The First Mess Cookbook: Vibrant Plant-Based Recipes to Eat Well Through the Seasons by Laura Wright

    • Categories: Beverages / drinks (no-alcohol); Breakfast / brunch; Vegan
    • Ingredients: Earl Grey tea; almond milk; vanilla extract; maple syrup; coconut butter
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Notes about this book

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Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Early morning Earl Grey

    • KateS27 on February 11, 2026

      Yum! So cozy and warm and tasty and soothing!

    • KateS27 on February 12, 2026

      So soothing for the morning that I made it again!

  • Easy gluten-free waffles

    • KateS27 on May 14, 2026

      So yummy! Love the shredded coconut in them!

  • Hemp and vanilla Bircher breakfast

    • Lalamzo on January 05, 2026

      Too salty! I should’ve known 1/8 tsp was too much when I usually don’t add salt to overnight oats at all. Also turned out too liquidy.

  • Old reliable avocado toast

    • ginger2212 on June 01, 2022

      This is my FAVORITE topping for avocado toast. I also add sesame seeds because they are delicious. Highly recommend using TJ's balsamic glaze to drizzle over.

  • Vegetable stock

    • suzhecker on March 07, 2022

      Excellent vegetable broth.

  • Cozy lentil soup

    • denmar086 on April 19, 2026

      This was really yummy and easy to make. I used regular paprika instead of smoked paprika. It held up well as leftovers for a few days. I would make this again.

  • Creamy jalapeño corn chowder

    • ricki on February 18, 2023

      I love soup; he likes some soups. We both liked this one a lot! Happy to have another soup we can agree on. Quick and easy once you've done all the chopping. For a little more protein and fiber, I used half the potato and added a can of white beans. Frozen corn, celery salt. The chive garnish didn't add anything except visually. For texture and flavor, we preferred the sliced scallions I put on the leftovers. Minced jalapeño would be nice, too.

  • Moroccan stew

    • vinochic on March 07, 2017

      Served with couscous. Used only 3 cups of water since I like a thicker consistency. Needs a bit more time cooking than stated. Nice flavours.

    • Hellyloves2cook on March 21, 2023

      The oil was not enough to saute the onions, add spices and then adding the other ingredients to saute. Also the cooking time was way off. Needed much longer to cook through the vegetables. It was an OK mid week dinner but nothing to rave about to be honest. It wasn't awful, my family certainly didn't complain but lets say they didn't request a top up. Overall a little disappointing. It definitely needs the lemon and olives to accompany the dish. I hope the other recipes are better as this was the first recipe I have tried from this cookbook.

  • Creamy winter vegetable stew with mustard and lemon

    • Jane on January 13, 2019

      This a hybrid soup/stew. The lemon and mustard adds a good amount of flavor to what could be a blandish stew. I liked the technique of removing half the stew at the end and blending it until smooth then returning to the pot.

  • Deep immune cup of soup

    • christineakiyoshi on February 17, 2021

      Unique soup that is very tasty!

    • denmar086 on February 12, 2026

      I liked the depth the miso added but overall this tasted a bit too medicinal for me.

    • kayla_eo1ah5 on March 10, 2026

      This was a very intense soup I made when I was sick one time, it cleared my sinuses right up.

  • Thanksgiving panzanella salad with delicata squash

    • Jane on January 01, 2026

      This was a lovely salad. I used Samin Nosrat’s recipe for torn croutons but the rest of the salad was as in the book. The flavor combination of kale, roasted delicata squash, thyme, rosemary and celery was great. Lots of contrasts in flavor and textures. And looks pretty too.

  • Thai-ish cabbage salad

    • miaroy on January 15, 2026

      Bright and satisfying!

  • Brussels sprouts salad with lime and miso

    • SugarFree_Vegan on December 05, 2018

      The Miso dressing is so tasty and vibrant and would go with pretty much any veggie combo, it's a real keeper for me!

  • Broccoli Caesar with smoky tempeh bits

    • vinochic on December 13, 2017

      served over quinoa. didn't get the tempeh that crispy, but nice anyway.

    • jenburkholder on September 07, 2020

      This was good. I also served it over quinoa. The dressing wasn’t particularly Caesar-y, but it was tasty. I would, however, double it, as it makes a stingy amount.

