Vegan Cookbooks To Make Your Veganuary Exciting

I’m not sure exactly when veganism stopped being characterised as a fringe, esoteric pursuit in the UK and entered the mainstream. I think it was some time before Greggs rolled out its sausage roll (2019) and after quite literally everyone decided to watch the vegan-adjacent Netflix documentary Cowspiracy at the same time (2014).

But enter the mainstream it unquestionably has. Greggs sells millions of those delicious sausage rolls every year and the environmental warnings about meat-eating raised in Cowspiracy have long since entered into the wider discourse. There are an estimated 600,000 vegans in the UK, a figure which has quadrupled since 2016.

This brings us to Veganuary. As you probably know, Mob is doing Veganuary this year, meaning everything we cook in January is going to be vegan. Lots of people are doing the same. You should consider following along too, even if you’re not vegan. It’s good for the environment and — this gets lost sometimes — it can make you a really creative cook. We've got plenty of recipes for vegan curries, vegan pastas, and vegan soups for your enjoyment.

To aid you in your journey, please consider buying and then leafing through these excellent cookbooks for inspiration. We hope you enjoy them as much as some of the best baking cookbooks and vegetarian cookbooks out there.

Any lingering perception you might have of veganism as something that is purely restrictive will go straight out the window. And for the times you don’t want to cook, there’s usually a Greggs nearby. Especially if you’re in Newcastle.

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First things first: This book contains some vegetarian recipes, so fails to meet quite literally the one criterion required of books on this list. The book though is fabulous and contains mostly vegan recipes, which means it fits the spiritual criteria of the brief.

Sodha started writing a (very good) vegan column for the Guardian a few years ago despite not following a vegan diet herself, and this book is the product of that journey. Its guiding principle is that vegan food should be fun and flavoursome and good in its own right rather than something associated primarily with healthy eating.

East is filled with beautiful recipes drawing on lots of different Asian cuisines, from kimchi fried rice to a Sri Lankan beetroot curry. Particularly well-thumbed recipes in this house are shiitake pho with crispy leeks and a pad thai featuring purple sprouted broccoli.

Japanese cuisine is one of the world’s most popular but it’s about far more than wagyu beef and sushi. Tim Anderson’s Vegan JapanEasy is a vegan cookbook that’s set to prove that you don’t need meat or dairy to make a range of exciting and delicious Japanese dishes. This book successfully taps into Japan’s rich culture of cooking by offering up a host of recipes that span from cauliflower katsu curry to ramen salad.

Vegan Comfort Classics merits inclusion because it is a counterweight to the idea that vegan food needs to be healthy and raw rather than indulgent. It doesn’t have to be! Written by a Canadian foodie YouTube sensation by the name of Lauren Toyota, the book recreates comfort food classics for the plant-eater in your life. There is French Onion Soup. There is a mushroomy spin on Fettuccine Alfredo. There are sausage rolls!

And from this book, we learn that vegan mac and cheese is not only a thing but actually a nice thing if you can find somewhere selling nutritional yeast (nowhere near as weird as it sounds.) This is a book to convert the vegan sceptic in your life.

Isa Chandra Moskowitz is an extremely talented writer and cookbook author. I Can Cook Vegan is one of her most accessible and acclaimed books. Expect plenty of hearty recipes like lentil and mushroom shepherd's pie as well as doable desserts such as strawberry lemonade cupcakes. Every dish is easy to follow and the opposite of bland. An essential vegan cookbook to add to your collection.

I visited Ladakh in India a few years ago and there I ate proper momos for the first time. They were steamed dumplings filled with cabbage and spinach and carrots and they were extremely delicious. You should buy Romy Gill’s Zaika for her momos recipe alone. A bit technically challenging, yes, but very much worth it because they taste authentic and lovely.

There are plenty of other wonderful recipes drawing on the flavours of Indian cuisine here too, many of them simpler to cook than a lot of vegan recipes you encounter. The flavours and invention at work are quite beautiful. There are turmeric pancakes and beetroot fritters and rotis and nigella seed naan breads; there are snacks and there are more time-consuming recipes and there are indulgent ones too. Something for everyone.

