Reference, Flavor or Weeknights? The Best Vegetarian Cookbook

A Mexican kitchen knows something about cooking without meat, even when it doesn’t call it vegetarian cooking. Beans, corn, squash, chiles and a good salsa have fed people for a very long time, and a plate built on them never feels like it is missing something. The best vegetarian cookbooks work the same way. They don’t treat vegetables as a stand-in. They cook them as the main event.

The hard part is that “vegetarian cookbook” covers very different books: thousand-recipe references, photo-led books for people who want inspiration, weeknight manuals and books built on one region’s cooking. This guide picks seven, sets out what the publisher and named reviewers say about each one, and tells you which rest on a review and which rest on the publisher’s and author’s record.

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Quick verdict: the best vegetarian cookbook for your kitchen

The other five cover tested weeknight mains, the classic that started it all, Asian vegan and vegetarian cooking, a book organized by vegetable, and bright everyday meals.

Five vegetarian cookbooks side by side

Five of the seven, one for each kind of cook, with what the publisher or listing gives. All seven are described in full below.

Cover images from Amazon. Page counts and formats are for the print editions linked; other editions differ.

Our picks for the best vegetarian cookbook, book by book

Named reviews back four of the seven: Publishers Weekly reviewed Bittman and Love and Lemons Every Day, the publisher of Tenderheart quotes Library Journal, and the publisher of Ottolenghi Flavor quotes The New York Times. The Madison, America’s Test Kitchen and Moosewood picks rest on the publisher’s and author’s record, which in two of those cases is a very long one. We have not cooked from these books; where we describe a strength, we say whose view it is.

How to choose a vegetarian cookbook

Five questions narrow this down fast. Start with how you actually cook on a normal night.

1. Reference or inspiration?

A reference book answers questions: how long do I cook this grain, what goes with this squash. Madison and Bittman do that job. An inspiration book gives you a reason to cook something new, and Ottolenghi Flavor does that job. Most serious cooks end up owning one of each, and it is worth deciding which you need first.

2. Do you eat dairy and eggs?

Vegetarian is not vegan, and cookbooks treat the line differently. PW says Bittman’s audience runs from vegans to meat eaters. If nobody at your table eats dairy or eggs, check how a book handles them before you buy, since a vegetarian book can rely on both.

3. How much time do you have on a weeknight?

America’s Test Kitchen’s The New Vegetarian is the most direct answer, since the publisher counts 350 recipes at an hour or less. A long ingredient list often means more flavor, but also more shopping. Be honest about how often you will cook something that takes all afternoon.

4. Where does the protein come from?

Most new vegetarian cooks run into this first. The books that take it seriously give beans, eggs, tofu and tempeh their own room, as the ATK book does. In a Mexican kitchen beans do much of that work, which is one reason a pot of them is always worth having on the stove.

5. Does the way it is organized suit how you shop?

If you plan meals, a book organized by course works well. If you buy what looks good and decide later, a book organized by ingredient such as Tenderheart is easier. A roasting pan does much of the work here too: see our guide to the best roasting pan for vegetables. And a good vegetable peeler and salad spinner get used far more in a vegetable-heavy kitchen.

How we chose these seven vegetarian books

We looked for books with something to teach a working cook: clear methods, real flavor, and an author or test kitchen with a record. We searched Amazon’s book listings and kept print editions in stock when we checked, then took the facts from the publisher’s pages, the Amazon listing and named reviews. We read Publishers Weekly’s page for each book by ISBN and quote those we found. Where a page showed no review, we don’t claim one, though reviews elsewhere may exist. Madison, America’s Test Kitchen and Moosewood rest on the publisher’s and author’s record. Quotes from Library Journal are as the publisher shows them.

Several famous books are missing for stated reasons. Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian showed future availability, not stock on hand, and Madison’s Vegetable Literacy and Anna Jones’s A Modern Way to Cook showed only limited stock. Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons is a well-regarded vegetable book, but Publishers Weekly’s review describes dishes with lamb and sausage, so it isn’t a vegetarian one. Anna Jones’s One was in stock, but PW called it “a complex muddle,” and we had stronger options. We have not cooked from these books ourselves.

Vegetarian cookbook questions, answered

What is the best vegetarian cookbook for beginners?

Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian for most people, since it explains as it goes and PW says it serves everyone from vegans to meat eaters trying to eat more plants. If you want strict weeknight structure, try The New Vegetarian from America’s Test Kitchen.

Is a vegetarian cookbook useful if I still eat meat?

Yes. Ten Speed Press says Madison’s book is useful for anyone who wants to cook vegetables creatively, and vegetable techniques carry over to every plate. Meat eaters are a stated part of Bittman’s audience too, according to PW.

Which vegetarian cookbook has the most recipes?

Of these seven, The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, at more than 1,600 recipes according to its publisher. America’s Test Kitchen’s book follows at more than 500. Neither PW nor the listing gives a count for Bittman’s book.

Is The Moosewood Cookbook still worth buying?

For its history and its friendly home-style cooking, yes, and the publisher lists James Beard Hall of Fame and IACP honors. It reflects the era it came from, so cooks who want a current, global style may prefer Ottolenghi Flavor.

Is there a vegetarian Mexican cookbook on this list?

No. These are general vegetarian books. For Mexican cooking, start with our guide to the best Mexican cookbooks, and if you are eating out, our guide to vegetarian options at a Mexican restaurant explains what to ask.

Our final pick for a vegetable-first kitchen

Buy The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone if you want the one reference to keep for life. Add Ottolenghi Flavor for big flavor, or start with Bittman if you are new to this kind of cooking. Choose the America’s Test Kitchen book for weeknights, Tenderheart if you cook from the garden or market, Love and Lemons Every Day for easy meals, and The Moosewood Cookbook for the classic.

Related guide: Best vegan cookbook.

Related guide: Best salad cookbook.

Related guide: Best vegetable cookbook.

Related guide: Best mushroom cookbook.

And if tonight is not a cooking night, see the menu or call to order.