The Best Cookbooks for Learning to Cook Vegan IMHO
- Cynthia
- 20 hours ago
- 7 min read
Because eating well—and kindly—should taste wonderful.
When I first began exploring plant-based cooking, it was the early days—before “vegan” was on restaurant menus and long before oat milk had its own aisle. Back then, vegan cooking took curiosity, courage, and a good deal of trial and error. But times have changed beautifully. Today, the vegan kitchen is one of the most exciting, creative, and nourishing places to cook, and there are so many great cookbooks to guide you. Here, I offer just a few that, IMHO, are great starting points.
Everyday Inspiration and Confidence
Joe Yonan writes for people who love to eat. His recipes are practical but never dull—rooted in whole foods, yet full of inventive touches. This book gives you confidence in your everyday cooking, showing how to coax depth and satisfaction out of vegetables, grains, and legumes without leaning on imitation products or complicated steps. I've told friends that are learning to cook vegan that if they can only buy one vegan cookbook then this is the one.
If you’re learning to cook vegan, beans will be your best friend. Yonan’s book is both practical and soulful. He covers everything from quick weeknight meals to long-simmered stews, teaching you how to achieve that perfect creamy interior and savory broth that makes beans so endlessly comforting.
Gena Hamshaw has a gift for making vegan food feel easy, modern, and deeply comforting. Her recipes are simple but full of fresh ideas — perfect for new cooks who want nourishing meals without a lot of fuss. It’s a wonderful starter cookbook for anyone finding their plant-based footing.
Building Your Vegan Pantry
If you’re ready to level up your kitchen game, Miyoko Schinner is your guide. She shows how to make your own butters, cheeses, sauces, and staples—transforming what used to come from a package into something deeply personal and delicious. There’s a kind of old-fashioned satisfaction in stirring up your own mayo or melting a cheese you created from scratch. This is where the vegan kitchen becomes truly yours.
This book demystifies the art and science of plant-based protein. Mark Thompson teaches you how to recreate the savory, chewy, deeply satisfying textures of meat using beans, grains, mushrooms, and creativity — not imitation. It’s perfect for those who grew up cooking with animal protein and now want to craft something familiar but cruelty-free. Practical, approachable, and full of kitchen curiosity.
For Fast, Flavorful Meals
Not everyone has time to cook elaborate meals, but Richa Hingle proves that flavor doesn’t have to suffer. Her Instant Pot recipes are layered with spices and inspired by global cuisines. She teaches how to build flavor from the start, even under pressure—literally. It’s a lifesaver for anyone who wants healthy, hearty meals without fuss. This was one of my first vegan cookbooks and I'm still using it.
Global Inspiration
Roy Choi’s food doesn’t fit neatly in any category—and that’s why it’s so fun. He brings the boldness of street food and the heart of home cooking together, blending Korean, Mexican, and California influences. While not all the recipes are vegan, his approach to flavor—heat, texture, and balance—is invaluable for anyone looking to make plant-based meals unforgettable. Oh, and if you can tap into Roy's funny-as Intuitive Cooking course on MasterClass ... it's legit and you'll love it!
Marie Kacouchia’s book is a revelation. It’s vibrant, colorful, and alive with tradition. From peanut stews to spiced vegetable dishes, Vegan Africa shows that plant-based cooking has always existed in the kitchens of the world. It’s food that’s nourishing, celebratory, and joyfully different from the usual vegan fare. I've spent some time in West Africa and this speaks authentically to that experience.
Jenné Claiborne’s Sweet Potato Soul celebrates the deep, rich roots of African-American cooking through a plant-based lens. Her recipes are soulful, abundant, and joyfully seasoned. Every page radiates warmth and culture, proving that vegan food can carry heritage, comfort, and love.
Comfort for the Cheese Lovers
If you’ve ever missed the ritual of cheese—slicing, spreading, and sharing—Julie Piatt’s book is your answer. She demystifies plant-based cheesemaking with simple, approachable recipes that actually work. From soft cashew cheeses to aged wheels, her methods restore the pleasure of making and enjoying cheese, cruelty-free. I've fooled some pretty fancy, sophisticated palates with my Homemade Vegan Goat-Style Cheese and more. The smoked Gouda is incredible.