Broke Vegan by Saskia Sidey is the ultimate cookbook for all those who love a plant-based diet but don't love spending a ton of money on their weekly shop. Featuring recipes that use cheap and readily available ingredients, this book is perfect for those who are looking to save some cash while still eating delicious and nutritious meals. So if you're a vegan who's looking to budget better or simply someone who loves a good bargain, Broke Vegan is the book for you. Just don't be surprised if your non-vegan friends start borrowing it, too – who doesn't love saving money?

Vegan Treats is a complete joy. Emma Hollingsworth, the cookery writer behind a very popular food blog, has cracked the difficult formula for very good dairy-free baking. There are good recipes for fruit crumbles and salted caramel flapjacks, all of them drawing on the natural sweetness of dates and the richness of nut butters to produce very indulgent results. Another learning from this book is that energy balls, made from things like mejdool dates and strawberries and cashew nuts, are really very nice. And filling. And healthy.

Asian Green is a cookbook written by Ching He Huang. This beautiful cookbook features a collection of plant-based recipes inspired by the flavours and techniques of Asian cuisine. The recipes are designed to be easy to prepare and suitable for everyday cooking. Dishes featured in the book include stir-fries, soups, noodles, and rice dishes – all vegan, of course. The book also includes information on the health benefits of plant-based eating and tips for incorporating more vegetables into your diet. Overall, Asian Green is a great resource for those looking to add more plant-based meals to their repertoire.

Peace and Parsnips reinforces my long-held theory that a cook’s first book is usually really good (see also Jamie Oliver’s The Naked Chef and Nigella Lawson’s How To Eat — both all-time classics). Lee Watson, a vegan chef living the good life in Wales, has written a wonderful book full of recipes that are good and simple and easy-to-cook. Watson is a master of balancing spices. There is a very good kasha with rosemary and apricots and walnuts, there are spinach bhaji burgers, there is a tempeh with bok choy and soba noodles. A joy.

This is the perfect vegan cookbook for anyone who loves Korean food as much as they love not-eating animal products. The Korean Vegan is jam-packed with delicious, plant-based recipes that are inspired by the flavours of Korean cuisine. From spicy kimchi to savoury bibimbap, this book has it all. And the best part? These recipes are so tasty, you won't even miss the meat. Plus, with all the health benefits of a vegan diet, you'll be feeling like a new person in no time. Just try not to spill any of that gochujang on your shirt – trust us, it's a painful experience.

Zoe Alakija is a London-based cook whose recipes blend modern British flavours with the rich colours and tastes of her Nigerian upbringing. Afro Vegan is her ode to the British-Nigerian kitchen of her youth and a vegan cookbook that’s bursting with clever ideas and banging recipes. Dishes like asaro-stuffed sweet potatoes and nutty plantain brownies are just the tip of the iceberg. Add this cookbook to your collection if you want to be seen as someone with impeccably good taste.

You don’t need meat to make Mexican food. Jocelyn Ramirez’s La Vida Verde is all about plant-based Mexican cooking and we are absolutely all about that. There are plenty of recipes in this vegan cookbook for home cooks of all levels but it’s the harder stuff that makes this so appealing. If you really want to up your game in the kitchen then this is a cookbook you should seriously consider getting your hands on. You’ll be whipping up jackfruit carnitas tacos in no time.

Rohit Ghai is an extremely successful chef (he’s worked at some of London’s best restaurants) and Tarkari is a cookbook that’s just as good as you’d expect. Malabar cauliflower, jackfruit masala, and kidney bean kebabs are just a few of the recipes tucked into this cookbook’s glossy pages. One for home cooks and professional chefs alike.

What is the best vegan recipe book for beginners? Probably this one. Broke Vegan: Speedy is Saskia Sidey’s low-effort sequel to Broke Vegan. Filled with over 100 budget plant-based recipes that you can make in 30 minutes or less, it’s ideal for weeknight dinners and cooks who aren’t super comfortable in the kitchen. The arrabbiata gnocchi bake? Astonishing.