10 Best Vegetarian Cookbooks UK 2023

Be honest with yourself about your skills and resources. If you are a total novice, you should look for titles that portray this, as well as content such as explanations of ingredients that may be new to you. Some now even include menu planning guides and shopping lists, which will help you identify and buy the ingredients you need, as well as guiding you to feel more confident preparing vegetarian food.

Books with plenty of attractive and informative photos to demonstrate how the food should look are also useful for beginners, especially if there are dishes that are new to you. You'll be able to refer to the photographs to aid you in everything from chopping the veggies in a certain way to seeing how to serve the elements of the dish on the plate for maximum eating enjoyment.

Similarly, cookbooks by authors who began as online bloggers are a good idea for the confident home cook – they are often up to speed with the latest food trends and include innovative ideas and processes. Of course, the online world is a very visual one, so if artistic presentation and colourful dishes are your thing, look to these types of veggie chefs for inspiration.

Also keep an eye out for recipes with fewer complicated processes. The benefits of simple recipes are not only that you can whip them up whilst you are juggling other parental tasks, but also that you can have fun getting the kids involved in cooking and learning about vegetarian food.

One-pot dishes will also ensure you have minimal wastage, and any remaining food can be easily compacted and stored in the fridge or freezer for another meal.

This can also include recipes with meat replacements such as soya mince, veggie sausages or seitan, or simply using vegetables that mimic the texture and satisfaction of meat – using mushrooms in place of beef in a stew, for example.