5+1 Vegetarian Cookbooks for Meat-Free Days

In our region, there are traditions of diets that reduce or eliminate meat consumption, such as fasting periods or religious beliefs that forbid eating certain types of food and drink. Whether we abstain from meat for health, environmental, animal welfare, bioethical, moral, or religious reasons, whether we’ve only given it up temporarily or already for many years, it’s good to have a few cookbooks at home that help us prepare tasty, nutritious, and energizing vegetarian meals.

Firstly, let’s clarify the difference between a vegetarian and a vegan: the former doesn’t eat meat or any food containing meat products (for example, if you put meat in the soup, it is not vegetarian even if you take it out at the end). Ovo-lacto-vegetarian is a more accurate term for this group of eaters: they avoid meat but eat eggs and dairy products. They don’t eat fish, either. Those who follow a vegetarian diet but eat fish are called pesco-vegetarians.

A vegan is a more strict vegetarian who doesn’t eat meat and other food originating from animals, such as eggs, dairy products, and sometimes honey since it’s made by bees and is therefore of animal origin. There are also transitions between vegetarian and vegan diets: the lactovegetarian eats neither meat nor eggs but consumes dairy products; the ovo-vegetarian eats neither meat nor dairy products but consumes eggs. Then there are flexitarians, who mostly follow a vegetarian diet but rarely eat meat. Whichever category we fall into, and even if we are meat eaters, we will find something for our taste in the following cookbooks!

This cookbook by the internationally renowned British chef features plant-based dishes. Jamie Oliver draws global inspiration to create ingeniously simple meals from vegetables and fruits. These dishes are so delicious that you won’t even notice the absence of meat. The book has been published in Romanian, Hungarian, and many other European languages.

The younger generation’s new culinary star, Nina Olsson, takes one of today’s hottest dishes, the veggie burger and its varieties, to the next level. Through photos and descriptions, the author introduces us to the delights of burgers from different continents, inspiring us to try recipes containing only healthy ingredients. The world of veggie burgers is fascinating for its specific flavors and limitless variations.

The Australian food blogger’s cookbook is considered a classic work in the field, with several re-editions in English, Spanish, and even Hungarian. The author offers recipes of varying difficulty and invites us on a journey in gastronomy. In addition to traditional dishes, we can also choose delicious Moroccan, Mexican, Thai, Indian, and Japanese cuisine.

Blogger and nutritionist Gena Hamshaw’s book containing 100 recipes for healthy and nutritious vegan meals helps us prepare delicious meals inspired by a balanced diet and provide long-term energy. Each recipe has just the right proportions of healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and protein, providing a complete meal.

In this volume, naturopathic specialist and journalist Cinzia Trenchi presents a wide range of easy-to-make dishes of legumes, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and seeds, and meals rich in spices and herbs. It is an easy-to-read book that has also been translated into Romanian.

Published only in Hungarian, this vegetarian cookbook from Street Kitchen magazine is a staple in vegetarian cooking. Street Kitchen is one of Hungary’s top recipe and gastronomy magazines that, in addition to its online portal, publishes printed magazines and books. The cookbook contains 99 recipes for extravagant, tried, and tested dishes that can tame even convinced meat eaters.

With our vegetarian recipes, we aim to accomplish this same goal: that our meatless meals made with mushrooms and vegetables be available for everyone in daily life  and in the fasting period.