Recommend me: a vegetarian cookbook

[Mr Jack]

I'm looking for a good vegetarian cookbook. Anyone got any good suggestions?

This is with the intention of having more plant-only meals in my diet, rather than actually cutting out meat entirely.

 

[Ahleckz]

Without a doubt Meera Sodha East. I’ve cooked the whole book a few times.
Ottolenghi Flavour is also very good and also cooked everything.

Veggiestan by Sally Butcher is also good, doesn’t necessarily look the best but tasty food.
Speedy Bosh is worth a look if you want quick dinner meals.

 

[Mr Jack]

Thanks @Ahleckz, those look like great recommendations. Reviews of Speedy Bosh say it relies a lot of meat replacement products - which I'm really not fond of - so I think I'll give that one a miss. Any recommendations for books that have a more European food style?

 

[HeadlessChicken]

100% East by Meera Sodha as above. Amazing book and not too tricky. Ottolenghi is the step up in terms of complexity - I like "Plenty".

Shout out to Hugh Fernely-whittingstall too - Veg everyday is good (although less helpful for me now as my other half doesn't eat dairy, and this book uses it really well. has non-dair also though). Think he has some others too.

 

[HeadlessChicken]

Also I'm with you on the meat replacement stuff - I'm really not into it. Not only does it not always agree with me physically, in terms of sustainability and ethics I think it's massively questionable. Usually terrible for you too.

But a sensitive subject I accept

 

[W!ll]

Try Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden just picked up a copy but haven't cooked anything from it yet, looks good and a great concept.

 

[inogen]

I've been cooking for both me and my vegetarian GF for 15 years or so. I'm not sure cook books have ever been any use other than glorified menus for special occasions at home.

It's basically sauces and fried or baked/stuffed vegetables isn't it? Unless you do the processed thing.

And by the processed thing, I mean, meat replacement. Otherwise, it's just normal cooking isn't it

And by processed, there's a difference between eg quorn mince, and tofu say, and other substitutes like cubed, fried halloumi.

 

[LuckyBenski]

Two great books I've eaten lots of recipes from - my girlfriend is the cookbook fan, I'm a bit less structured

If you're into keeping exotic ingredients and "foodie" type stuff in - One Pot, Pan, Planet. Anna Jones.

If you're not a walk-in pantry enthusiast and have more ordinary cupboards, Green Roasting Tin. Rukmini Iyer.

Girlfriend set a goal for 2022 to cook 70 meals from cookbooks and mostly they were from the above 2. It was a good year for meals

 

[Goodie]

The thug kitchen books are great, the vegan Mac and cheese is amazing. Probably our favourite cook books across the board.

 

[tom_nieto]

I’m a big fan of Rupy Ajula’s cook books (the Doctor’s Kitchen etc). Whilst not purely vegetarian, he does some amazing vegetarian and vegan recipes and is very focused on better and healthier eating. He does an amazing butternut squash and cashew curry which is not only vegan but one of the best things I’ve ever made at home. His meatless meatballs are excellent too.

 

[PlacidCasual]

Shout out to Hugh Fernely-whittingstall too - Veg everyday is good (although less helpful for me now as my other half doesn't eat dairy, and this book uses it really well. has non-dair also though). Think he has some others too.

+1 would have been my recommendation. I like the way he cooks.

 

[SPG]

Thug kitchen and the Bosh book is good, i know it`s vegan but dairy and cheese are a gift to be had.

 

[gingergundog]

River Cottage Veg Everyday is good.

Try out Rukmini Iyer, easy oven roast dishes, she has a veg book, plus her other books that are not specifically vegetarian have a lot of meat free recipes.

 

[Mr Jack]

So, based on recommendations, I picked up East, Flavour and Veg Everyday. Impressions so far: Flavour seems to require too many ingredients that are difficult to find in German rural nowhere and the recipes seem a step too complicated for my liking. They may be fabulous but, as yet, I've not got any use out of the book nor spent that much time with it. East has some fabulous recipes - the Sprout Nasi Goreng I made was wonderful - and seems to be an all round great cookbook but, for my purposes, I find Veg Everyday the best. Probably doesn't have as delicious recipes as East but it covers a better range of the kind of food I eat regularly.

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone.