Veg-table: Recipes, Techniques, and Plant Science for Big-Flavored, Vegetable-Focused Meals

by Nik Sharma

Named a Best Cookbook of the Year by NPR, The Los Angeles Times, Epicurious, Vice, Food Network, Good Housekeeping, and more, and a Best Cookbook of Fall 2023 by Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Eater, The Strategist, and more. From the bestselling author of The Flavor Equation and Season and winner of the 2023 IACP Trailblazer A fascinating exploration of the unique wonders of more than fifty vegetables through captivating research, stunning photography, and technique-focused recipes. "Groundbreaking, inspiring, Nik Sharma’s Veg-Table is everything I’d hoped for and more!”—Nigella Lawson, author of Cook, Eat, Repeat Nik Sharma, blogger at A Brown Table, Serious Eats columnist, and bestselling cookbook author, brings us his most cookable collection of recipes yet in Veg-table. Here is a technique-focused repertoire for weeknight mains for cooks of all skill levels looking to add more delicious and satisfying vegetable dishes to their diet. Combining the scientific underpinnings of The Flavor Equation with the inviting and personal recipes of Season, this book features more than fifty vegetables, revealing their origins, biology, and unique characteristics. Vegetable-focused recipes are organized into chapters by plant family, with storage, buying, and cooking methods for all. The result is a recipe collection of big flavors and techniques that are tried, true, and perfected by rigorous testing and a deep scientific lens.  Included here are Sharma’s first-ever pasta recipes published in a Pasta with Broccoli Miso Sauce, Shallot and Spicy Mushroom Pasta, and more. And vegetable-focused doesn’t mean strictly vegetarian; bring plants and animal protein together with delicious recipes like Chicken Katsu with Poppy Seed Coleslaw and Crispy Salmon with Green Curry Spinach. A wide variety of hot and cold soups, salads, sides, sauces, and rice-, egg-, and bean-based dishes round out this collection. Featuring more than 100 of Sharma’s gorgeous and evocative photographs, as well as instructive illustrations, this cookbook perfectly balances beauty, intellect, and delicious, achievable recipes. FOLLOW-UP TO TWO CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED Season was a finalist for a James Beard Award and an IACP award. It was on the most prominent cookbook best-of lists, including the New York Times Best Cookbooks, NPR’s Favorite Cookbooks, and Bon Appetit’s Best Cookbooks gift guide; it was also an Amazon Book of the Month. The Flavor Equation was named one of the best cookbooks of the year by the New York Times, Eater, Epicurious, Food & Wine, Forbes, Saveur, Serious Eats, Smithsonian magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, the Chicago Tribune, CNN Travel, The Kitchn, Chowhound, NPR, The Art of Eating 2021 longlist and many more; plus it garnered international media attention including from the Financial Times, the Globe and Mail, The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Independent, The Times (U.K.), Delicious Magazine (U.K.), The Times (Ireland), and Vogue India. It was the winner of the Guild of U.K. Food Writers (General Cookbook). It was a finalist for the 2021 IACP Cookbook Award. AN ESTABLISHED  Sharma is a regular contributor to the popular Serious Eats food platform, where his pieces on the science of flavor reach millions of readers nationwide. UNIQUE YET ACCESSIBLE VEGGIE-FORWARD Not only does Sharma write recipes for every palate, but he writes them for every level of cook, from novices to seasoned chefs. This book melds his science-forward thinking with accessible yet delicious vegetable-based recipes for an engaging and unexpected combination.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Health, Vegan, Science

353 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 24, 2023

Reviews

[Racheal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a visually stunning book. I loved the photographs of all of the vegetables and dishes. I also appreciated the way the book was organized, with general information about vegetables up front and chapters organized by vegetable type with a range of recipes to follow.

The recipes sound delicious, and the few I tried were all excellent.

However, there are a few things that give me pause.

1. The ingredients are listed in the recipe directions and not in a separate list. I find this harder for planning purposes.

2. There are a few mistakes that will hopefully be corrected before printing (such as temperatures being listed incorrectly, etc.)

