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The dated views of vegetarianism being limited to lentil loafs and rabbit food are long gone, and now cooks of all diets are seeking out vegetarian cookbooks to make the most of their veggie mains and sides. From 600-page tomes of technique to recipes that make a stalk of celery look like art, here are the vegetarian cookbooks that members of the Epi staff swear by. Read on and fall in love with all matters of edible plants.
The Vegetable: Recipes that Celebrate Nature by Caroline Griffiths and Vicki Valsamis
Based on cover alone, The Vegetable scores major points with its shiny copper iridescence and rich imagery. But looks aside, authors Caroline Griffiths and Vicki Valsamis let leafy greens, roots, and fungi shine. "I love how it covers a huge breadth of vegetables, is beautiful enough to keep on your coffee table or give as a gift, and has some great narrative," says associate audience development director Erika Owen. The Australian food experts will get you excited about beans and peas with recipes like green bean salad with grilled haloumi and rum-soaked figs, and pea and cannellini bean mash with basil oil.
BUY IT: The Vegetable: Recipes That Celebrate Nature, $26 on Amazon
How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman
This isn't our first time telling you about the glory that is Mark Bittman's way with vegetables. The man behind Everything isn't a vegetarian, but he's realized the life- and planet-changing importance of eating more plant-based foods. In his revised tenth anniversary edition, we get a whole new chapter on beverages, a slew of glorious photos, plus flavors and health goals to reflect our current lives.
BUY IT: How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Simple Meatless Recipes for Great Food, $30 on Amazon
A Modern Way to Cook by Anna Jones
After A Modern Way to Eat, Anna Jones' next foray into cooking is perfect for those who are looking for a realistic approach to making vegetarian food every day of the week. The chapters are broken down by time because Jones knows that despite being busy, you want to eat well and feel balanced. The cookbook will inspire you to prepare bright and flavorful lunches for work, like a kale smash, honeyed carrot, and hummus sandwich.
BUY IT: A Modern Way to Cook: 150+ Vegetarian Recipes for Quick, Flavor-Packed Meals, $23 on Amazon
Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
When Plenty hit the scene in 2011, the cover photo of those eggplants with buttermilk sauce was on everyone's mind. Ottolenghi's reputation with vegetable-driven, Middle Eastern–inspired cooking is really highlighted in this cookbook, where recipes include a fiery black pepper tofu dish and a lighter mango and coconut rice salad.
BUY IT: Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi, $21 on Amazon
Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking by Julie Sahni
If you want to get into Indian cooking, let Julie Sahni be your guide. The legendary cooking teacher and author has packed a ton into this cookbook, making it part informative guide, part journey through India, and part recipe collection. Aside from a range of snacks, sweets, and full meals, the book includes a bounty of descriptions on every blend of curry.
BUY IT: Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking, $24 on Amazon
The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
If you don't already have this classic, know that it has been deemed one of the world's most popular vegetarian cookbooks. The original version came out in 1997 and the gigantic ode to plant life is persistently useful and inspiring. Deborah Madison will make you feel passionate about composing a vegetarian menu of frittatas, edible flowers, and salads for all seasons.
BUY IT: The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, $25 on Amazon
A Couple Cooks Pretty Simple Cooking by Sonja and Alex Overhiser
Husband and wife bloggers Alex and Sonja Overhiser have come a long way in the kitchen over the last several years. Going from hot pockets and cereal for dinner to nourishing rice bowls and homemade sweet potato and smoked garlic pizza, the duo have been cooking their way to satisfying meals. Incorporating life lessons into their recipes, the Overhisers will get you excited about any meal you're looking to embrace, no matter how quick or complex.
Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables by Joshua McFadden
Vegetable whisperer, farmer, and chef, Joshua McFadden will woo you with all parts of the vegetable and help you focus on seasonal and local consumption. Cucumbers at midsummer, radishes in spring—the approach is almost like poetry. Epi's senior food editor Anna Stockwell finds his combinations of raw vegetables and dried fruit completely revelatory.
BUY IT: Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables, $22 on Amazon
On Vegetables by Jeremy Fox
Inspired by the bounty of California produce, Fox has a way of transforming an entire vegetable into an incredible meal. There are elements of memoir, there are unexpected pairings, and you'll want to be on the West Coast ASAP. The fennel confit and melon curry will make you rethink your approach to plant-based eating.
BUY IT: On Vegetables: Modern Recipes for the Home Kitchen, $31 on Amazon
