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10 vegan cookbooks for beginners

by Malou Herkes

published on 18 December 2023

Inspired to cook more vegan food this year? If you’re overhauling the way you eat but don’t know where to start, these cookbooks will show you the way. Forget boring bowlfuls of beans, these cookbooks put flavour and ease first, teaching you how to cook meals that will nourish and energise you, as well as sharing expert tips for maintaining a balanced vegan diet.

From midweek dinners to plant-based cakes and bakes, these are our favourite vegan cookbooks for beginners.

Easy by So Vegan

EASY

by Roxy Pope & Ben Pook, So Vegan

Think plant-based cooking can be tricky? Think again. Roxy Pope and Ben Pook, the duo behind popular online platform So Vegan, have developed a brilliant collection of 100 family- and budget-friendly recipes to see you through your busy schedules, from midweek dinners that take just 15-30 minutes to rustle up, to comforting weekend feasts.

Rainbow Bowls

Rainbow Bowls

by Niki Webster

Rainbow Bowls is the third book from Niki Webster, the food author and photographer behind the hit blog Rebel Recipes. Thanks to her accessible approach and emphasis on simplicity, Niki has gained a huge following of home cooks who swear by her flavour-packed recipes. Rainbow Bowls is designed to help you eat the rainbow, with 40 easy, one-bowl meal ideas ranging from satisfying breakfasts to tempting desserts. It’s the perfect book if you’re looking for fuss-free, failsafe plant-based recipes.

Vegan Air Fryer cookbook

The Vegan Air Fryer

by Niki Webster

Whether you’re the proud new owner of an air fryer or looking for ways to incorporate more meatless options into your meal plans, this cookbook by plant-based chef Niki Webster is packed with quick, easy, and healthy vegan air fryer recipes covering everything from breakfast to dinner and dessert.

The Happy Pear Vegan Cooking for Everyone

The Happy Pear Vegan Cooking for Everyone

If you want to learn the fundamentals of vegan cooking with an easy-to-follow step-by-step foundation, this is the cookbook for you. This book is the result of two-decades of experimentation by plant-based cooks, The Happy Pear twins. Recipes are included, but rather than encourage us to rely on them the twins help readers to build their own knowledge of plant-based cooking from the ground up. The book will show you how to build your favourite meals from scratch with easy-to-understand formulas, how to pair ingredients and how to adapt recipes so that you can cook more instinctively.

One Pot Vegan

Divided into three simple chapters – lights, dinners and desserts – this easy-to-navigate cookbook will show you how to cook vegan meals all in one pot, one pan or one tray, making it super-easy to get a meal on the table at any time of the week. Think, mushroom tikka masala, pearl barley chilli, and boozy Caribbean pear cake. From the loveable duo behind the vegan platform, So Vegan, this book is full of imaginative, creative and inspiring recipes for beginner cooks. 

Veganeasy

by Denise Smart

If you want a cross between Bosh! and Jamie’s 5-Ingredients, this is the cookbook for you. Make flavoursome meals spanning breakfast, mains and sweet treats using just five, easy-to-find ingredients. Our favourite recipes? One-pot Cajun rice & beans and delicious salted fudge chocolate brownies

There’s a Vegan in the House

by DK Publishing

This vegan cookbook is perfect for beginners looking to dip their toes into vegan cooking. With family-friendly recipes, top tips on how to balance your diet, and lots of flexitarian swaps to cater for the omnivores around the table, this is an inclusive cookbook that will help you cook for everyone.

Vegan Cakes and Other Bakes

by Jérôme Eckmeier, Daniela Lais

If you’re delving into the world of vegan cooking but you’re missing cakes, biscuits and sweet treats, this beginners’ cookbook will satisfy those cravings. With 80 recipes, from brownies to savoury quiches, you’ll find practical baking advice, must-have equipment lists and all the info you need for natural substitutes. Try this chocolate mousse raspberry cake for a taste of what you’ll find in the book.

Rachel Ama’s Vegan Eats

This creative cookbook draws on Caribbean and West African influences to create bold, full-flavour recipes. From YouTube sensation, Rachel Ama, it’s an ideal book for anyone seeking sumptuous, plant-based recipe inspiration on a budget. our favourite recipes? Try her vegan juna pasta or West African peanut stew

The Green Roasting Tin

While not exclusively vegan, The Green Roasting Tin is still full of meat-free and dairy-free ideas with plenty of seasonal vegetables, hearty grains, beans and flavourful dressings. Rukmini’s fuss-free, flexible approach will get you inspired to mix-and-match ingredients and choose your own favourite combinations to throw in the oven.

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