3. I would appreciate labels for dietary needs (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free specifically). Most recipes are vegetarian or vegan, but not all. I have to eat gluten-free and appreciate when recipes are labeled as such for easy reference.

Overall I would recommend this book for certain audiences- more experienced home cooks, those who love vegetables and are looking for new ideas for how to prepare them, and those who love visually beautiful cookbooks!

[Jess Vargas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really beautiful book that could be worthy of being a coffee table book 😍The photographs are stunning and it would inspire anyone to cook with more veg. I love the play on a periodic table on the inside covers. 4 stars only because the recipes are in paragraph format! Definitely not conducive to quick reference while cooking!

[Shae Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

It just isn’t Ottolenghi Simple

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love vegetables and even though I'm not vegetarian I always enjoy looking at vegetable focused cookbooks for ideas. The recipes in this cookbook are organized by type of vegetable. But the way the actual recipes are written is AWFUL - there is no list of ingredients it's just all a paragraph so you would have to read the whole thing to even figure out ingredients you need. You should read through a whole recipe before you start anyway, but to not list the ingredients and amounts separately just drove me crazy. I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt but still didn't find any recipes I wanted to try. I would NOT recommend this one.

[Riley K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the bestselling author of The Flavor Equation and Season : A fascinating exploration of the unique wonders of more than fifty vegetables through captivating research, stunning photography, and technique-focused recipes.

"Groundbreaking, inspiring, Nik Sharma’s Veg-Table is everything I’d hoped for and more!”—Nigella Lawson, author of Cook, Eat, Repeat

Nik Sharma, blogger at A Brown Table , Serious Eats columnist, and bestselling cookbook author, brings us his most cookable collection of recipes yet in Veg-table . Here is a technique-focused repertoire for weeknight mains for cooks of all skill levels looking to add more delicious and satisfying vegetable dishes to their diet.

Combining the scientific underpinnings of The Flavor Equation with the inviting and personal recipes of Season , this book features more than fifty vegetables, revealing their origins, biology, and unique characteristics. Vegetable-focused recipes are organized into chapters by plant family, with storage, buying, and cooking methods for all. The result is a recipe collection of big flavors and techniques that are tried, true, and perfected by rigorous testing and a deep scientific lens.

Included here are Sharma’s first-ever pasta recipes published in a Pasta with Broccoli Miso Sauce, Shallot and Spicy Mushroom Pasta, and more. And vegetable-focused doesn’t mean strictly vegetarian; bring plants and animal protein together with delicious recipes like Chicken Katsu with Poppy Seed Coleslaw and Crispy Salmon with Green Curry Spinach. A wide variety of hot and cold soups, salads, sides, sauces, and rice-, egg-, and bean-based dishes round out this collection.

Featuring more than 100 of Sharma’s gorgeous and evocative photographs, as well as instructive illustrations, this cookbook perfectly balances beauty, intellect, and delicious, achievable recipes.
As someone who is a relative newbie to cooking, I found this book to be informative and very helpful. Will recommend.

[Miss✧Pickypants ᓚᘏᗢ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to try to list the things I liked about the cookbook first but the way the recipes are written bothered me so much that this is where I am compelled to start. In the How To Use This Book section of the introduction the author tells us he has changed his recipe writing style, based on feedback from his readers, so they are more streamlined and easier to read and follow. To this I say poppycock!

The new streamlines recipe writing forgoes listing the ingredients and jumps immediately into the instructions for making the dish. Ingredients are bolded but this just makes extra work for us because you need to comb through the recipe to determine what ingredients are necessary and either make a list of said ingredients or find all the embedded ingredients to ensure you have them on hand to make the dish. I also found it irksome that the the usual headnote that gives you some sense of the dish is listed in smaller font after the instructions.

Maybe the feedback was actually from trolls posing as readers but regardless, the way they are written actually made it much harder for me to read and follow. Maybe my dislike of the format influenced my overall opinion of the recipes as I found them to be lackluster.

