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Big Vegan Flavor: Techniques and 150 Recipes to Master Vegan Cooking
The instant New York Times bestseller
A groundbreaking and comprehensive “vegan flavor bible”—with 150 must-make recipes—from the wildly popular home cook and creator behind Rainbow Plant Life
With more than two million devoted fans online, Nisha Vora has become the trusted source for exceptional vegan recipes for the home cook. That’s because of her “flavor first” philosophy. It’s an approach she’s honed nearly a decade creating plant-based dishes that just plain taste amazing, labels aside. Now she’s created an essential, comprehensive guide that codifies the principles of plant-based cooking for the first time, from how to coax the most out of your ingredients and how to understand essential flavor pairings, to how to achieve impossible-to-resist, must-have-more textures and embrace the myriad ways vegetables can be enjoyed: roasted, caramelized, braised, pampered in bold marinades and umami-rich sauces, and so much more.
As Nisha demonstrates in this groundbreaking book, the creative possibilities are endless thanks to the rich variety in the plant-based kingdom and the infinite and exciting ways there are to achieve big flavor.
This book illuminates not only the how, but the why of these fundamental principles so that anyone can boost their confidence and reach their full, plant-savvy potential in the kitchen—whether they like to rotate in a few veggie meals a week, or they are experienced home cooks looking for next-level, wow-worthy meals. With more than 150 globally-inspired recipes, easy “flavor boosters” that add depth or pop to all kinds of dishes, simple swaps for whatever you’re craving or have on-hand, make ahead tips, and more, Big Vegan Flavor is packed with ideas and inspiration. Each recipe offers a quick tutorial: Dishes like Miso Butter-Seared King Oyster Scallops will teach you how to brine plants until perfectly tender. Chai-Spiced Custard Tart with Mango will open your eyes to the power of a good spice blend and a sweet-tangy, creamy-crunchy dessert. Or use Nisha’s favorite protein, grains, and sauce recipes to create mix-and-match meals that always excite.
A timely and visionary cookbook, Big Vegan Flavor is destined to become a classic.
From the Publisher
Publisher : Avery; 1st edition (September 3, 2024)
Language : English
Hardcover : 608 pages
ISBN-10 : 0593328930
ISBN-13 : 978-0593328934
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 8.83 x 1.59 x 10.8 inches
KJ –
Best cookbook and not just for vegans! All will love these recipes!!
This cookbook is excellent! Before going vegan, my go to cookbooks were the Milk Street series. Once I went vegan, I really missed a cookbook with the same level of detail and background information. Nisha definitely delivered with Big Vegan Flavor. I really appreciate the attention to detail throughout the book â info on specific ingredients, substitutions, excellent cross references to other recipes in the book. And the recipes themselves are AMAZING! Iâve made a bunch from all different categories in the book and each one was outstandingâ great flavor, easy to follow directions and the results always look like the pics in the book. My husband isnât vegan but really looks forward to each new recipe I make from this book. Canât recommend it enough!!â¤ï¸â¤ï¸â¤ï¸
Margaret P –
New favorite
