9 of the Best Plant Based Cookbooks

Plant-based eating is a trend that is not going away any time soon. Gone are the days of rubbery, unsatisfying meat replacements such as ‘facon’ and the only vegetarian option on the menu being a goat’s cheese tart; these days a meal made without meat is often the most exciting offering on the table. These cookbooks will all help you create delicious vegetarian and vegan feasts at home.

Speedy Bosh!

BOSH! are back with over 100 mouthwatering plant-based dishes you can get on the table in 30 minutes or less. The fourth cookery book from Sunday Times No.1 bestselling authors Henry and Ian, aka ‘the vegan Jamie Olivers’, packed with outrageously tasty, super speedy dishes made without meat, eggs or dairy, perfect for weeknight dinners after a long day, fast breakfasts to supercharge the family, or Sunday meal prep for the week ahead.

In just 30 minutes flat, you’ll be creating fragrant curries, hearty stews, comfort food for cold nights (just have a taste of the Ultimate Vegan Mac and Cheese!), indulgent puds, delicious rice and noodle dishes, and one-pan wonders. No fancy kit, no out-there ingredients. You’ll be able to get all the bits and pieces you need from your nearest major supermarket. Everything has been tried and tested and is bursting with flavour. Let vegan food never be called bland, because – honestly? – this might just be their tastiest collection of recipes yet as well as their quickest.

WLL loves: The Cheat’s Black Dal

Available from: www.waterstones.com

Quick and Easy, Deliciously Ella

Ella Mills is the darling of plant-based eating, and in this book “Quick and Easy” she presents 100 recipes that even a novice could cook up in a storm. Each recipe gives you an estimated cooking time so that you can pick meals that suit your schedule and there is a wide selection of food from breakfasts to main meals to batch cooking. Alongside this, Ella has shared the important insights learned from her chart-topping podcast, bringing a wider holistic dimension and personal angle to this gorgeous, inspiring, healthy cookbook.

WLL loves: The Creamy Greens Quinoa Risotto.

Available from: www.theportobellobookshop.com

The Seasonal Vegan by Sarah Philpott

In this gorgeous little book by Sarah Philpott you are taken on a journey through the seasons with plenty of recipes to make the most of the season’s best vegetables. This guide to eating with the seasons takes a realistic approach to shopping cheaply and sustainably and proves that the vegan lifestyle is anything but expensive. It debunks the myth that eating seasonally is solely for the middle classes. The Seasonal Vegan features recipes for all seasons, with a section featuring dishes that can be enjoyed all year round, and menu ideas for special occasions. There are 70 recipes, each of which includes a diary entry.

WLL loves: The super simple but flavour-packed Stir Fried Sprouts

Available from www.serenbooks.com

Vegan JapanEasy by Tim Anderson

In Vegan Japaneasy, Tim Anderson taps into Japan’s rich culture of cookery that’s already vegan or very nearly vegan, so there are no sad substitutes and zero shortcomings on taste. From classics like Vegetable Tempura, Onigiri, Mushroom Gyoza and Agedashi Tofu, to clever vegan conversions including Cauliflower Katsu Curry, French Onion Ramen and Mapo Tofu with Ancient Grains, you don’t need to be vegan to enjoy these tasty recipes. Add to that some outrageously good drinks and desserts, like the Watermelon Mojito and Soy Sauce Butterscotch Brownies, and you’ll be spoilt for choice With ingredients like tangy miso, savoury shiitake mushrooms and zingy ponzu, to name a few, who needs meat? So if you’re new to veganism, new to Japanese cooking, new to both, or you just want to expand your meat-free repertoire, this is the book for you!

WLL loves: That the author has included some excellent suggestions for other everyday uses of the seemingly specialist Japanese ingredients, which makes purchasing them seem much more justified.

Available from: www.amazon.com

The Green Roasting Tin by Rukmini Iyer

Seventy-five one-tin recipes: half vegan, half vegetarian, all delicious. With all of the quick easy meals in this book, you simply pop your ingredients in a tin and let the oven do the work. From flexitarians to families, this book is for anyone who wants to eat easy veg and plant-based meals that fit around their busy lives.

WLL loves: The simplicity of one-pan cooking without compromising on variety or flavour. You’ll find everything from curries to pasta dishes in this book, with many an inventive non-categorisation-able recipe in between!

Available from: www.waterstones.com

The Green Barbeque

With summer on the horizon, it’s time to make the most of the sunny days by sticking on the grill and getting some great food on the barbecue. If prepping a meat-free bbq seems a challenge, think again: this collection of 75 flavour-packed and mouth-watering recipes is completely meat-free. Whether you’re entertaining vegetarian guests or you’re preparing a flexitarian feast, these recipes are quick and easy to make, great for all the family and completely fuss-free. With a wide range of veggie-friendly options, from griddled papaya and charred tenderstem to crispy barbecue tofu and dill-soused feta, this is the ultimate veggie book of 2021, to cook outdoors or in.

WLL Loves: The sesame charred squash with tenderstem, spring onions, orange and ginger

Available from: www.amazon.co.uk

Root, Stem, Leaf, Flower: How to Cook with Vegetables and Other Plants by Gill Meller

Root, Stem, Leaf, Flower is a cookbook about plants it’s about making the most of the land’s bounty in your everyday cooking. This book is a true celebration of seasonal vegetables and fruit, packed with simple and surprisingly quick vegetarian recipes.

With 120 original recipes, every dish captured by acclaimed photographer Andrew Montgomery, and Gill’s ideas for using the very best fresh ingredients, Root, Stem, Leaf, Flower is a thoughtful, inspiring collection of recipes that you’ll want to come back to again and again.

WLL loves: The nettle, wild garlic and new potato soup. Foraging never tasted so good!

Available from: www.amazon.co.uk

Eat Green by Melissa Hemsley

These veg-packed and veg-centric recipes are simple to make and perfect for the whole family. Chapters include: One Pot and One Tray; Cook Now, Eat Later; Family Favourites; and 30 Minutes or Less. Simple swaps mean that meat and fish can be added in or taken away, so everyone can enjoy a delicious meal, whether they are vegan, vegetarian, enjoying a meat-free Monday or something in between. Melissa’s down-to-earth approach to joyful eating encourages us to cook healthy food from scratch while being mindful of life’s pressures and time constraints.

WLL loves: That this book is perfect for a household with mixed eating preferences

Available from: www.amazon.co.uk

Little Veggie Eats by Rachel Boyett

Help your baby to love vegetables – and save the planet! lifetime vegetarian and mother of three Rachel Boyett makes vegetarian and vegan weaning fun and easy with nutrient-packed recipes that all the family can enjoy. Whether you would like to wean your baby as vegetarian or vegan, or you are looking for creative ways to reduce dairy, meat and fish in your baby’s diet, Little Veggie Eats is packed with tips, hacks and advice to ensure all your baby’s nutritional needs are met in their first year.

Including recipes such as Rainbow Pancakes, Breakfast Sushi, Baby Buddha Bowls, Magic Curry and Apricot and Coconut Bliss Balls, along with specific sections on allergies and the best sources of plant-based protein and iron, this book will ensure you can wean your baby as vegetarian or vegan with ease and confidence. With over delicious 60 meals and snacks, all free from refined sugar and packed with wholesome ingredients, Little Veggie Eats is your go-to planet-friendly weaning guide.

WLL Loves: Having a cookbook aimed at kids, helping them to eat more veg and be less fussy

Available from: www.penguin.co.uk

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