What is nice about the book is it does provide good information about a variety of vegetables. Each chapter focuses on a vegetable or group of vegetables, with info about their origin, how best to store and tips on cooking. All recipes are accompanied by attractive color photos of the finished dish. The design of the book itself is minimalist and reminded me of a coffee table book.

[Therese Brink · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading and making some of the recipes in this book (e.g. chilli lima beans).

This book is organized by vegtable families. Besides Sharma explaining the plants origins, they also explain how to store and cook them.

I especially appreciated the author explaining the chemistry behind some cooking methods (no knowlege of chemistry is required).

The recipes are not all vegetarian, but many of the recipes can be made to be vegie or vegan.

Thumbs up to this book!

[T · Rating 1 out of 5]

Train wreck of a cookbook. The absolute worst formatting I’ve seen in a long, long time. Ingredients are not separated out from the recipe so it’s difficult to figure out what you need. Photos of the recipes are also hit or miss.

Not worth the headache to try and see if any of the recipes actually taste good.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Borrowed from the library, thank goodness. Had high hopes, didn’t deliver. Each recipe is written out with the ingredients in bold-my brain is apparently not nimble enough to manage not having a separate ingredient list to prep (especially as these aren’t simple).
Only found 2 recipes I plan to try—peanut muhammara egg sandwich and chaat-style loaded twice-baked potatoes.

[Lindsay Nixon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things I liked:
- beautiful photos of produce (vegetables)
- history and origins of various vegetables
- explanations of edible parts
- tips for selection and storage
- "new" recipe ideas
- metric measurements are provided (e.g. 1/2-inch (13mm), 1 cup (240ml), 1/2 cup (5g), 1 tsp)

Things I didn't like:
- the organization (more on that below)
- the recipe format (more on that below)
- no nutritional information
- recipe directions spill across multiple pages
- unusual ingredients (with a note below)
- directions aren't numbered by steps

POOR ORGANIZATION:
In a book dedicated to vegetables, I would expect each vegetable to get its own "section" or for similar vegetables to be grouped together such as alliums (onions, garlic, chives, etc together or a leafy greens section)

However, that's not how it is presented. Yams are not with sweet potatoes (or cassava, or winter squashes) they each have their own section, which I suppose is fine, but why not put them next to each other? And why are beets with spinach? Corn with bamboo? Cucumber and pumpkin? Chickpeas and Jicama? I couldn't think of anything these items have in common nutritionally, historically, regionally, flavor-ly, texture-ly, etc. The author does explain his groupings. For example corn and bamboo are from the "grass family" but I think a different organization would be more sensical, intuitive, and logical.

FORMAT
I have never seen this type of formatting in a cookbook and HATE it with a capital H. It is something hard to describe and I wish I could imbed a photo (forgive me I'm not that tech savvy).

There is no LOI (list of ingredients). Rather it's an entire page of paragraphs with the ingredients in bold as you read through paragraphs. I'm an experienced cook and found it very difficult to follow and I hated that I had to read through several times to catch what the ingredients are.

UNUSUAL INGREDIENTS
The purpose of the book (I assume) is to get the reader to try new and different vegetables to them. To that extent, I rather liked seeing recipes using cassava, okra, and mung bean, which I rarely see utilized in cookbooks, plus I had never heard of horse beans and cowpeas prior to reading this cookbook.

Yet, I am not going to find any of those items at my local farmers market, health store, or big box supermarket chain. If I was home in NYC or still in LA I *might* have been able to source some of these items in the Asian supermarkets. Yet it isn't just these 'vegetables' there are many other ingredients I wouldn't be able to find or would be incredibly expensive for me (e.g. kefir, saffron, nigella seeds, solids from a jar of chili crisp, sumac, burrata (I'm noticing this ingredients a lot lately),
HOWEVER the majority of the ingredients are things I already have in my kitchen regularly. The bulk of ingredients are simple, normal, whole foods. You are truly cooking from scratch.

