This Veganuary many of us will be cutting out animal products in favour of fresh vegetables, fruit, pulses and grains. So what do we do with them? It’s easy enough to throw together a basic salad but this is hardly enough to sustain or entertain us going forward – we need more, and preferably warmer, fare this winter.
Perhaps you’ve been vegan for a long time now and have exhausted your well-thumbed recipe books? Whether you’re a fully-fledged vegan or dipping your toes into the waters of plant-based living for the first time, these vegan cookbooks are the best out there at the moment.
From celebrity chefs to high street favourites, I’ve cooked up a collection that will enthral and delight you with their recipes and food ethos.
Vegan (ish) by Jack Monroe, Amazon, £11.55
If you thought going vegan was expensive then Jack Monroe is here to prove you wrong. The ethos of Monroe’s cooking is all about adding more plant-based meals into our diets without giving up meat and cheese entirely, in order to help the environment and our own bank accounts. Look out for the vegan fry-up. Sunday mornings will never be the same again.
The Green Roasting Tin: Vegan and Vegetarian One Dish Dinners by Rukmini Iyer, Amazon, £7
Trying out new dishes and flavours is great, washing up is not. Which is why this one dish cookbook, containing 75 recipes, is the perfect combination of interesting, nourishing meals with little mess to show for it after. Let the oven do the work for once…
Deliciously Ella The Plant-Based Cookbook by Ella Mills, Amazon, £14.45
Deliciously Ella’s collection of vegan recipes is the fastest selling plant-based cookbook of all time, championing good food, flavour and wellness.
East: 120 Vegetarian and Vegan recipes from Bangalore to Beijing by Meera Sodha, Amazon, £13.38
Vibrant dishes from across Asia are brought together in this meat-free exploration of different cultures, customs and cuisines. Its pages and pictures are just as gorgeous as the recipes it offers readers, from salad and noodle dishes to rich curries and sweet treats.
Dirty Vegan by Matt Pritchard, Amazon, £13.65
This isn’t about delicate salads or dainty vegetables, this cookbook is all about fuss-free, delicious, indulgent vegan cuisine with recipes that can be followed by anyone. You might recognise Matt from his cult TV show Dirty Sanchez but you won’t have ever tried squash and shroom momos with yuzu dip or his vegan pile up, so prepare yourself.
Happy Vegan by Fearne Cotton, Amazon, £9.99
I love radio presenter turned health guru, Fearne Cotton, and have been avidly following her bakes and recipes via her Instagram for years. Her easy plant-based recipes are geared towards keeping the whole family happy and include recipes for broccoli katsu curry (yes!) and date and almond cake. Yummy.
15 Minute Vegan by Katy Beskow, Amazon, £12.46
This book is proof that you can knock up a delicious vegan meal in less than 20 minutes, even if you’re a plant-based novice. Katy also gives advice on the equipment you need to make your cooking go faster, plus essential store cupboard ingredients so you can kiss that last-minute supermarket dash behind. Is anyone else thinking what I’m thinking? Yes, that’s right, even more time to re-watch that Gavin and Stacey Christmas special.
Wild by Joel Gazdar and Aiste Gazdar, Amazon, £13.99
The Wild Food Café in Covent Garden’s Neal’s Yard has been making ripples in the vegan, and non-vegan, community since it first opened. Now, you can get a flavour for their nourishing plant-bashed dishes and seasonal, sustainable philosophy from the comfort of your own kitchen. Trust me, this is seriously exciting!
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