete plant-based cookbooks, so there are specific recipes for specific dishes or variations of recipes. The other types of cookbooks will generally offer both recipes and guidelines for both vegans and meat-eaters. Even though vegan cookbooks can include specific recipes for specific meals, it’s usually not recommended that you follow a recipe exactly.
There will be all kinds of variations that you can make, and sometimes, you’ll want to take your own little liberties with the recipe. If you want to follow a recipe, you aim to make it your own, and we recommend trying a wide variety of recipes before deciding on one that you think is the best.
When shopping for a vegan cookbook, you might want to pay particular attention to the “vegan” classification on the back of the book. Many vegan cookbooks aren’t specifically vegan but contain recipes that anyone can follow. (That way, you can be sure they’ll taste great but are also full of creative recipes.) You’ll also want to consider the extensive usage of spices.
Do you want a cookbook to teach you how to make tasty vegetarian and vegan dishes easily? Or do you want a book that will focus on the skills and concepts you can use to prepare delicious vegetarian and vegan dishes without having to spend hours experimenting? When choosing a cookbook, think about which topics and skills you’ll use most often and which genres you’re most comfortable with. Here is a few cookbooks ideal for new vegetarians and vegans who want a little guidance to help them get started.
The first one is Quick and Easy Vegan. With over 1,100 pages of delicious vegan recipes, you can find the kind of recipes you’re most interested in cooking without a lot of distraction. Think of it as the classic cookbook that can make a vegan diet easy and fun to learn and be a part of. You may also try The Vegan Kitchen by Rachel Ray, which is only $28 on Amazon.
Nothing says you’re a newbie to vegan cooking more than reading a copy of the cookbook that started it all, The Vegan Kitchen by Rachel Ray. Once you’re armed with a clear understanding of what vegan cooking is, you’ll be ready to face any culinary challenges you might face. This book has already been popular with the editors of cookbooks magazines, and there’s no reason why it won’t be as well.
For an approachable introduction to vegan cooking, start with this modern cookbook. You may also want to check out the A-Z of Vegan by Fleur Chevreud, which is only $21 on Amazon. This book makes vegan cooking simple for beginners, whether you’re a meat-eater new to all-vegan eating or a vegetarian who wants to tweak her old recipes to include more plant-based options.
Dirty Vegan Another Bite & Dirty Vegan By Matt Pritchard 2 Books Collection Set
If you want to enjoy the joys of vegan cooking, you’ll want to download this coffee table-ready cookbook. Sure, it’s not a beginner’s cookbook by any means, but Pritchard’s recipes are detailed enough that even the most avid carnivore should have no trouble preparing a variety of plant-based meals with ease. Learn how to make a tofu scramble, crispy bbq tempeh bacon, and beer-battered chicken breasts; satisfy cravings for pickles and fries with crunchy kale and spicy red onion slaw, and delight yourself with sesame tahini and honey cheesecake bars. With nearly two hundred recipes, Dirty Vegan makes it easy to learn how to impress your family and friends.
If you’re new to the vegan lifestyle and want to pick up some tips on getting the most out of your meals, look no further than Dirty Vegan by Matt Pritchard. While the author believes that a clean diet is important to maintain, he also understands that people have different ideas about a clean diet. Pritchard’s book is filled with the basics of vegan eating, from simple ways to turn meat into “meat” to how to build protein into your diet. The book is perfect for anyone who’s just getting started or simply curious about the vegan lifestyle.
If you’re a vegetarian who still likes to have a little fun with your food, this one is for you. For the past 20 years, Matt Pritchard has been heading up the Secret Vegan Society, one of the world’s leading vegan fraternities. Dirty Vegan is not a new title, but it’s still an excellent addition to any vegan cookbook collection and a great primer for those who are just learning to cook meatless meals. Pritchard has compiled some of his favourites, and the reader will find easy-to-follow recipes that celebrate all things vegan.
The book also includes sections on veganizing staples like pasta and pizza, so even if you’re a total novice in the kitchen, you’ll still be able to make something new and delicious. With over 100 delicious plant-based recipes, Dirty Vegan will help you whip up delicious dishes at home. Whether you’re looking for simple, hearty, Asian-inspired dishes or Mexican or Italian favourites, you’ll find dozens of new recipes and delicious, modern takes on classic favourites that take only minutes to make.
Vegan One Pound Meals by Miguel Barklay
Vegan One Pound Meals is an easy and nutritious way to make vegetarian meals with no complicated recipes. The book contains 46 quick and delicious recipes that serve two people. Miguel Barclay has spent over a decade in the music industry and loves cooking as much as he loves music. Vegan One Pound Meals recipes are made up of simple ingredients, no muss, no fuss, no trouble.