IS IT VEGAN?
Many of the recipes can be made vegan (assuming you're familiar with basic vegan substitutions), which I appreciate. Most of the recipes would be considered "healthy" by the average person as well and there aren't many that aren't at least vegetarian. It wasn't too long ago I reviewed another vegetable cookbook and while it was primarily vegetarian, healthy it was not, which was a real pity for a vegetable-focused cookbook.

I would describe the recipes here as "gourmet" or "foodie" but despite their fancy names (and many paragraphs worth of preparation steps) I don't think they're terribly difficult and labor-intensive. The wordy directions and horrible recipe format do a major disservice to ease, however.

I was disappointed the Avocado Caesar Dressing wasn't vegan (uses parm cheese).

Here are some recipe names:

Golden Za'atar Onion Rings w. Buttermilk Caraway Dipping Sauce
Saffron Lemon Confit with Alliums + Tomatoes
Creamy Corn Soup with Jalapeno Oil
Asparagus, New Potatoes, + Sauce Gribiche
Beet Greens, Turmeric + Lentil Risotto
Crispy Sunchokes + Preserved Lemon Gremolata
Roasted Sweet Potatoes w/ Guajillo Chili Salsa


I prepared the Roasted Garlic + Chickpea Soup which tastes like hummus, but was fine and filling. I did omit the oil called for and used generic vegetable broth rather than making the Master Mushroom Vegetable Stock. I am sure that would have made it even better. I also made the bamboo shoot sesame salad (omitting anchoy paste, but using a little soy sauce) and we didn't like it. To be fair, we never like tinned bamboo.

I am planning to still make the kimchi creamed corn and Aspargus Salad with Cashew Green Chutney the next time we have non-vegan guests as I think these dishes would be exciting to them. I also saved the Broccoli Za'tar Salad bc it uses pomegrante molasses and I've been trying to use that bottle for 7? years now LOL (I bought it to execute 1 recipe in a cookbook once).

Thanks netgalley for my ARC~

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

It is important to understand the focus of this book: it is NOT vegan or vegetarian and not really meant for those communities (there are a lot of recipes that use animal products as the main or accompaniment). This is not health/healthy food: there are a lot of very fattening ingredients such as butters and copious use of e.g., oils. It is also not for the faint of heart: the recipes are presented in blocky paragraphs with the ingredients not listed separately (a la Joy of Cooking). The recipes themselves are very high end fancy, using a variety of ingredients that you may have to locate in specialty food stores.

What the book is: an impressive and unique collection of recipes that help you understand everything you need to do know about vegetables. Really, this is like a tutorial for chefs (real or imagined) who want to understand the ins and outs of vegetables - how to store, prep, prepare, choose, cook, and present them. You'll get a great understanding of the chemical makeups, peculiarities, locations/origins, varieties, etc.

The book is not broken down by recipe type and instead by vegetable type - 16 of them to be precise. This is everything from nopalitos to okra, legumes to asparagas. As a typical section, sweet potatoes will tell you they are part of the convolvulageae/morning glory family, their origins in central and south America, how they differ from the oft-confused yams, what parts are edible, how to cook them, their unique sugar profile that affects cooking methods, storage in a cool dark place, and a bit of dispelling myths about them exploding if cooked without pricking. There are four recipes in this section: sweet potato kale caesar salad, roasted sweet potatoes with guajillo chilli salsa, kung pao sweet potatoes, sesame sweet potatoes plus gochujang chicken.

There is a photograph for every recipe along with notes/tips and a brief overview on the bottom of each recipe (rather than the top under the title). The author does occasionally provide tips for vegan/vegetarian alternatives but is also upfront that this book is not intended to be either (e.g., the author admits that there is no perfect vegan alternative to anchovy paste but gives an alternative option).

For me, the presentation was more than daunting - I had a hard time deciding what to cook since it was extremely difficult to know what I needed without a separate ingredients list. The ingredients, when they show up in the recipe, are bold faced but it still takes a LOT of scanning. As well, I really wanted health vegetable options and didn't find much here that I felt comfortable eating (especially as a vegan). So while this book is beautifully presented and I now understand what the author was going for, it ended up not being a book I could really use for the recipes; only for the excellent information about the vegetables themselves.