  • Creamy quinoa and white bean risotto with crispy brassica florets

    • Dcampos on December 29, 2019

      Added wine when cooking the quinoa and some Romano cheese at the end. Seasoned the roasted vegetables generously. I'll be making this again.

  • Spicy curry tempeh patties

    • jenburkholder on November 17, 2020

      Didn’t like these. Bitter and weirdly bland, even with all the seasonings. Taste like bad hippie food.

  • Spaghetti squash noodle bowls with lime peanut sauce

    • Jane on January 31, 2018

      Absolutely delicious. The star is the sauce - loved the combination of lime, ginger and almond butter (which I used instead of peanut butter). The entire bowl is a good combination of textures and flavors.

  • Sunshine everything crackers

    • Lglen on December 24, 2018

      Really nice crackers and I used olive oil and extra water because of my food processor

  • Banana bread scones

    • elana.lepkowski on July 28, 2019

      Can sub whole wheat flour for whole spelt flour.

    • sherri_xcf6n4 on April 18, 2026

      Thought this was an unusual name, but it was accurate. It was drier like a scone, but was very banana bread, too. Felt super healthy. I wouldn’t have hated smaller sized scones - maybe 1/4 cup?

  • Roasted cauliflower with green tahini

    • christineakiyoshi on May 04, 2021

      This was really tasty! I didn't have fresh basil so used dried. I also didn't incorporate the green onions into the dressing but sliced them and served them on top, as the photo suggested. Will make again!

  • Mustard-roasted broccoli pâté

    • lolako on February 22, 2024

      I thought it was good. My guests thought it was great. They ate it all up. Added a little more mustard to adjust seasoning at the end. Served with garlic and herb water crackers. Would probably not serve again, but my guests loved it and it was easy to prepare.

  • Earl Grey tiramisu

    • lolako on November 11, 2025

      Made for a LILY dinner. My guests loved it. I liked it. I'm glad I made it, but it was a little bit too much work for something I merely liked. There was something very sophisticated about the whole recipe, though.

  • Hot-pink beet protein smoothie

    • KateS27 on April 20, 2026

      Tasty! I added spinach and kale, so the color is diluted a bit.

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Reviews about this book

  • Kitchn

    With a seasonal focus and a strong nod to the ability of plants to make us feel better, she’s created a collection of recipes for anyone seeking to bring some wellness-through-food into the routine.

    Full review
  • Eat Your Books by Jenny Hartin

    This is the plant-based book that will make the carnivore swoon.

    Full review
  • ISBN 10 0143194860
  • ISBN 13 9780143194866
  • Published Mar 07 2017
  • Format Hardcover
  • Page Count 296
  • Language English
  • Countries Canada
  • Publisher Penguin Canada

Publishers Text

The creator of the popular Saveur award-winning blog The First Mess shares over 125 seasonal, plant-based, and beautifully prepared healthy recipes in her eagerly anticipated debut cookbook

Home cooks head to The First Mess blog for Laura Wright's simple-to-prepare, seasonal vegan recipes, but stay for her beautiful photographs and enchanting storytelling. In her debut cookbook, Laura presents a visually stunning collection of heirloom-quality recipes highlighting the beauty of the seasons. Her 125-plus produce-forward recipes showcase the best each season has to offer, and as a whole, demonstrate that plant-based wellness is both accessible and delicious.     

Wright grew up working at her family's local food market and vegetable patch in the Niagara region of southern Ontario, where fully stocked root cellars in the winter and armfuls of fresh produce in the spring and summer were the norm. After attending culinary school and working in one of Canada's original farm-to-table restaurants, she launched The First Mess blog at the urging of her friends in order to share the delicious, no-fuss, healthy, seasonal meals she grew up eating, and quickly attracted a large international following.     

The First Mess Cookbook
is filled with more of the exquisitely prepared plant-based recipes and lush photography that fans of the blog have come to expect. With recipes for every meal of the day, like Fluffiest Multigrain Pancakes, Meyer Lemon Romanesco Glow Salad, and Eggplant "Bolognese" Pasta, and desserts like Earl Grey Tiramisu, The First Mess Cookbook is a must-have for any home cook looking to prepare nourishing plant-based meals with the best the seasons have to offer.


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