If you were daydreaming of a massive collection of irresistible vegan recipes, today’s your lucky day. You are holding in your hands The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook. Written by seven accomplished authors from various backgrounds, the goal of this book is to make your everyday vegan cooking life a breeze. Whether you are a seasoned vegan or entirely new to this ethical and healthy plant-based lifestyle, you will find herein all the recipes your dreams are made of, and possibly more.
With recipes ranging from weekday meals, to ethnic feasts, to raw desserts, and with gluten-free, soy-free and low-fat options, this cookbook is ideal for virtually all occasions. Whether on super-busy weekday nights when you need a quick meal with minimal preparation time, or for fancier occasions when you want to show off your vegan cooking skills to friends and family, the recipes in this book will have you and your guests walking away from the table feeling replenished and satisfied. That is, until you notice the dishes need to be washed.
We are honored to be both guides and traveling companions on your vegan journey, and we hope that this book will become a permanent fixture in your kitchen, always at the ready for delicious adventures!
—Celine Steen
Whether you are already a pro at all things vegan or have just taken the first steps into making the switch to a vegan lifestyle, The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook is here to help.
Following a vegan lifestyle means that a person chooses not to use and wear animal by-products or eat foods that come from an animal. A vegan diet, also known as a plant-based diet, focuses on eating foods made from plants. These foods have the advantage of being naturally free from cholesterol. They are also usually plentiful in dietary fiber and nutrients. But is a vegan diet going to make you lose weight automatically? Not always.
Truth be told, there is such a thing as vegan junk food. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but not all store-bought vegan foods are healthy foods. After all, it is a fact that some of us are vegan for ethical reasons first and foremost, and love diving into the occasional bag of vegan cookies or chips—mea culpa and all.
Indeed, there are several reasons why an individual decides to follow a vegan lifestyle. One can become vegan for ethical reasons, health reasons, environmental reasons or all of the above.
One of the go-to questions a person is asked upon going vegan is, “But what about protein?” You can tell your concerned mom or nosy coworker that they have no reason to fret over your well-being: protein doesn’t solely come from eating animals. You aren’t going to systematically become malnourished when ditching meat and other animal products, as long as you eat a well-thought-out, balanced plant-based diet. Beans, nuts, tofu, whole grains and so many more cruelty-free foods are amazing sources of protein, too!
Keep reading for more information on how to get acquainted with the lifestyle that is very likely to become the best decision you’ve ever made.
Focus on serving raw and cooked vegetables and fruits, and in general foods that aren’t overly processed. Less packaging usually implies that the food is mostly unprocessed, which allows us to reap all or most of the healthy benefits from said food.
It’s always best to purchase and serve foods that are organic in order to avoid consuming pesticides and other unwanted additions, but please don’t let it worry you too much if the cost is too high for your budget. Also, Fair Trade is always a great social movement to support, as freedom from cruelty is a label that should apply to humans just as much as to animals.
The vegan movement seems to constantly be getting more mainstream, which means a lot of manufacturers are making it easier to know whether a food is vegan by including a label to that effect on food items and health products. Look for the Certified Vegan label. Thoroughly scan labels for ingredient lists, and contact food manufacturers in case extra information is needed. Keep a list of the most common non-vegan ingredients handy. This will make shopping trips easier, as you can scan items for non-vegan ingredients. There are great resources online that will allow you to print out lists of the most common offenders, such as whey, lanolin and many more. Finally, try to focus on purchasing foods that have rather succinct ingredient lists. Not only does it mean your reading session won’t be endless, but also foods that contain fewer ingredients are usually better for you anyway. Remember that where and what you spend your hard-earned money on speaks volumes.
Found a bit of cheese in the supposedly vegan tacos you ordered? Forgot your glasses, misread a label and belatedly noticed there was whey in the yogurt you could have sworn was plant-based? It’s quite an unpleasant feeling, but that’s okay—almost all of us have been there at some point. Don’t waste too much time worrying about accidental ingestions of non-vegan foods. Things happen, and this doesn’t make you a bad vegan at all. Just get back on the figurative horse when the next meal pops up, and move on.
There’s no rush. Rome wasn’t built in one day. Insert more platitudes here. But seriously, take your time to find the right way for you to do this for yourself. You don’t have to tell everyone you’re going vegan if you feel you won’t have the proper kind of support from relatives and friends. You can also choose to only switch to one or a few vegan meals per week before going full throttle. Some people prefer going for it cold turkey, so to speak, but it doesn’t mean everyone has to transition to a vegan lifestyle in a one-size-fits-all manner. Do it all at your own pace.
With the advent of social media, it’s easier than ever to have access to the wisdom of fellow vegans from all walks of life. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask questions: chances are, most of them will be more than eager to help out.
