Top 5 Cookbooks for Beginners
It’s one of the fist things people will ask.
“Why did you decide to go vegan?”
“Where do you get your protein?”
And inevitably, “Soooooooo, what do you eat?!”
If you’ve recently become vegan, you might even be wondering the answer to that last question yourself. I certainly did! When I first went vegan, I truly though I would be eating nothing but salads, beans, rice, and frozen veggie patties.
I felt tested when I realized I could no longer grab a slice of quiche or a blueberry muffin at my local coffee shop. Would I ever eat pizza again? Are vegan baked goods even possible? What will be on my plate at family dinners? I began longing for the cozy comforts of my mother’s dining room table. Casseroles, pastas, stews and soups, hearty sandwiches and pancake breakfasts- I needed it all! If I was going to remain committed to the vegan lifestyle, I had to figure out how to put these things on my plate.
It was late summer 2009 and while not desolate, it was a much less vegan friendly world than it is today. Vegan blogs were few and far between. Instagram didn’t exist yet and therefore #whatveganseat didn’t either. If I wanted to learn how to cook vegan for myself, I was going to need help.
Where would a 19-year-old newly minted vegan in 2009 go for help?
I found myself standing in front of the half a shelf full of vegan cookbooks inside a local bookstore and picked one out. Over the next few months, I collected enough of the limited amount of vegan cookbooks on the market at the time to learn that yes, vegan baked goods are possible! Not only could I now whip up a fantastic chocolate muffin, but I could also make tacos, biscuits and gravy, casseroles, holiday treats, and anything else I might desire. It was such a relief to learn I could make all my favorite dishes healthier and without harm to animals.
Times have changed. That bookstore now has three entire shelves dedicated to vegan cookbooks. We can now easily find vegan options on restaurant menus. Green smoothies and acai bowls are commonplace. Vegan blogs are a dime a dozen. And, my once small cookbook collection has grown…to include over 75 vegan cookbooks!
They take over my whole house. They live on my coffee table. My dining table. My bedside table. The kitchen counter. Occasionally, they end up in their dedicated place on the shelf. The point is they see a LOT of use! After a full decade of accidentally splattering sauces and cake batter across their beautiful pages, I can sufficiently say which cookbooks are far superior to others. These are the ones who now possess crumbling bindings. The ones who’s pages have fallen out from use. The ones I would consider risking my life for in the event of a fire.
Ok, maybe not that extreme. But, these are the books I wish I had on my first day as a vegan. This is my top five list!
5) I Can Cook Vegan, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
Isa Chandra Moskowitz is a vegan goddess. Get used to seeing her name on this list right now. Her Vegan Brunch and Vegan With a Vengeance books were amongst my very firsts. They still see lots of love all these years later, but as the intro to I Can Cook Vegan reads, “People want streamlined recipes with easy-to-follow instructions and accessible ingredients.” Not that those other books of hers aren’t easy-to-follow or contain super crazy ingredients, but this one is pure gold.
One glance through this book and you’ll discover that you don’t need to live near a specialty health food store to make these meals. You’ll see recipes like Broccoli Mac and Cheese, Cream of Mushroom Soup, Lentil and Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie, and Banana Cinnamon Swirl Muffins. These are all your favorite home cooked meals made vegan. Making these recipes will feel familiar and cozy. They are the epitome of mom’s home cooking. You can bring these meals to family pot luck and no one will be the wiser.
4) Veganomicon, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero
Whoa! Isa’s name again so quickly on this list?! Told you to get used to it.
Veganomicon has often been referred to as “The Vegan Bible” with good reason. For a long time, it was the only book I recommended to new vegans. It’s basically a vegan’s version of Joy of Cooking. It contains chapters on recipes for appetizers, salads, dressings, sauces, soups, basic proteins, sandwiches, pastas, bakes, and so much more! Need to bring cookies to that Christmas cookie exchange? Your bestie asked you to bring over a dip for her housewarming party? Mom wants to meet up for a waffle brunch on Sunday? Veganomicon has you covered!
The real benefit of Veganomicon for newbies is the section on grilling, roasting, and steaming every vegetable you can think of. As well as how to cook a variety of grains. Learning these skills will take you far on your vegan culinary adventure.
3) Power Plates, by Gena Hamshaw
When I purchased this one, I had absolutely no idea I would love it so much!
If you decided to go vegan for health reasons, this is the book for you.
If you’re dedicated to a vegan lifestyle, but don’t have an unlimited budget, this is the book for you.
If your preferred method of cooking is mostly passive cooking, this is the book for you.
If you love meal prepping solid, filling, macronutrient rich meals, this is the book for you.
