Whether you’ve 100% adopted the lifestyle or are simply exploring plant-based living, owning a great vegan cookbook is going to be beneficial. There are truly just so many delicious vegan recipes out there these days, with many chefs and recipe creators who really know how to blend flavours and create delicious vegan meals.
First, start with the cuisine you love to cook, especially if you’re new to vegan cooking and want to perfect some of your favourite meat-based recipes, except as plant-based meals. You can also shop for your next vegan cookbook based on the cuisine you love to eat, but have never really tried to cook at home. Basically, instead of buying an all-encompassing vegan cookbook if it’s your first, go for something a little more niche and then branch out.
If you’re all over vegan cooking already, we’ve got some great options for you too, from recipes by the ‘vegan Jamie Oliver’ to guides on cooking with meat alternatives. Below, you’ll find the best vegan cookbooks for everyone from the novice to the expert.
Speedy Bosh!
Henry Firth and Ian Theasby have been called the ‘vegan Jamie Oliver’, and the fact that their cookbooks have become Sunday Times bestsellers pretty much validates that statement. With meals you can prep and cook in under thirty minutes, Speedy Bosh! ($35) is for anyone feeling time-poor (so, all of us then?).
East: 120 Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes From Bangalore to Beijing
Meera Sodha is renowned for her ‘New Vegan’ column in The Guardian, and this beautiful cookbook ($45) features recipes drawn from the column, plus plenty of brand-new additions. Think delicious noodles, curries, rice dishes and bakes spanning a multitude of Asian cuisines. Our pick? The salted miso brownies.
The Vegan Butcher
Love meat, just don’t love eating it? This is the vegan cookbook for you. Author Zacchary Bird considers veganism to be a lifestyle, not a diet – so his recipes aren’t always about being healthy as much as they are about ensuring you don’t have to miss out on some of your favourite dishes, just because you want to be more plant-based. With tricks to turn frozen tofu into a meat-textured meal and flour into something he swears will trick even the most die-hard chicken fans, this will be a great addition to your collection.
The Green Roasting Tin
Is there anything better than a one-pan meal? We doubt it. Offering the homestyle warmth of your grandma’s cooking with the ease of speedy eats, we love a dish we can just throw in the oven and not think too much about. Half of The Green Roasting Tin ($35) is vegan, half vegetarian, author Rukmini Iyer delivers 75 delicious meals that won’t see you hovering around the stovetop all night.
Is there anything better than a one-pan meal? We doubt it. Offering the homestyle warmth of your grandma’s cooking with the ease of speedy eats, we love a dish we can just throw in the oven and not think too much about. Half of The Green Roasting Tin ($35) is vegan, half vegetarian, author Rukmini Iyer delivers 75 delicious meals that won’t see you hovering around the stovetop all night.
Eat Vegan: A Smith and Daughters Cookbook
Smith and Daughters is one of the most popular restaurants in Melbourne, Australia and the fact it’s plant-based has nothing to do with it. The food is simply delicious, so picking up this cookbook that features recipes from co-founders Shannon Martinez and Mo Wyse is a no-brainer if you’re looking for vegan food that doesn’t seem like vegan food – think plenty of plant-based meat options like ‘meatballs’ and ‘chorizo’, as well as delicious sauces, salads and more.
I Can Cook Vegan
Okay, we know we said go with a niche cookbook for your first vegan venture, but this guide by New York-based chef Chandra Moskowitz ($45) is like having a kind, supportive older sibling hold your hand as you grasp vegan cooking. If you feel like you’re going into this totally blind (or have never considered yourself great in the kitchen) this is a must.
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