The Complete Plant-Based Cookbook: 500 Inspired, Flexible Recipes for Eating Well Without Meat by America's Test Kitchen Editors

    • Categories: Stocks; Cooking ahead; Vegetarian; Vegan
    • Ingredients: onions; celery; carrots; scallions; garlic; cauliflower; tomatoes; thyme; bay leaves; black peppercorns
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Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Cheez sauce

    • Shewi128 on June 20, 2022

      Cannot believe how good this was. It obviously doesn't take exactly like cheese, but I could not stop eating it, and I just kept saying, "can you believe this is from a potato and a carrot?!".

  • Tofu frittata with mushrooms

    • jenburkholder on May 21, 2021

      Good. Would be better with more fillings than just the mushrooms - greens?

  • Pepita, almond, and goji berry muesli

    • jay.moe on August 12, 2022

      I substituted Crimson Raisins for Goji Berries.

  • Blueberry muffins

    • Shewi128 on June 13, 2022

      These turned out really well--couldn't tell they were vegan. However, whipping 3 TB of aquafaba in a stand mixer was difficult. It did take at least 5 minutes to whip up. I did use frozen wild blueberries. Also, the batter was pretty thick, but did end up working out. I got 14 regular sized muffins. One note is that they did not hold well. They got pretty wet after 2 days.

  • Cherry, orange, and rosemary muffins

    • Shewi128 on July 28, 2022

      Another solid vegan muffin from this cookbook. I halved the amount of rosemary because I was afraid it would be too overpowering. However, I would put the full amount in that the recipe says as I think it'd be good with the other ingredients. Depending on how big your dried cherries are, it might be good to chop them for more bite-sized pieces. If I have aqufaba, I would make either of the plant-based muffins again.

  • Classic pancakes

    • NoaBC on November 04, 2025

      These taste nice but aren't very fluffy. Not sure if it's the recipe or my leavening agents - will try one more time with fresh BP & BS before writing them off!

  • Belgian waffles

    • zivike on July 21, 2025

      Really delicious and simple waffles! Crispy from the outside and soft on the inside, like good waffles supposed to be

  • Creamy cauliflower soup

    • MariaSwe on January 10, 2022

      This was not exactly complicated but it involved cooking the cauliflower in several steps and for the result I don't think it was worth it. We didn't like the taste, it was sort of flat and not "cauliflowery" enough. Won't repeat.

  • Tortilla soup

    • christineakiyoshi on April 13, 2021

      We used Rancho Gordo black beans. Made a few substitutions and served with avocado and cilantro as a garnish, along with a squeeze of lime.

  • Vegetable tagine with chickpeas and olives

    • Shewi128 on June 09, 2022

      I surprisingly liked the little sweet bites of raisins. However, I just didn't love it. I didn't hate it either, but I probably won't make it again. Maybe I would try one of the other variations with artichoke and bell peppers..?

  • Moroccan lentil and chickpea soup

    • MariaSwe on August 15, 2023

      This was quite nice and easy, mostly from pantry ingredients. I didn't have chard so I used black kale instead. Will make again. I especially liked it with harissa made from another recipe in the book.

  • Black bean chili

    • Shewi128 on May 20, 2022

      One of my favorite vegetarian chilis at all times. The processed mushrooms provide flavor and bulk without knowing there are mushrooms in the recipe.

  • Chickpea salad sandwiches

    • jenburkholder on March 22, 2021

      Very good, exactly the flavour of a classic tuna salad sandwich, just minus the fish.

  • Falafel

    • Shewi128 on March 29, 2023

      Easy and delicious. I was dreading making them because I thought it'd take forever to shape and fry, but it was fairly quick. They were very flavorful and crispy. Note: I used 16 oz dried chickpeas and adjusted the recipe accordingly. I was wondering why they only did 12 oz in this recipe and other falafel recipes. It's because many home food processors will barely be able to fit 16 oz if chickpeas plus other ingredients on them. Just a heads up. However, I would size up again if given the chance.

  • Mumbai Frankie wraps

    • jenmacgregor18 on October 05, 2023

      I doubled all the spices, ginger, garlic and it was still a little bland. It needed considerably more salt, which helped, as did the chutney and onions. I would use 3 times the spices and aromatics next time. Maybe add a bit of granulated onion, garlic, & some hot sauce. It has potential, just needs zhuzhed up.

  • Baja-style cauliflower tacos

    • rachael_lw60td on March 11, 2026

      Needed more flavor and it was tricky to get the coconut to stick. Overall great idea and would make again with adjustments

  • Jackfruit tinga tacos

    • hbakke on March 09, 2023

      These were good vegan tacos. We both thought the jackfruit filling could use some hot sauce or additional spices/seasoning, but overall this was an easy, tasty dinner.

  • Spiced cauliflower burgers

    • Shewi128 on May 19, 2021

      I made these last night, and while the flavor was great, the patties were completely mushy and barely held together in the pan. Maybe it needed more panko? I might try this again, but not sure. I substituted garam masala for the ras el hanout.