Finding plant-based milks, cheeses and other new vegan favorites is likely to take a few taste tests. Don’t be afraid to try several brands and flavors until you meet your perfect match.
Vegan dietitians recommend supplementing with B12 in order to avoid deficiencies, as this vitamin is harder to come by in vegan foods. Other supplements, such as vitamin D, iron and calcium, may be warranted for some vegans. The correct way to find out what’s best for you is to have a blood test done to check your levels, and then talk with your doctor or dietitian.
REMEMBER WHY YOU MADE THE SWITCH
It is possible to feel burned out with pretty much anything on occasion. Focus back on what your reason was for going vegan in the first place. Visit a farm sanctuary to hang out with formerly abused animals, if you went vegan for ethical reasons. Read up on all the health benefits of veganism if your motivation was to improve your well-being.
There are too many fantastic vegan cuisines out there to allow yourself to get bored with what’s on your plate. Experiment with new ingredients, and have lots of fun in your kitchen! A great way to keep yourself well fed with a variety of awesome foods is to make weekly meal plans, which allow you to shop in advance and get excited about the upcoming plant-based dishes you’ll treat yourself with. Another fun way to keep things interesting is to make big batches of food during the weekend, or whenever you have more time to cook, and serve them throughout the workweek. This helps keep your cooking duties on the low side when you’re shorter on time.
Working in a vegan kitchen doesn’t mean that you have to spend oodles on tools, bulky machines and other appliances. What follows is enough to get you started with cooking, and you probably already have most items in your kitchen already.
• Airtight glass jars and other containers for leftovers and storage
• A well-sharpened chef’s knife
• A good paring knife
• Cutting boards
• Glass measuring cups and spoons for liquid ingredients
• Measuring cups and spoons for dry ingredients
• Baking sheets (including a nonstick baking mat like Silpat)
• Baking pans
• Mixing bowls
• A reliable skillet
• A small saucepan
• Heavy-bottomed Dutch oven–type pot
• Stockpot
• Zester (or microplane)
• Food processor
• Blender (high-speed models like Vitamix and Blendtec are useful; an immersion blender is also great for blending soups)
• Mixer (handheld or countertop)
• Parchment paper (for baking)
• Mandoline
• Steamer
• Fermentation crock
This book also includes recipes for the slow cooker, Instant Pot and air fryer. If those styles of cooking interest you, then you might want to invest in those appliances. Depending on what kinds of foods you want to bake, you might also need a muffin pan, cake pans, springform cake pan, tart pans, bread pans and more.
Even as a seasoned vegan, you are bound to occasionally come across a new-to-you ingredient. In the meantime, here is a short list of those that are most commonly found in a well-stocked vegan pantry and refrigerator, and that will be sufficient to make most of the recipes in this book.
• Nuts and seeds (such as cashews, almonds, chia seeds and flaxseeds)
• Nut butters (such as peanut butter, almond butter or cashew butter)
• Plant-based milks (such as almond milk or cashew milk; choose unsweetened plain whenever available for a wider range of use)
• Flours (such as whole wheat or gluten-free)
• Organic cornstarch or arrowroot powder
• Coconut milk and coconut cream
• Coconut oil (refined for less flavor or unrefined for flavor)
• Neutral-flavored oils (such as grapeseed)
• Nutritional yeast (a deactivated yeast that adds a cheesy, umami-rich flavor to dishes)
• Soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos (choose reduced-sodium whenever available to keep your sodium intake in check)
• Sea salt and coarse kosher salt
• Spices and dried herbs (such as cumin, red pepper flakes, basil, etc.)
• Specialty spices (like goshugaru, nanami togarashi, achiote or tsire spice)
• Super-firm or extra-firm tofu
• Tempeh
• Jarred or canned tomato products (such as crushed, fire-roasted, diced tomatoes, etc.)
• Canned beans (such as kidney beans and black beans)
• Canned chickpeas (the liquid in the can, known as aquafaba, can be used as an egg substitute in many of these recipes, so don’t discard it!)
• Dried beans and pulses (such as chickpeas and lentils)
• Grains and seeds (such as rice and quinoa)
• Refined sugar alternatives (such as Sucanat, agave, maple syrup, dates and figs)
• Egg alternatives (such as VeganEgg or flax eggs, a combination of flaxseeds and water, see here)
• Dairy alternatives (Daiya brand and vegan Parmesan, for example)
• Vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
Use this handy key to select the recipes that are right for you and your family. The list below will help you identify the author of a recipe. These initials appear at the end of each recipe introduction.
GF = gluten-free
GFO = gluten-free option
SF = soy-free
SFO = soy-free option
QP = quick prep
SE = special equipment
EvE = Emily von Euw
KH = Kathy Hester
LM + AM = Linda and Alex Meyer
MR = Marie Reginato
CS = Celine Steen
AS = Amber St. Peter