The 20 Best Cookbooks To Buy If Your Resolution Is To Eat Less Meat In 2023

It's official: Gone are the days of bland vegetarian cuisine or having to cobble together a meal of side dishes at restaurants. Plant-based cooking has come so far in recent years. And we're all the better for it. There's now vegan butchers, Impossible Burgers that taste just like beef, and enough non-dairy milks to put cows out of a job.

And the recipes for home cooks have improved dramatically, too, and with it, the quality of vegan and vegetarian cookbooks. Today, the category is bursting with varied titles that span a wide range of cuisines and dining styles, from breezy California-focused plates to intricate Japanese dishes. Whether you’re vegan or vegetarian, these cookbooks help to elevate ho-hum vegetable-based meals into certified celebrations.

But these titles are shelf-worthy even if you're not living that meat-free life. There are plenty of rationales for introducing more vegetable-forward dishes into your diet, whether they be rooted in health or environmental concerns. Plant-based eating doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing affair, either. Replacing a few meals a week with meatless alternatives adds up over time, even if they're punctuated by a bloody steak or two.

Plus, it's never been more likely that a dinner party guest is going to show up with dietary restrictions. Best to have a veggie dish in your culinary arsenal to keep everyone happy!

To that end, we’ve rounded up some of the best vegetarian and vegan cookbooks out there. These cover a wide range of flavors, cuisines, and expertise, and might just change the way you eat for the better. Eating your veggies has never tasted this good.