  • Chickpea cakes

    • Shewi128 on May 20, 2022

      Very stodgy and dense cakes. I would not make this again.

  • Creamless creamy roasted red pepper and tahini dressing

    • Melia on September 07, 2024

      Gluten Free

  • Warm cabbage salad with crispy tofu

    • Shewi128 on January 31, 2023

      Wow, we really liked this. The tofu was super crispy. 2 notes: First, the sauce is just a drizzle over the tofu. Double it if you want more (you will). Second, if you have people who don't love rice vinegar, substitute some lime juice for the vinegar. Also, "warm cabbage salad" is a bit of a misnomer--maybe it should be called slightly wilted cabbage salad. The warmed dressing is poured over cold cabbage salad. I did love the texture, though, so I wouldn't change that. I would make this again.

  • Saag tofu

    • jenburkholder on February 01, 2021

      Good - I don't usually like tofu just warmed up without being fried/baked, but it worked well here. The dish is improved by making sure the greens are chopped quite finely. Tasty and satisfying, but nothing mind-blowing. May or may not repeat.

    • jsguaium on January 06, 2024

      This came about surprisingly good- tofu worked out well in place of paneer. I used all spinach and no cilantro. I’d make this again.

    • jsguaium on January 06, 2024

      This came about surprisingly good- tofu worked out well in place of paneer. I used all spinach and no cilantro. I’d make this again.

  • Red beans and rice with okra and tomatoes

    • Miambe on February 02, 2021

      Can make with unsoaked beans in crock pot on high for 5 hrs.

  • Brown rice salad with fennel, mushrooms, and walnuts

    • jenburkholder on March 29, 2021

      A decent rice salad. Not more than the sum of its parts, but tasty enough, and very healthy. I sprinkled a bit of feta on top; it needed something.

  • Cauliflower biryani

    • jenburkholder on August 30, 2021

      This was good with some changes. We upped (nearly doubled) all of the spices, because the given amounts were crazy low. We also steeped the saffron and cooked that in.

  • Easy baked quinoa with lemon, garlic, and parsley

    • jenburkholder on September 06, 2021

      Did on the stovetop. Easy, tasty side.

    • Shewi128 on February 23, 2023

      I made this for a Sunday meal as I wanted a side dish in the oven and not the stovetop. It worked perfectly. Note: I forgot the salt, and while it was somewhat noticed, it was fine without. I would make this again.

  • Mujaddarra

    • jenburkholder on December 31, 2021

      Good, basic mujaddarra. Upped the spices just a hair and I think that was a good idea. We also used dairy yogurt (apologies, cows). Served with a salad of romaine and tomatoes.

    • Shewi128 on June 20, 2022

      Be careful to not burn your onions in oil at the end. They can overcook in a second. This recipe requires a lot of bowls/pans and little steps, but it's one of my favorite vegetarian/vegan meals. I don't bother making the yogurt.

    • macfadden3 on December 22, 2023

      I love this recipe and make it often; it's so delicious! I usually don't bother with the onions or the yogurt sauce. While I'm sure they would be delicious, I'm usually in a hurry and it's plenty good without them.

  • Overstuffed sweet potatoes with tofu and Thai curry

    • PatFB on January 21, 2022

      Light, bright, unexpected, and fresh.

  • Shichimi togarashi

    • mcvl on March 11, 2022

      No nori? I'm looking for a homemade togarashi recipe and rejecting this one because no nori.

  • Quick roasted green beans

    • Shewi128 on June 20, 2022

      Keep an eye on your green beans. I find they become a little shriveled pretty quickly.

  • Thai red curry with lentils and tofu

    • Shewi128 on October 26, 2022

      What an interesting combination--tofu and lentils. I used 1 TB fish sauce and 1 TB hoisin sauce because we aren't big fish sauce fans. Fish sauce never smells good when cooking, so this recipe made me nervous while the lentils were cooking. However, with the combo of fish sauce and hoisin, it made the flavor really interesting. We all surprisingly liked this dish, even the kids. I would make this again. Note: I also did not use mushrooms per my preferences.

  • Masoor dal with cauliflower and cilantro

    • Shewi128 on January 16, 2023

      This recipe was ok--the lentils were a little more watery than I would have liked. Also, the cookbook instructions on how to roast the cauliflower did not state the oven temperature (but I used 450F). The cauliflower was fantastic. I would make this again, but it's not my favorite.

  • Nut-free chewy granola bars

    • Shewi128 on February 20, 2023

      Wow, this was really good! I skipped out on the sesame seeds for flavor preferences, and I added some leftover dried cherries and cocoa nibs. The bars felt lightly sweet from the brown sugar and pureed dried apricots. You couldn't really tell the sweetness was from dried fruit. I will definitely make these again.