I have a ton of vegan cookbooks and am picky about adding more to my collection. However, when this book came out for preorder back in March, I ordered it right away. I absolutely loved Nisha Vora’s first cookbook, and her recipes on her blog and on YouTube are always incredible, so I couldn’t wait to get this book. I waited to post my review until I could try some of the recipes. It’s been a delight trying so many new flavors in this book over the last few weeks! I can tell this is a book I’ll come back to again and again trying new combinations and techniques. The photography is beautiful and puts my attached photos to shame!Something I really like about it is the “big-flavor meals” notes in Part 2 suggesting how to use condiments, proteins, and veggies together to make full meals. I can follow a recipe no problem, but am not the best at putting components together on my own. I’m confident that this book will change that though! I also like that it offers so much flexibility so you make adjustments based on your tastes and what ingredients you have.Although some of the recipes are more involved, Nisha includes “make ahead” notes to help with meal prep so the recipes can come together faster on a weeknight. Some of the recipes might use ingredients that are unfamiliar or trickier to find, but the “ingredient notes” often suggest substitutes you can make. To me, new ingredients means I’m exploring new flavors, and I appreciate ideas to get out of my comfort zone in the kitchen.Thank you Nisha for creating my favorite new cookbook!Photos:1. Swiss Chard & Carrot Slaw with Crispy Bread Crumbs – I have a lot of swiss chard in my garden, but was put off by its bitter flavor. Not a problem in this salad! The dressing is 10/10 amazing, and I love all the texture variation in the salad. I forgot to add nectarines I bought for this serving, but it was great even without them.2. Mushroom Carnitas Tacos – I don’t usually like mushrooms but this was delicious, plus it was fun and easy to make! I shredded the mushrooms a day in advance, and they came together in under 40 minutes with most of the time inactive. I love how crispy and chewy the mushroom carnitas turned out.3. Scrambled Chickpeas with Chile Yogurt Sauce – I never would have thought to make a chickpea scramble instead of a tofu scramble, so had to try it. The flavor is so good and it was quite filling! I really liked the cooling contrast with the yogurt sauce and the burst of spice in the oil. I didn’t have ingredients on hand to make the side salad and za’atar pita bread, but it’s on my list for next time.4. Macerated Berries with Basil and Mint – My photo doesn’t do this one justice, it was so colorful and beautiful in person! This should be at every summer picnic or gathering. Use a good quality balsamic.5. Chocolate-Covered Dates with Pistachio Butter – I never buy pistachios, but I’m so glad I made the pistachio butter for these. It’s addictive! I love having some with apple slices, but it really shines in this dessert. The flavor combination is6. Pomegranate-Glazed Tofu and Farro Salad with Garlicky Spiced Oil – I brought the farro salad to a lunch get together, and it was a big hit! I didn’t use all the herbs called for (didn’t realize I ran out) but loved it regardless. I made the pomegranate-glazed tofu using the freezer tofu method, and was shocked at how much it helped the tofu get crispy and chewy. The vinaigrette is bursting with flavor from the molasses and the sumac.
LACC –
Stunning!
This really is a beautifully written and produced cookbook, and excels in every area, content, recipes, creativity, photos and so much more. It really is more encyclopedic than a regular cookbook and is a weighty tome. It is true that the introduction to ingredients etc. is 150 pages long, but this may also be a strength and not a weakness. This book is comprehensive, wonderfully creative and a wonderful asset to those entering the world of veganism. Even non vegans will find this very useful. Don’t be surprised, the title gives fair warning – BIG, yes it sure is! Vegan, definitely and full of Flavor. If this is what you want, this book is for you. If you don’t like big books, definitely do not buy this. If you want a less advance introduction to veganism look elsewhere. And yes, the flavor profile is creative and exciting but may not be for everyone’s taste. I do recommend without reservation to those who don’t mind its size, depth and breadth of material and outstanding flavor creativity.