Modern Plant-Based Creativity
Gaz Oakley brings a young chef’s flair to vegan cooking—vibrant colors, bold sauces, and restaurant-quality presentation made doable at home. His dishes feel celebratory, a reminder that vegan food can be indulgent, elegant, and fun all at once. This was one of my first vegan cookbooks (mine is a signed copy). And, the 'streaky bacon' is bomb!
Timothy Pakron cooks from the heart of the South, where food is love and community. His plant-based take on classic Southern comfort dishes is rich, soulful, and utterly satisfying. Mississippi Vegan reminds us that compassion and comfort can share the same plate. Since I'm originally from the South, I couldn't pass this one up!
Deepening Technique and Flavor
Though not exclusively vegan, this book belongs on every plant-based cook’s shelf. Kimball explores vegetables with precision and respect, teaching you how to roast, char, and season them like a pro. His recipes draw inspiration from around the world, and the lessons translate beautifully to vegan cooking.
Alice Waters has always believed that the best cooking begins with the best ingredients. Chez Panisse Vegetables is a masterclass in seasonality and simplicity — the perfect teacher for anyone learning to taste what’s fresh, local, and alive. Her reverence for the garden shows you how to let produce speak for itself.
This is not a cookbook so much as a flavor roadmap. I have a very stained and sticky copy of her first James Beard award-winning The Flavor Bible and it's been a game-changer. The Vegetarian Flavor Bible is the next indispensable step for anyone who wants to understand how flavors work together. It teaches intuition — how to combine ingredients, balance tastes, and create your own recipes with confidence. For the curious cook, it’s pure liberation.
Baking is both art and science. Even in a vegan kitchen, understanding structure—what makes a cake rise or a cookie crisp—is essential. This book explains the “why” behind baking, giving you the knowledge to confidently adapt or invent your own plant-based sweets. The author gives you a banquet of recipes - from breads to desserts - and most come with a dairy-free (meaning vegan) option.
Putting It All Together
No one needs every book on this list. Wait! Did I just write that? Actually, though I wouldn’t blame you for wanting them. Start with one or two that fit your life. Maybe Miyoko Schinner’s Homemade Vegan Pantry if you love DIY staples, Joe Yonan’s Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking for a great overview and solid everyday meals, or Richa’s Instant Pot guide if your evenings are short on time.
Then, when you’re ready for adventure, explore Vegan Africa, Sweet Potato Soul, or Plants-Only Kitchen. Each will stretch your palate and your confidence in beautiful ways.
Cooking vegan isn’t about rules or purity—it’s about curiosity, creativity, and care.
In the End: Cooking Vegan Is a Joyful Act
Cooking this way connects us to the earth and to each other. It’s an act of kindness—toward animals, the planet, and our own health. It’s also deeply pleasurable. The colors, the aromas, the freshness—they bring vitality to the kitchen and peace to the table.
So pick up a book, roll up your sleeves, and start where you are. The journey of cooking vegan is full of discovery, and every meal is a small celebration of what’s possible when we cook with love.
End Note:
At Simply By Cynthia, I write from a place of lived conviction. More than twenty years ago, a diagnosis of advanced breast cancer set me on a path toward health through whole, plant-based food. What began as a survival choice has grown into something much larger — a commitment to living in harmony with the Earth and with the beings we share it with.
I’ve seen both sides of the story. I grew up around cattle (keeping track of ear tag numbers while my Kansas uncle and cousins "nutted, budded, and vaccinated", and helped herd the dairy cows to the milking barn near Salt Lake City, Utah), learned to hunt and fish early, and took part in the “harvesting” process that puts meat on the table. But what I once saw as tradition, I now see as a system that’s become tragically industrialized — cruel not just to animals, but to the humans who labor in it. Factory farming has taken something sacred and turned it into suffering. I vividly remember, back in the 60's, my uncle Bob Adams (who'd been raising cattle in southeastern Kansas since the 1930's) telling me, as we drove through one of the endless, horrible feedlots in Kansas, with thousands of animals standing forlorn in their own muck, "Look at that! I want you to understand that's just damn wrong! No animal should be treated that way. It's not good for the animal and it's not good for us!" It's only gotten worse with time.
Today, as a rooftop-solar, EV-driving, climate-conscious vegan, I cook and write as an act of resistance — a quiet rebellion rooted in compassion. Every plant-based meal is a small victory for health, humanity, and the planet we all depend on.