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If the term vegan makes you think only of tasteless tofu and endless bowls of roughage, you’re in for a surprise. Today’s vegan cookbooks are packed with hearty, flavorful and creative recipes, as well as useful tips and ideas for cooking with all sorts of plant-based ingredients. These days, you can find vegan cookbooks to satisfy any taste, from those that offer delicious vegan versions of meat- and dairy-based favorites to authors who introduce you to completely new flavors and ingredients while giving fresh and creative ways to prepare veggies, beans, grains and more.
Part of the reason there’s more variety is that more and more people are embracing vegan cooking and realizing just how beneficial a vegan diet — or simply eating more plant-based meals — can be. First, it’s extremely healthy. Research has long found that eating more plant-based foods can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and more, as well as increase longevity. It’s also good for the environment; meat and dairy production contribute a large amount of greenhouse gases and use a lot of natural resources. And, given that meat and dairy can be expensive, eating less may help you save money.
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The good news is you don’t have to totally swear off meat or anything to reap those benefits. While vegan cooking does not use any meat, poultry or seafood, nor butter, eggs, milk or other dairy, many people simply choose to “eat vegan” for certain meals or have “vegan days” every week. Doing so is a great way to load up on healthy plant-based foods and shake up your routine without completely overhauling your diet or depriving yourself. Vegan cookbooks — whether you call yourself a vegan or not — are a perfect way to experiment and find inspiration. Here’s a roundup of some of the best to try, no matter your taste in food, your budget, experience or cooking style.
Best for: The vegan-curious
$10.69 List Price | If you’re just beginning your vegan journey, this guide by Gabriel Miller is a good place to start. It offers a primer on the benefits of eating a plant-based diet, as well as resources and information, like how to cook various types of grains and beans, nutritional breakdowns, staple ingredients and helpful kitchen tools to have on hand. As for recipes, you’ll get a little of everything — breakfasts, soups, sides, entrees, snacks, desserts, smoothies and more, like chickpea curry, walnut crunch banana bread and one-pot marinara. Says one reviewer: “Easy-to-find ingredients in amazing recipes … I love this book. We just got it and I’ve made six to seven recipes! I’m addicted to it!”
Best for: Tricking your palate — and meat-eating pals — into loving plants
$14.29 List Price | Savory burgers, “crab” cakes, gooey nachos, creamy spinach and artichoke dip, chocolate cake. Peep at the full-color pictures that accompany the recipes in this book and you’d never guess they were vegan. Author and food blogger Sam Turnbull deliciously transforms American favorites into meatless, dairy-free marvels — no complicated steps, rare ingredients or processed “fake” meat or cheese involved. Says one fan: “One of the things that attracted me was the focus on real food that I can easily find. I don’t want to be just buying vegan junk food ([i.e.,] all the chemical-laden vegan versions of meat/cheese products). And my omnivore son actually wanted leftovers to take home with him!”
Best for: Fiscally responsible foodies
$18.03 List Price | People often believe you need a lot of green to eat more green. Author Toni Okamoto dispels that myth with practical tips, relatable stories and healthy, delicious recipes like sweet potato chili, banana zucchini pancakes and four-ingredient chocolate pie. “Full of flavor and cheap!” raved one reviewer. Says another: “The recipes are delicious, quick and EASY. Even with a family of picky eaters, I can find something in here everyone will enjoy.”
Best for: When you need the food equivalent of a hug
$13.91 List Price | Food can do so much more than fuel your body; it’s tied to memories, emotions, family, culture — the list goes on. Author and chef Jenné Claiborne manages to infuse all those things plus a ton of flavor into vegan versions of the foods she grew up eating in Atlanta, including fluffy biscuits, sweet potato pie, sausage and fried cauliflower “chicken.” One reviewer made a few of the recipes for their nonvegan family and got high marks. Another found serious inspiration in the pages: “This book is beautiful! It's filled with Jenné’s energy, passion and compassion, and it is motivating me to get in the kitchen and explore Southern cuisine.”
Best for: Quick and healthy weeknight meals
$13.29 List Price | Along with the savory, comforting soups, stews, sauces and sides you expect from an Instant Pot cookbook, Harvard-educated lawyer turned vegan chef and blogger Nisha Vora offers lots of other creative, plant-based ways to use the handy, efficient kitchen tool. Think rice dishes like savory miso mushroom risotto and chickpea vegetable biryani as well as finger-licking desserts like cookies ‘n’ cream cheesecake.
Best for: Ambitious cooking adventures
$15.58 List Price | With lush, artful photography and a sleek design, this book belongs as much on a coffee table as it does in the kitchen. But it’s in the kitchen where it — and adventurous chefs — truly shine. Through its wide range of inventive recipes, author Bryant Terry, a James Beard Award winner, food activist and educator, introduces you to lesser-known, exciting ingredients (sunchokes, kohlrabi, oyster mushrooms) and cooking techniques. Those who take on the culinary challenge are rewarded handsomely with interesting, restaurant-quality dishes and flavors you won’t find anywhere else. Says one reviewer: “I have so many vegan cookbooks. This one is unlike anything else. Bryant Terry's chef training matters here. His technique and creativity are much appreciated against the world of vegan food blogging, where most things start to be too similar. For me, the complexity makes the book stronger.”
Best for: Satisfying your sweet tooth
$14.62 List Price | Without the use of butter, eggs and milk, vegan baking can be tricky and the results spotty. Not so with these recipes from professional pastry chef and former bakery owner Gretchen Price. Whether you need to whip up a traditional birthday cake or batch of cookies or you want to try something new that seems virtually impossible to do vegan (Hello — Boston Crème Pie!), Price walks you carefully through each recipe. Perhaps the best endorsement came from one reviewer who said: “Gretchen is a master at her craft. Her delectable confections are still just as delicious as they were prior to her change of diet. I’ve tried a couple of her recipes and I cannot tell the difference between animal ingredients vs. plant ingredients.”
