Shopping for your vegan friends and family members gets easier every Christmas, with new and exciting cookbooks emerging each year. To help you choose the perfect gift, we’ve rounded up a selection of our favourite vegan cookbooks, including books from Yotam Ottolenghi, Rukmini Iyer, and Rachel Ama. So, whether you’re shopping for a novice vegan, a budget-conscious student, or an adventurous home cook, you’ll find the perfect present in this Christmas gift guide.
One Pot Vegan
From the duo behind SO VEGAN, one of the world’s leading plant-based food platforms, comes One Pot Vegan a collection of vibrant, fuss-free recipes, all of which can be made in (you guessed it) one pot. Authors Roxy Pope and Ben Pook are all about ease, accessibility, and, most importantly, dynamic and creative flavour combinations. Think: sweet and sour jackfruit curry, whole roasted cauliflower katsu, “lazy” lasagne, and peanut butter swirl brownies. This book would make an ideal Christmas present for a novice vegan or a busy home cooks in need of midweek meal inspiration.
Healthy Vegan
Melding detailed but easy-to-digest nutritional information with creative, flavour-focussed recipes, Healthy Vegan is a comprehensive guide to maintaining a balanced vegan lifestyle. If you know a vegan who wants to cook super-nutritious and flavoursome food, this is the book for them, with over 90 recipes designed to be mixed and matched to create balanced meals.
SpiceBox
If there’s a vegan in your life who’s missing their favourite takeaway dishes, SpiceBox is the gift for them. Promising plant-based versions of curry house classics, Grace Regan’s debut cookbook covers everything from cauliflower tikka masala to jackfruit jalfrezi, as well as plenty of flavoursome snacks, light bites, and speedy midweek meals. Grace’s straightforward recipes can all be cooked at home using everyday ingredients, making this an accessible cookbook for cooks of all levels.
The Green Roasting Tin
Published just three years ago, Rukmini Iyer’s The Green Roasting Tin already feels like a must-have classic for vegans and vegetarians. With 75 easy, one-tin recipes, half of which are vegan, half vegetarian, this book is pretty much guaranteed to become one of the most-thumbed cookbooks in your kitchen. Rukmini’s trademark flair for flavour is in evidence on every page – recipes include crispy tamarind sprouts, spicy groundnut stew, and “rainbow” tabbouleh with fresh avocado and pomegranate. Readers will also find tips on designing their own roasting tin dinners from scratch, and helpful advice on flexitarian ingredient swaps.
The Plant Power Doctor
For anyone concerned about getting all the right nutrients into their plant-based diet, The Plant Power Doctor by Dr Gemma Newman is a great place to start. Full of science-based guidance, easy-to-follow meal plans, and nutritious recipes, this is a no-nonsense guide to a healthier lifestyle. Recipes range from sweet and sour tofu to comforting fruit cobbler.
Ottolenghi FLAVOUR
Another must-have for any food-loving vegan, Ottolenghi FLAVOUR is perfect for more adventurous cooks who love to try new and exciting recipes. Co-authors Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage show their readers how to hack into the hidden depths of flavour contained within each vegetable, how to elevate simple produce to great heights, and how to match, offset, and complement ingredients to create truly extraordinary dishes. Ottolenghi FLAVOUR is not an exclusively vegan book, but its heavy focus on vegetables means that many of the recipes end up being entirely plant-based. We’re big fans of the meat-free traybake ragù.
The Happy Health Plan
The Happy Health Plan is packed with over 80 delicious, easy-to-make recipes specially designed with medical experts for anyone seeking a healthier plant-based lifestyle. From breakfasts, like hearty healthy banoffee overnight oats, smoothie bowls and gut-healthy granola, to tasty dinners like Bombay sweet potato curry, creamy roasted red pepper pasta and lentil stew, there’s plenty here to get excited about.
EAST
Chances are the vegan in your life is already familiar with Meera Sodha; her bestselling cookbooks and popular Guardian Feast column are famous for vibrant and innovative meat-free recipes. EAST takes you on a journey from India to Indonesia, Singapore to Japan, China, Thailand, and Vietnam, exploring the vegan and vegetarian staples of those cuisines, from noodles and curries to rice dishes, salads and sweets. This stylish book, with its striking cover and beautiful food photography, will make a truly special Christmas present.
Rachel Ama’s Vegan Eats
Drawing on her Caribbean and West African heritage, Rachel Ama’s recipes are bold, flavoursome, and fun. From crispy jerk barbecue tacos to a vegan full English, these vibrant dishes will brighten up your kitchen and ensure that your plant-based recipe repertoire never gets boring. Rachel’s recipes are budget-conscious too, making this an ideal cookbook for students.