Vegan chef Miguel Barclay knows how to cook just about any food (or even non-food). One Pound Meals gives you a lot of excellent vegan recipes, many of which are gluten-free. This cookbook is a great collection of recipes and tips for anyone interested in a more plant-based diet. If you’re looking for lots of easy recipes and can’t wait for the perfect kitchen disaster, this is your book.
Vegan cookbooks typically take the form of individual meals that you cook from one recipe, which is great if you only want to try one vegan dish or see how it translates to other cuisines, but not so great if you’re looking for some new recipes that you can build on for the next time you have friends over for dinner or a special event. Vegan One Pound Meals by Miguel Barclay includes a few different chapters on spices, pantry staples, and baking without any oil or butter. It’s still a great resource for anyone who wants to get some good ideas of what to make for dinner when they feel a little uncertain about what to cook.
Speedy BOSH!: Over 100 New Quick and Easy Plant-Based Meals in 30 Minutes from the Authors of the Highest Selling Vegan Cookbook Ever
If you’re a vegetarian who loves the culinary arts, you’ve probably heard of Speedy BOSH! — a cooking show by vegan food blogger and cookbook author Henry Firth and bar chef Ian Theasby. Firth and Theasby’s lively and infectious personalities have brought fresh new perspectives and ideas to vegan cooking in the UK for years. But with their very first cookbook, you can now get to know Speedy BOSH!‘s vibrant style and fresh recipes in full. This comprehensive vegan cookbook brings the great dishes from the show to your kitchen, complete with lively, easy-to-follow recipes and their own amusing and loving illustrations, all designed to take your cooking experiences to new heights.
This book contains over 100 brand new, super quick recipes that are incredibly easy and, of course, all plant-based. You can cook them all in 20 mins or less, with straightforward ingredients you can pick up at your local supermarket. The very definition of BOSH! Building on the momentum of their previous cookbooks, BOSH! and BISH BASH BOSH!, Henry Firth and Ian Theasby, the creative minds behind BOSH!, are back with dozens of delicious new plant-based recipes for devoted vegans, the vegan-curious, and meat-eaters looking for some good food with lots of vegetables.
BOSH! Recipes have always been crowd-pleasing and simple to make, but Speedy BOSH! is even more reader-friendly with stews, wraps, one-pot meals, pasta dishes, and frying-pan dinners—all of which can be made in the time it takes to order takeout and set the table!
In Speedy BOSH!, Henry and Ian offer flavour-first super-fast plant-based versions of everyone’s classic dishes, comfort food, and take out—including Indian, Thai, and Chinese—as well as exciting appetizers, tapas, and irresistible sharing platters that can be whipped up in minutes for family or friends. Speedy BOSH! is perfect for anyone with a busy life looking to eat more plants—whether meat-free Mondays or a fully plant-based lifestyle—and with plenty of simple hacks to cut down the prep, you can focus on the eating.
Deliciously Ella Making Plant-Based Quick and Easy: 10-Minute Recipes, 20-Minute Recipes, Big Batch Cooking
Ellison Hart is the author of three books and the creator of Quick & Easy, which is available in several different languages and the English translation. The book is divided into separate sections that highlight different ingredients and is meant to be pretty easy to follow. There are 50 vegetarian recipes in the book, and the recipes are all made up of fresh, healthy ingredients. The book also includes several simple vegan dessert recipes and a section dedicated to “healthier eating” recipes.
There are so many cookbooks out there that make vegan cooking accessible to almost anyone. But how many can claim to be brimming with vegan and vegetarian dishes that require no more than a few minutes of prep? Ella Dordevic’s Quick & Easy will be your new go-to cookbook for those times when you’re looking for fresh and healthy vegan recipes that still look like they could be on any American dinner table, no muss, no fuss.
It’s easier than ever to be a plant-based meal maker, thanks to the options available to home cooks. And, of course, now that our lives and schedules are busier than ever before, we need some fast and easy ideas and recipes. This cookbook (written by Ella Mills of Deliciously Ella) has you covered no matter your cooking prowess. You’ll find quick and easy, and interesting recipes like Garlic Hummus with Pomegranate & Lime Tahini Sauce and Quinoa Hot Pot.
Happy Pear Vegan Cooking for Everyone
While the typical vegan diet is fairly low-carb and low-fat, some vegans opt to lose weight and gain more energy by foregoing animal proteins. If you’re on the hunt for more vegan cookbooks, you’ll definitely want to check out Vegan Cooking for Everyone by The Happy Pear. This beautiful book features 26 plant-based recipes, ranging from Creamy Dill Lentils to Maple Sweet Potato Quinoa Burgers.