I highly recommend this for omnivorous chefs to take their vegetable game to the next level. There are a lot of interesting and unique recipes to explore and the book is beautifully presented. If you love cooking, this is the book for you. Reviewed for an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nik Sharma studied microbiology and biochemistry in college, so when he started cooking and eventually gardening, he went at it as a scientist would. He studied the recipes he grew up eating, he looked into local ingredients, and he tested and experimented and tried and tried again until he figured out how to bring out the best and most flavor out of his dishes. And now he’s sharing that with us in his cookbooks. Veg-Table is his third cookbook, and it’s smart and gorgeous and filled with tasty ideas.

First off in the cookbook is a deep dive into vegetables. If you ever had a question, this is where Sharma will answer it. There are the geographical origins of different types of veg as well as a long answer to the question, “What is a vegetable?” He talks about how he’s learned to grow vegetables in his California backyard (I do envy those who can grow citrus trees in their yards) and some basic cooking tips to get the most from your veggies. He talks storage and fresh versus processed and gets you set to use the hundreds of recipes that are forthcoming. This is also where he unveils his Veg-Table, a table that tells you the average weight in grams of a small, medium, large, or extra-large version of the veg in question, so you can know just what is expected for each recipe.

And then it starts. Each chapter focuses on one family of vegetables, for example, Bamboo and Corn. Paired together because they are both members of the Grass Family, Sharma starts the chapter with information about the vegetables, storage, and cooking tips. And then come the recipes, like Toasted Corn Husk Stock; Corn, Cabbage, and Shrimp Salad; A Grilled Corn Feast with a choice of four savory butters; Bamboo Shoot Sesame Salad; Kimchi Creamed Corn; Braised Bamboo and Mushrooms; Creamy Corn Soup with Jalapeno Oil; and Sweet Corn Pulao. Each recipe comes with Cook’s Tips for adding flavor or substituting ingredients and includes beautiful photographs.

This is not a vegan cookbook. Sharma uses dairy products and eggs and an occasional meat, but these recipes can be converted to vegan with little effort. And it’s not so much a vegetarian cookbook as it’s a cookbook that is primarily focused on bringing out the best in vegetables from around the world. Omnivores can always pair these recipes with a meat, or save them for days they want to go meatless. What Veg-Table is, simply put, is a master class in vegetables.

Veg-Table is a beautiful cookbook. It is about 350 pages, dense with information and recipes. It’s crazy-smart in its depth, and the number of vegetables Sharma brings to the table is almost overwhelming. He writes his recipes with the ingredients listed throughout the directions, not as a separate list, which is not my favorite, but he chose it specifically because his readers had requested it. Veg-Table would be the perfect cookbook for students of cooking and anyone wanting a wide range of vegetable recipes to choose from. For beginning home cooks, it might be intimidating, just because of the size and breadth of information.

Egalleys for Veg-Table were provided by Chronicle Books through Edelweiss, with many thanks.

[Emmalita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nik Sharma is an auto-buy author for me. I think he is one of the most interesting cooks writing today. Veg-table is more contained, and a little less daunting than The Flavor Bible, but it isn’t less exciting. If you are new to Nik Sharma, this is a great place to start.

To clarify, Veg-table: Recipes, Techniques and Plant Science for Big-Flavored, Vegetable-Focused Meals is not a vegetarian or vegan cookbook. Some of the recipes do have meat and dairy, and some do not. Vegetables are the star and Sharma has divided them by family. He gives us a lot of great information about veggies, the science and history as well as how to store them and use them. Veg-table is lighter on Sharma’s other love, science, but there’s still plenty to geek out to. And as I have come to expect, the photography is lush.

