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17 of the best vegetarian cookbooks to tickle your tastebuds
No meat? No problem
Are you a lifelong vegetarian, or just tempted to ditch the meat for a few days a week as part of a 'flexitarian' diet? Or maybe you have a vegetarian guest coming over and aren't sure what to cook them? From vegetarian student cookbooks to Indian vegetarian cookbooks, there are tonnes of tomes you should be adding to your kitchen shelves, packed with delicious recipes and not a trace of meat or fish.
However, it's worth noting (as hey, it's easy to get confused!), some recipes do contain dairy products such as eggs, cheese and butter, as they're suitable for a vegetarian diet, but not for somebody who is a vegan.
From Middle Eastern recipes to easy vegetarian lunches, there’s loads to get your mouth watering. Even Jamie Oliver and the Hairy Bikers are getting in on the act with their own vegetarian cookbooks, alongside the likes of veggie expert Yotam Ottolenghi.
Forks at the ready, here’s our pick of the best vegetarian cookbooks you should try today (and once you’ve mastered vegetarian cooking, why not take a look at our pick of the best vegan cookbooks, too?).
Happy eating one and all!
The vegetarian cookbook with a cult following and might perhaps be the most popular vegetarian cookbook. Rukmini Iyer’s Roasting Tin series got a veggie upgrade with 75 vegetarian and vegan recipes that can all be cooked in one tin. We’re not exaggerating when we say the all-in-one sticky rice with broccoli, squash, chilli and ginger will change your life.
The Jamie Oliver vegetarian cookbook, Veg, is full of dishes you’d expect from the chef – hearty, full of flavour, just without the meat! The bold black bean soup and greens mac’n’cheese are our favourites.
Cheap, delicious and easy, the recipes in The Hungry Student Vegetarian Cookbook will please all your flatmates. Ditch the beans on toast and try fajitas, lasagne or bolognese instead, as well as sticky toffee pudding and lemon cheesecake. Yum.
The Middle Eastern Vegetarian Cookbook will bring the flavours of Iran, Morocco and Lebanon to your kitchen, with over 150 recipes to choose from. With many Middle Eastern diets being mainly vegetarian in the first place. This cookbook will take you from breakfast to a dessert.
An essential Indian vegetarian cookbook, Fresh India serves up dahls, curries and pickles made with ingredients you can find in your local Tesco – mushroom and walnut samosas, anyone?!
The Body Coach turns his hand to quick, healthy meals in this veggie cookbook, including smokey tomato and pepper stew with pesto butterbean mash (to die for) and Tex Mex corn and sweet potato salad. Perfect for easy lunch ideas.
Do grilled halloumi flatbreads with preserved lemon and barberry salsa make your mouth water? Us too. Sabrina Ghayour brings the East to vegetarian cooking with this cookbook, full of flavourful salads, dumplings, pasta, cakes and more. If Nigella Lawson loves it, who are we to argue?
We feel bad for tofu, it gets a bad rap. As Bonnie Chung sets out to prove in Tofu Tasty, it’s actually a pretty versatile ingredient. This vegetarian cookbook will show you how to make it for breakfast, lunch and dinner; think crispy tofu katsu curry, chilli butter turmeric tofu scramble and even baked matcha tofu cheesecake.
Leon-lovers, rejoice! This vegetarian cookbook shows you how to make your own healthy fast food, with over 150 recipes for everything from standout dishes to dips.
It’s no surprise this vegetarian cookbook is a favourite for veggies, full of Mediterranean vibes. Cooking an Ottolenghi meal is a much cheaper way to get a hit of sunshine on your plate.
The Great British Bake Off star is celebrating her heritage in this Indian vegetarian cookbook. With over 80 recipes, including garlic and tamarind soup, cheese and potato chapatti sandwiches and masala paneer, even the most hardened of meat-eaters won’t be able to resist these dishes.
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