  • Koshari

    • Shewi128 on March 15, 2023

      If you like doing 3 things at once, this is the recipe for you. I was a little overwhelmed with trying to cook the pasta, lentils, sauce, and then the rice all in a row.. but it wasn't too hard as it wasn't active time. The flavor was reminiscent of mujaddara. We all liked it. I mixed all of the sauce into the lentil/pasta/rice, and that made it more like a casserole, which wasn't terrible, but it might've been better with adding half the sauce like the instructions said to do. I also skipped the crispy onions as there was no way I could do this all on a weeknight. I'm sure that would have been delicious to have the flavored oil, but it was a normal weeknight for me. I'd make this again, but I liked mujaddara better.

  • Naked nacho dip

    • Shewi128 on March 16, 2023

      You can tell that this is not Velveeta, but you would not know that it's vegan. It can be a little salty--so I'd recommend decreasing salt to 3/4 tsp. The texture starts a little thin, but thickens after a couple minutes of sitting. I absolutely love this vegan cheese dip, and I would highly recommend it to any non-believers.

  • Vegetable and chickpea stew

    • Shewi128 on June 12, 2023

      This is one of the recipes where you hope it tastes better when thrown together, but it just wasn't. It tasted "tinny", and I can't figure out if it was the tomatoes with the spice mix..? It was very thin, so more of a soup than a stew. We added rice and other seasonings to improve it, but it was just blah. The mint was a nice touch, but it couldn't save the dish. We didn't throw it out, but I won't enjoy finishing the leftovers.

  • Fattoush

    • jay.moe on June 20, 2023

      Rather than heating the oven to crisp the pita, I cut it into smaller pieces, tossed with oil, salt and pepper and cooked on medium heat in a large skillet, stirring frequently. I added extra arugula and omitted the mint. Any type of lettuce would be good in this salad. It make a great meal.

  • Spanish-spiced roasted chickpeas

    • jay.moe on July 28, 2023

      The chickpeas were crunchy to the point of being gritty. I won't make this recipe again.

  • Harissa

    • MariaSwe on August 15, 2023

      So easy with ingredients I usually always keep on hand.

  • Walkaway ratatouille

    • Shewi128 on August 21, 2023

      Cross-posted This was my first time making ratatouille, so I didn't quite know what to expect. This method was fairly easy, and I did like the various textures in the vegetables. It didn't end up pretty--the sauce was a little brown--but the flavor was good. The recipe was easy to follow. My husband doesn't like eggplant, so I don't know if I'd make it again, but I thought it was nice.

  • Stir-fried asparagus with shiitake mushrooms

    • jay.moe on October 06, 2023

      The flavor of the stir-fry sauce was well balanced, a little sweet and a little salty, that coated the vegetables with a nice glaze when added to the pan. The shiitake mushrooms added a meaty flavor to the dish and the asparagus was crisp and tender. Served with brown rice, this made a fast, delicious meal.

  • Roasted delicata squash

    • jay.moe on October 24, 2023

      I liked that the delicata squash didn't have to be peeled, but the texture of the skin after baking was a little tough and chewy. The sauce was good, but a little vinegary. Start with a little less and add more if needed. Probably won't make this again.

  • Potato curry with cauliflower, chickpeas, and herb chutney

    • katiesue28 on March 14, 2024

      This was pretty good, but not the best veggie curry I've made. I found the potato, cauliflower, and chickpeas very one note in flavor. The herb chutney was a great addition, though!

  • Buddha bowl with cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and avocados

    • Ordinaryblogger on April 08, 2024

      Used a WHOLE BUNCH of parsley instead of just a couple tablespoons. Added extra water and a little olive oil to thin it out.

  • Crispy tempeh with sambal sauce

    • bfurrow on January 12, 2025

      Very very spicy. Not sure it’s worth it tbh.

  • Sweet potato curry with eggplant, chickpeas, and herb chutney

    • alias058 on March 22, 2025

      Made for company and it was a big hit ! I will definitely use the curry powder garam masala hack when I am short on time or energy.

  • Thai red curry with bell peppers and tofu

    • sarahawker on January 07, 2026

      Delicious, Very simple, comes together in minutes after prep. Served with rice. Absolutely make again. (Same recipe in Vegan for Everyone)

  • Crispy tortilla strips

    • KateS27 on January 26, 2026

      Made these with my leftover tortillas to add a new texture to my leftover rice and beans - crispy and delicious!

  • White bean and mushroom gratin

    • jessicabuss on March 27, 2026

      Absolutely delicious! Great mixture of flavors and textures. An excellent vegan dinner option.

  • Apple crumble

    • christineakiyoshi on December 01, 2021

      Delicious! Made this with Gravensteins

    • marylouise_e4e7eb on November 03, 2025

      Perfect crumble recipe. Uses LOTS of apples (almost 2 kilos). Works well with the skins on.

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  • ISBN 10 1974811824
  • ISBN 13 9781974811823
  • Published Dec 10 2020
  • Format eBook
  • Page Count 457
  • Language English
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher America's Test Kitchen


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