Like most vegan cookbooks, the recipes are absolutely delicious and absolutely healthy. This is another cookbook aimed at vegetarians who want to branch out into more plant-based recipes, whether they’re cutting out meat or just making some easy changes to their diet. The recipes are divided by section (entrees, sides, desserts, breakfast and so on), and you’ll find vegan and vegetarian dishes that both kids and adults will love.
This vegan cookbook has an amazing array of vegetarian recipes that are relatively easy and affordable to cook, from appetizers to main courses and desserts. Happy Pear’s creative take on vegetarian cooking shines through, and you’re sure to make many new vegetarian friends in the kitchen with this fantastic book. The recipes range from comfort foods like this vegan cornbread to hearty meals like this vegan mac and cheese and super-sweet vegan ice cream. This vegan cookbook is an all-around winner for those looking to add more vegetable-based dishes to their diets.
David and Stephen Flynn understand that the idea of vegan cooking can be daunting. But after twenty years of plant-based cooking, they have developed an encyclopedic knowledge of how it works and how to make it simple, creative and totally irresistible. Dave and Steve's new book distils all their knowledge into ten chapters full of master recipes, step-by-step guides, fun variations and top tips, and an approach to plant-based eating that will inspire you to become the best cook of vegan food can be.
More Plants Less Waste By Max La Manna
Have a knack for grilling, but need a guide to avoiding falling into the bad habit of over-doing it? Or are you simply looking to live more consciously and cook more responsibly? The More Plants Less Waste Vegetarian by Max La Manna cookbook provides you with many of the tools you need to do just that. The more you know about your meat-free kitchen, the better. This cookbook's vegan and vegetarian recipes cover all the bases, from wraps, salads, tacos, desserts, and more.
Max La Manna, a zero-waste chef and sustainability advocate, bridges the gap between vegan food and waste-free cooking – inviting us to channel the More Plants Less Waste mindset and discover a stronger purpose in our daily routines. Max has inspired thousands of people worldwide to rethink their approach to consumption and made it his mission to turn the tide on plastic and breathe new energy into the leftovers that are typically destined for the trash.
In his first cookbook, he shares 80 of his tasty, healthy recipes that will help you save money, food and eat well. Get your taste buds watering with recipes for sumptuous Spaghetti Bolognese, Crunchy Cauliflower Curry and Leftover Veggie Nachos in a Hurry, to name a few! More Plants Less Waste includes Simple, accessible ingredients that celebrate the power of plants and whole foods at their best, All-natural home hacks from DIY deodorant to Citrus Bomb House Cleanser, Life tools you need to add value to what you already own and set you on the path to living more sustainably, and 21-day zero waste challenge.
Afro-Vegan: Farm-Fresh African, Caribbean, and Southern Flavors Remixed [A Cookbook]
“Afro-vegan” is a collection of recipes designed to “entice the creative, hungry soul through food as a means of personal empowerment, cultural preservation, and reinvigoration.” Inspired by African American life, “Afro-vegan” teaches how to make nutrient-rich meals filled with African spices and flavours and are suited for “the carnivorous Black American.” The recipes included in “Afro-vegan” were created by Black chefs who specialize in cooking food from their own community.
Famous chef and writer Bryant Terry serve up many amazing vegan dishes in his debut cookbook, Afro-vegan, with recipes like Roasted Black Bean & Quinoa Tacos and a Gluten-Free Vegan Lentil Mashed Potatoes that should satisfy even the pickiest omnivores. He also offers advice on eating well and living longer on a plant-based diet and shares stories from his own life and the stories of African-Americans who have lived the vegan lifestyle.
According to the author, Terry is a “GMO-free plant-based chef and health activist whose mission is to bring a human rights agenda to cooking.” His new cookbook, Afro-vegan, is “the first to document the history of African American Vegetarianism,” It is packed full of recipes from the south, where it is the preferred cuisine.
In fact, this recipe for shrimp and grits is from Appalachia, which is the reason southern food is often nicknamed “casserole.” Afro-vegan is also vegan-friendly for those who are dairy-free. In fact, Terry offers two recipes for non-vegans, including his wonderful pot pies.
Conclusion
Vegetarian and vegan cooking can be effortless, and recipes for new dishes can be just a click away. Whether you’re a seasoned vegetarian and vegan or just looking for new recipes for dinner, the best vegetarian cookbooks listed here are available in e-book and print versions. They will give you everything you need to get dinner on the table every night.
I trust you enjoyed reading the article on the Best Vegan Cookbooks. Please stay tuned. There are more blog posts to come very shortly.
JeannetteZ
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Ideas? Thoughts? Questions? I would love to hear from you. Please leave me your questions, experience and remarks about the Best Vegan Cookbooks in the comments section below? You can also reach me by email at Jeannette@LivingTheVeganLifestyle.org.
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