Vegan cookbooks can often have a glaring disadvantage - not being accessible to new vegans and a wider audience.
Some of these contain endless recipes that have no photos, need kitchen equipment only used by professional chefs, or need ingredients that can only be bought from specialty shops.
This is why Toni Okamoto, founder of Plant Based on A Budget, and Michelle Cehn, the founder of World of Vegan, created this cookbook.
Both of these women had the aim of creating a simple, beginner-friendly, and healthy vegan cookbook.
The Friendly Vegan Cookbook is full of easy recipes you can put together with common kitchen equipment.
They are all tasty enough to give to your loved ones, even those who are devoted to eating meat!
Each recipe comes with a bold food picture to help you visualize what it will look like.
There are also lots of cooking tips to help new and experienced vegans alike.
Toni and Michelle’s writing is friendly and easy to follow, making it seem like they are with you every step!
Pros
Well-thought-out cookbook: Contains recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and traditional holidays.
Easy to follow: Uncomplicated recipes that are ideal for new vegans
Bright, bold food photography: Interesting pictures that bring the cookbook to life
Cons
Some of the recipes are the same as seen in Toni Okamoto’s ‘Plant-Based On A Budget’.
If you want to make healthy, vegan, Indian dishes, Richa Hingle’s cookbook is a great starting point!
These recipes are made with whole-food ingredients to support your health.
Most dishes are made with pulses and vegetables, like tofu, split peas, cauliflower, and lentils.
Richa also gives you substitution options in case you don’t have the necessary ingredients at home.
Some of these nutritious, delicious recipes include avocado naan, mango tofu curry, and sweet and spicy baked cauliflower.
As you flick through each page, you’ll find recipes that suit your current taste preferences, as well as new flavors that will have your mouth watering.
Pros
Good range of recipes: Contains common and less familiar recipes
Provides ingredient swap suggestions: Ensures that you can make the recipes without less-popular Indian ingredients.
Made with whole food: All of the recipes are healthy and contain nutrient-dense ingredients.
Cons
A lot of the recipes involve several stages and different bowls, pans, and knives, so it isn’t that beginner friendly.
Tess Challis is a well-known author that, at the time of writing, has released 8 cookbooks so far!
She has been teaching vegan cooking classes for over 20 years, so you know that you can trust what she has to say in this cookbook.
Tess has filled this cookbook with well-labeled recipes that indicate whether they are quick-to-prepare, gluten-free, or great for leftovers.
She’s also added tips to help beginners make the move to a healthy eating lifestyle.
Even though the cookbook specializes in healthy vegan recipes, there is no ‘rabbit food’ in sight!
Recipes like The World’s Healthiest Mac and Cheese, Clean Machine Cabbage Rolls, and Rice and Bean Bowls with Mango Salsa are sure to even please your meat-eating friends!
Pros
Well-labeled, organized recipes: Can search for recipes with categories like dietary needs, easy-to-make, and leftover-friendly.
Nice variety of recipes: Has options for snacks, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desserts.
Gorgeous food photography: Vibrant pictures give the reader an idea of what recipes look like.
Cons
Some of the ingredients aren’t readily available, like lemon pepper, unsalted almond butter, and whole-wheat pastry flour.
Things To Know Before Buying A Vegan Cookbook
Before you decide on one of the healthy vegan cookbooks above, here are some things you should consider before making your purchase.
Does The Writer Have Vegan Cooking Experience?
In the case of vegan cookbooks, make sure that the writer is vegan and has experience with a plant-based diet.
This ensures that they understand the intricacies involved with a vegan diet and ingredients.
Writers that frequently create vegan recipes will understand how to troubleshoot harder dishes, making them accessible to beginner home cooks.
Whole-Food Ingredients
All diet plans, including vegan ones, can be full of saturated fat, refined sugar, cholesterol, and sodium.
This is usually the case when opting for convenience choices over whole, real food ingredients.
As you select your vegan cookbook, go over the ingredients used in each recipe.
If you see that most recipes involve vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, whole grains, and seeds, you’ll know that the book is full of nutrient-dense recipes to support well-being.
Personal Experience Level
Your personal cooking experience level is also a factor that affects the cookbooks you buy.
If you’re a beginner, you may require a simpler book that explains some cooking methods.
On the other hand, if you have more kitchen experience, you may do better with a book with more recipes and less guidance.
You should also look at the time each dish needs. If you’re often busy or favor simpler recipes, go for a cookbook with easy, uncomplicated recipes.
Whereas, if you have more time in the day and like to spend time cooking, you may prefer recipes with more ingredients and steps.
Kitchen Tools
Think about the kitchen tools you have and the ones you will require before purchasing a vegan cookbook. Some of these may claim that their recipes are easy and quick to prepare, but this may only be the case if you have the right tools.
Have a look through some of the recipe’s directions to make sure you have the correct kitchen equipment at home.
I'm Barbara Hunt, the founder of WomenChefs.org. Being a mom of two, I understand the challenges of meal planning and the monotony it can bring.
That's why I created WomenChefs.org, a platform dedicated to showcasing the skills and delicious dishes crafted by amazing women. My goal is to provide a space where women can find delectable recipes that tantalize their taste buds and ignite their senses.
I hope you'll join me in exploring WomenChefs.org and discovering your next favorite recipe. Let's embrace culinary diversity and try something new together!
