Hiya Gorgeous!
Here’s a little something you might not know about me. Most people have stacks of novels on their nightstand. Guess what I’ve got? Cookbooks! I read them like thrillers or page-turning romance tales. In fact, I have so many cookbooks that I have to do periodic purges. I love passing them on to friends and family—especially the dinged up, splattered ones. They’ve got personality, just like the food I love to cook.
If you’re on the hunt for some new plant-based meal inspiration, this is the perfect time of year to expand your library. Where I live in the Catskill Mountains, it already feels like Fall. Crisp air, roaring fires, root veggies, soups, hot apple cider…it makes a gal want to whip up some compassionate shizzle!
So to get your mouth watering and your ovens roaring, here are a few of my fave cookbooks. Some are oldies but goodies, others are this-just-in fresh editions that are destined to become well-stained classics.
One last thing, don’t worry if you’re a kitchen rookie. None of us were born knowing how to cook. The best way to learn is to just do it. Find a recipe that catches your eye—and make it! If you screw it up, who cares?! You’ll do better next time. Remember, health is an overall direction and so is cooking. And here’s the thing, sometimes our biggest mistakes create kitchen miracles. Amen, bon appetit!
Now, let’s explore the cookbooks that are near and dear to my heart and aprons.
10 Cookbooks I Love (and You Will Too!)
Oh She Glows Every Day: Quick and Simply Satisfying Plant-based Recipes by Angela Liddon
Coming from the popular Oh She Glows blog, this is Angela’s second cookbook and it’s focus is convenience. If you’re feeling busy and your schedule is packed, this is a treasure chest of nutritious recipes for the busy lifestyle. Plant-based eating doesn’t have to be complicated, and I love all the tips for adjusting recipes to you and your fam’s dietary needs.
This Cheese is Nuts!: Delicious Vegan Cheese at Home By Julie Piatt
Cheese. We love it and when changing our diets, it’s often the one thing we say we couldn’t live without. Enter Julie’s awesome book! She teaches us how make our own dairy-free cheese right at home. It’s better cheese with no more belly aches and all the other crappy stuff that comes along with dairy. Welcome to the world of nut-based cheese-making!
Chloe’s Kitchen: 125 Easy, Delicious Recipes for Making the Food You Love the Vegan Way by Chloe Coscarelli
I’ll be honest, I use this one so much that it’s broken—held together with a big paper clip! Chloe’s Kitchen is filled with a big array of recipes that I totally adore, along with tried and true tips for even the most seasoned chef. I have one more confession: I love her recipes so much that I’ve already pre-ordered her new cookbook a year out—so pumped for this one too!
Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking by Dana Shultz
If you want to keep things simple, this is a wonderful place to start. Each of the recipes only use one pot or pan, have ten ingredients or less, and take a maximum of 30 minutes to make. This is the ultimate book for starting slow and steady with high-quality simple plant-based recipes. If you’re a no-fuss and healthy kinda gal, this is a gem for you!
Deliciously Ella Every Day: Quick and Easy Recipes for Gluten-Free Snacks, Packed Lunches, and Simple Meals by Ella Woodward
I adore Ella. Like me, her health awakening lead to a wellness revolution. If you’re looking for nutrition on the go. She’s created a wonderful collection of recipes to help you avoid getting hangry (that’s hungry + angry) while you’re out and about. She delves into batch cooking, recipes you can make ahead of time, and yummy snacks to take with ya wherever you go!
The Homemade Vegan Pantry: The Art of Making Your Own Staples by Miyoko Schinner
Making your own pantry staples is truly an art that Miyoko has mastered and so delightfully has shared with us all. If you want to avoid buying products that are over processed or packaged, DIY is the best way to go—and it is much easier and quicker than you think! I love the beautiful imagery in this cookbook. Truly a treat for anyone who wants to further pursue the hand-crafted element of at-home cuisine!
Happy Healthy Vegan Kitchen by Kathy Patalsky
Kathy is one of my all-time favorite cookbook authors, plus her site has so many great free recipes. Her cookbook is a staple for the seasoned vegan or newbie, with loads of flavor-packed recipes and invaluable kitchen tips. And her vibe is infectious—who doesn’t wanna make cooking fun?! She’s definitely a cook to keep on your radar!
The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook: Entertaining for Absolutely Every Occasion by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
When it’s party time, it can sometimes be a challenge to prep an app, entree, side or dessert that is tasty for all your friends and family. Isa has solved that problem with this book that offers up loads of delicious recipes for any special occasion. Also important shout-out—the updated 10th anniversary edition of Veganomicon is right around the corner. I’m super excited!
The Joy of Vegan Baking: More than 150 Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
I’ve never learned how to bake, but I most certainly want to. I love all of Colleen’s books because they’re so approachable, easy and delicious. She outlines how to make our favorite decadent treats without skimping on our health. Colleen has put vegan baking on the map—and I’m so grateful for all her yummy treats!
But I Could Never Go Vegan!: 125 Recipes That Prove You Can Live Without Cheese, It’s Not All Rabbit Food, and Your Friends Will Still Come Over for Dinner by Kristy Turner
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard one of these excuses, I could start an animal sanctuary! Kristy’s book is filled with humor and more importantly, delicious recipes that will convert anyone into being a plant-based believer. She slices and dices through every excuse, proving that you can still enjoy life and be vegan too!
Bonus book!
Crazy Sexy Kitchen: 150 Plant-Empowered Recipes to Ignite a Mouthwatering Revolution by Kris Carr and Chef Chad Sarno
I mean, how could I not include my own book?! My pal, Chef Chad Sarno and I spent months working together and pouring our hearts and souls into creating a cookbook for y’all. It’s a veggie manifesto for plant-empowered gourmands and novices alike. It’s filled with inspiration, education, cooking tips and over 150 nourishing, nosh-worthy recipes. Enjoy!
Been a cookbook junkie all my life too! I’ve picked up a couple of these so far and love them! Crazy Sexy Kitchen and Vegan Pantry have some awesome recipes. It is especially exciting to find vegan recipes that you know would impress any of your friends and family and that you would make more than once! Thanks for the reviews Kris. I see a couple more books that want to be part of my collection.
I need help loosing weight what is a good recipe book is there to help me? Thank you
Great timing for me, as I’ve been looking for some fresh and flavorful, but cheeseless quesadilla ideas. Looking forward to this, it looks delicious!
Nice line up! I also really like Sarah Britton’s “My New Roots.” Yummy, organized by season, and beautifully illustrated.