I’ve made a few of the dishes, though not as many as I would like because it is too hot to do much cooking right now. But everything I made was fantastic. I made the Corn Cakes with Sichuan Chive Butter, and served them with smoked salmon and an arugula salad. I can’t eat dairy, so I made the spicy compound butter with Earth Balance and it worked fine. The Saffron Lemon Confit with Alliums + Tomatoes made my house smell amazing and as soon as it isn’t a million degrees Fahrenheit I’m going to make it again. The Guajillo Chilli Salsa that he pairs with roasted sweet potatoes is a keeper in my house. It’s spicy enough to make me happy and mild enough for my housemate. It’s great on everything.

The one thing I don’t like, and it’s definitely not a deal breaker, is the way he incorporates the ingredient list into the recipe. I understand why he’s doing it, but for the way that I, personally, process information, it’s a struggle. I like that ingredients are bolded in the recipe, but not having a separate ingredient list makes planning a chore for me. Obviously, this is not a deal breaker, but if you are like me, you will need to write out the ingredients list separately.

It’s out in October and will be a late birthday present to myself.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Chronicle Books and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

[Christie K · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book and an captivating celebration of vegetables. This cookbook is for people who want to take a deep dive into the plants that feed us. It’s for cooks who are fairly comfortable in the kitchen and who like new flavors and fresh combinations.

A number of organizational and editorial choices make it less friendly for cooks who want to dip in to find a delicious dinner and make it without a bunch of fuss or distraction. It doesn’t list ingredients separately. The description and chatty comments are at the end rather than as an intro to the recipe. The Cook’s Notes are sometimes the helpful bits of info to make the recipe succeed, but the other times they are just interesting tidbits that would have been great to have read about in an intro.

It’s divided by plant family which is fascinating, but cumbersome in execution, since some plant families have a whole bunch of vegetables and others only one. Brassicas (cabbage, bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, collards, cauliflower, romanesco, radishes, arugula, kale, mustard greens + watercress) get 20 pages and the mallow family (okra) gets 14 pages.

On the whole, I like this gorgeous book and the recipes are yummy and inspired. I can’t wait to cook more from it. It’s an interesting read, but it is not a book I’ll reach for first or second when I sit down to plan my week of meals.

Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the preview copy.

[Laura Leaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a beautiful cookbook with gorgeous photos of vegetable dishes. This is also not a strictly plant-based collection of recipes, so if you're vegan or vegetarian you may need to do some substitute calculations in your head. Not a big deal.

The thing that annoys me is the lack of an ingredient list for each recipe. The cook is forced to read through the whole recipe and make her own list (to take to the store or to prep). In a way, that's a great way to ensure that the cook reads the recipe, but we're not in school so don't make us do that! Still, the ingredients are bolded so at least they stand out within the recipe's paragraph.

I have not used many recipes yet, but the few I have came out great. The "Mashed Yams and Tomato Sauce" was really good (and forced me to buy sumac, which I did not have in my spice cabinet). The "Braised Bamboo and Mushrooms" was fantastic. The "Potato and White Bean Salad with Zhug" is next on my list. Zhug, you ask? The recipe is here (it's an herb condiment from Yemen) and all the ingredients are available at the grocer.

I have a lot of affection for cookbooks, and I may give this a higher rating if I ever become used to the awkward layout.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

TLDR: Inventive, exciting recipes to up your vegetable cooking game!

More details:
Veg-table by Nik Sharma was fantastic! I love that at the beginning of each chapter he talks about the vegetable (or vegetables in many cases since it's usually a category of vegetables per chapter) and gives how to cook it, how to prep it, and how to store it, Some of the vegetables listed (ex: cassava, nopalitos) I had heard of or seen at the store or market but didn't know how to use, so having detailed explanations were helpful. With that said, most are common enough (yams, okra, carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, onions, chard, spinach, etc) that people won't be intimated by the book and able to find the vegetables easily. The recipes are creative and included combinations I had never thought of but instantly wanted to try (ex: Golden Za'atar Onion Rings with Buttermilk Caraway Dipping Sauce, Roasted Fruit & Arugula Salad). I can't wait to own this book once it's out! Another keeper from Nik Sharma!