It is my number one go-to when I need to give the pantry a good raid or I’m feeling a bit broke. Every recipe in this book is super affordable and filled with nutrients. Plus, they are all incredibly simple to make- mostly roasting veggies and simmering grains on the stove. It’s a perfect starting point for a new vegan, who may not have tons of prior experience in the kitchen.
2) Chloe’s Kitchen, by Chloe Coscarelli
Oh Chloe, my hero.
Truly, this women is my hero.
I first learned of Chloe when she won Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars” in 2010. Her win made her the first vegan ever to win a televised culinary competition. Roughly two years later, she published her first cookbook. It was the first book I actively tracked up until its release and it did not disappoint!
Chloe’s Kitchen is possibly the best starter cookbook a new vegan can buy. I really debated long and hard about whether or not it would make the number one spot. Similar to I Can Cook Vegan, every recipe in this book is simple to follow, contains easily sourced ingredients, and can all be whipped up on a busy weeknight. It was the first cookbook I owned that quickly became my go-to.
When I say “go-to” I mean, the recipe for Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Hazelnuts soon became a yearly staple at our Thanksgiving dinner. (This recipe has turned Brussels sprout haters into people begging for the recipe!) When I’m stumped on what to make for dinner, the Best-Ever Baked Macaroni and Cheese is the very first thing that pops into my head. The Falafel Sliders with Avocado Hummus and Mini Potato Skins stuffed with Avocado Salsa are an automatic crowd pleaser whenever we host a party. The Cinnamon Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies are hands down the best “grown up” cookies you’ll ever make!
This book is a delightful blend of dishes you’re familiar with- pasta, handhelds, salads, soups, and of course, delectable desserts from our “Cupcake Wars” victor. This book saw so much use in the first few years after purchase, that I actually had to force myself to leave it on the shelf for a month to explore the other 70-something cookbooks I own.
1) Isa Does It, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
Oh, would you look who earned the top spot. Isa, again!
How do I even express how much I adore this book? In making this list the main criteria were as I’ve expressed before: easily accessible ingredients, simple to follow instructions, and recipes suited for everyday use. This one ticks all those marks, while also offering the widest variety of recipes at high volume.
The book’s tagline reads, “Amazingly easy, wildly delicious, vegan recipes for every day of the week”. And, that is exactly what it is. It’s recipes you’ll circle back to time and time again as you’re deciding what to make for dinner. Or, breakfast! Or, lunch!
The Tempeh Meatballs and Spaghetti will remind you of the big Sunday night family dinners you grew up on. The Sticky Orange Chicky Stir-fry will fulfill all of your take out cravings. The Classic Baked Tofu gets made at least once a month in our house (sooooooooooo good on sammiches!). The Banana-Nut Muffins make the best grab and go breakfast or snack. The Chai Spiced Snickerdoodles have become the favorite Christmas cookie every year amongst our family. And, you haven’t lived until you’ve had a spoonful of the Cheddary Broccoli Soup!
The handhelds and bowls chapters make fantastic lunches. The salads are hearty- easily doubling as side salads for a crowd or a main meal for two. The Muffin Pan Mini Omelets make the greatest egg substitute on a breakfast sandwich. You know you’re just dying to dig into the Carrot Cake Pancakes on Easter morning. Also, this cookbook contains six unique veggie burger recipes! And, you thought you’d be eating the same boring patties from your grocers freezer section. Pft!
Isa Does It has an answer to any and all cravings you’ll have upon going vegan. Tacos, stroganoff, risotto, curries, pad Thai, chili, classic chocolate cake and more. This book a purchase you won’t regret!
Honorable Mentions: Love & Lemons, by Jeanine Donofrio & Jack Matthews + Oh She Glows Everyday, by Angela Liddon
Love & Lemons narrowly missed the list by one major factor: it’s a vegetarian book, not a vegan one. However, nearly all the recipes can be made vegan by following the convenient prompts on how to do so at the end of each recipe. Organized A-Z, apples to zucchini, each chapter highlights fresh, seasonal produce in a manner that lets the main ingredients really shine. This is a perfect collection of recipes for anyone transitioning to a vegan lifestyle who prefers to focus purely on vegetables verses tofu and seitan filled recipes.
Oh She Glows Everyday is another great resource for someone wanting fresh produce and grains to be the star on their plate. It also includes desserts free of vegan butters or other less healthy options that might be found in the previously mentioned books. Also, it is very friendly for those with allergy concerns! Many recipes are gluten free, soy free, etc. The main reason it got left off the top five list is ease of ingredients. While chia seeds and oat flour are much more common in the average grocery store now than they were just five years ago, it might be harder for those in rural areas to source all the pantry ingredients found on these pages. However, it is worth noting that many of the ingredients that someone new to healthy vegan eating might deem “weird” or “unusual” can be ordered online.
Disclaimer: This post is 100% unsponsored. Any and all opinions are my own.