Beach Girl –
Beautiful, Engaging, and full of Information
This is a beautifully crafted book, with fabulous photography, a witty writing style, and diverse information for the cook who is as hungry for learning as they are for new and provocative recipes to keep life interesting. The photography itself is tantalizing, and incentive for getting your apron on (or at least getting a snack to quell the hunger pains).The book is organized in three parts: mastering the cuisine, the building blocks, and the recipes. I personally appreciate the first two sections most, as they are educational and – in my opinion – are the key to creating an interesting meal every night. The recipes are a bit daunting with the ingredient lists, many of which arenât easy to find on Cape Cod where I live. The first I tried required considerable time and countertop real estate for me to put together, which may just point to my inferior kitchen skills, but should be noted. Yes, it was delicious, but only fed me for two days eating alone – not necessarily geared toward making ahead and living on for the next week, so be prepared to double recipes. My favorite recipes are actually the Flavor Boosters, as these are the fairly straightforward recipes I can make once and add to the simplest meals (ie a bowl of grains). Itâs all good though, as Iâm seeing the usefulness of obtaining a spice box (pulling eight different spice jars out of the cabinet one by one gets mind-boggling), and learning how to incorporate condiments and Flavor Boosters to ramp up an average meal. My favorite part is simply reading the book though, as Nisha has incorporated so many different elements in one big book, I am sure I will turn to this repeatedly in the future.One caveat though, especially for those like myself who eat vegan principally to fill our bodies with the cleanest food possible: there are a number of ingredients and products utilized herein that I really donât want in my diet. Sugar is a common ingredient as itâs a significant flavor enhancer, and most of the products mentioned are not organic and include ingredients I tend to avoid. It was only after I purchased the recommended pomegranate vinegar that I noticed pomegranate was the third ingredient (following water and sugar), and included artificial additives as well. That was my mistake, but a reminder than not all âveganâ is healthy. Fortunately, I was able to find a single-ingredient organic pomegranate vinegar online, as I think this will be a key ingredient in my kitchen. She also includes beyond meat in a few recipes, which I wouldnât touch now with a ten-foot pole (research this deeply). But I understand we all eat vegan for different reasons, and these things wonât be issues for many people. They are easy enough to work around.In summary, itâs a great purchase and I recommend buying it if youâre interested in expanding your prowess in the kitchen – or enticing carnivores to eat compelling vegan food that will blow their socks off. And who doesnât like doing that?
Sharon –
Rainbow Plant Life – Nisha Vora has created one of the best vegan cookbook resources I have in my diverse cookbook collection. I started my journey a couple of years ago to eat more plants and I have considerably reduced meat, dairy, and eggs in my diet. There are lots of plant based folks plying the benefits of plants only diets and not many of them come to the standard of Nisha. She creates flavorful recipes that look and taste great (even if you modify them for no salt- no sugar- no oil ) that even my reluctant husband enjoys! I can create an omnivore meal plan in my sleep – I struggled creating plant based meals as I’m not a fan of throwing veggies in a bowl and calling it dinner or eating the same food everyday! Nisha’s menu planning service taught me how to develop a plan to easily prepare great tasting vegan meals. Her cookbook Big Vegan Flavors is an extension of this approach and is a great how to guide for new and seasoned cooks to learn and explore plant based cooking with confidence. The pictures in this book are glorious and the quality of the book is wonderful. The first picture is from the Preserved Lemon Recipe in the cookbook. I choose this recipe as it is also on her blog. Other pictures hopefully illustrate the quality of the book.Honestly, I didn’t think I needed another cookbook and I’m so glad that I bought this one! You won’t be disappointed if you purchase this for yourself or as a gift as every meal needs great gourmet veggies!
Davide Crestale –
Literally the best investment for my hobby cooking career. It is not only a book, but an encyclopedia. So much knowledge, so much passion in this solid book! Definitely worth the money. I’m very grateful to have discovered Nisha. She is bringing my cooking skills to the next level 🙂
Amazon Customer –
This is the best and most cookbook I have bought! It is very well organised and with many helpful tips throughout and great recipes. The Ethiopian red lentil stew with spiced butter is one of the best things I’ve cooked and the white bean and tomato stew was also amazing. I can’t wait to cook my way through this book!
Trixi –
This book is a real jewel! If you need just one vegan cookbook, donât look further, buy this one and youâll not be disappointed! I tried at least half a dozen recipe just in the first week I received it and every single one was delicious. Itâs becoming my go-to cookbook really really fast. Itâs huge, but worth every millimeter of space it takes. I usually take notes near the recipe with the date I tried and if I made substitutions and if it was worth the effort, but with Nishaâs book I just donât bother: theyâre so darn good and tasty. I just cut down without mercy the amount of heat, because of my âbaby-mouthâ.And the recipes are not even the best part (incredible, uh?!): Nisha explains beautifully all you need to know to cook amazing dishes with whatever ingredients you happen to have on hand.Highly highly recommended!
Marleen Van Dyck –
Learning so many new flavors