Cons: Some ingredients in recipes might be harder to locate (ex: some spices, kefir--though you can buy that at Aldi now!).

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am working still incorporating more vegetables and vegetarian dishes into my family's dinner rotation so was pleased to have the opportunity to read and review this book.

For cookbooks, I need to have a picture for each recipe. The photos in this book are absolutely gorgeous. Each recipe has a photo and there are many more.

I like how the book sections are about different vegetables. There's great information about each vegetable category.

The recipes are varied and creative. The author explained that she was intentionally using a non-traditional format for the recipes. The ingredients are embedded in the recipe instead of lifted separately. Personally, I find the format challenging, but it may be preferable for others. The recipes are also in paragraph format, so they are difficult to skim. Many of the recipes do look delicious. I think with the more traditional formatting (separate ingredient list and step by step instructions) I'd be more likely to try them.

[Lisa Konet · Rating 3 out of 5]

The format was not my favorite and maybe because I was reading this on my large screen kindle BUT the content was great. I have been vegan since February 2023, so this cookbook (and advice) was very much appreciated! I wish it had been an all encompassing vegetable, bean and fruit cookbook. There were recipes for fish and chicken, so that it is why I did not give it a 5 star review. If it had stuck to the vegan and plant-based lifestyles, this would have ranked higher for me. There are plenty of cookbooks for meat and fish eaters!

When this cookbook kept to the plant-based/vegan lifestyle it was good. Why is there meat, fish, etc with the title of vegetables? SMH. I think the meat eaters will get some ideas for how to incorporate more plants into their lives with the ease of recipes from this book. Overall, enjoyable.

Thanks to Netgalley, Nik Sharma and Chronicle Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already available.

[Erica Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first page of the Introduction features a great world map that shows the origins on the vegetables featured in the book. I was squealing in delight and instantly hooked.

Clear directions, additional tips and tricks at the end of each recipe, and great color pictures. I'm very excited to try the recipes, because they do look amazing. And in addition to the recipes, there is a lot of great information on each vegetable featured in the book.

My one gripe... I had a bit of an issue with the recipe layouts. Most recipe books and online recipes have a list of ingredients, followed by the directions. In this book, the ingredients are incorporated directly into the directions. Even though the ingredients are in bold, the layout isn't as clean and it does take longer to figure out if you have all the ingredients to make a recipe.

Overall, an exciting, veggie-forward book.

[(a)lyss(a) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was around 3.5 stars for me.

This book breaks down recipes by their ingredients. Each chapter highlights difference vegetables as well as similar vegetables in their family. The chapter has recipes based on the highlighted vegetable with tips on cooking them, things to consider when pairing them, and common uses. The way that the recipes are written was a bit confusing for me. Instead of listing the ingredients and then the steps the recipe is written so the ingredients and their amounts are in bold throughout the steps, which can be hard to follow if you're not familiar with what you're cooking.

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cookbook will be welcomed by both those who are vegetarians and those who are not. Both will find many good recipes in these pages.

The book’s subtitle explains it well saying that this title includes Recipes Techniques and, Plant Science for Big Flavored Vegetable-Focused Meals. Throughout there are many recipes, illustrations and photos.

The recipes are organized by vegetable. There are, for example, sections on Yams, Asparagus, Chickpeas and other beans and so on. The directions look clear though some of the recipes may take a bit of practice.

Recommended for a cook’s bookshelf whether exclusively a veggie eater or someone who is looking for the occasional meal or side dishes.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, most of the recipes from this turned out great, and they tend to have some interesting flavor profiles. Sharma misses the mark on a few of the soups in my opinion, but still, these are solid recipes.

The photos are beautiful, and it's interesting to learn about each of the groups of vegetables with some cool write-ups. The notes, tips, and anecdotes with each recipe are often interesting and helpful as well.

However, the book is laid out inefficiently with single recipes often taking 2-3 pages. They're also a bit difficult to plan for and parse because there's no ingredient list separate from the instructions. My dude, if you're going to devote so much space to a recipe, you've got the room to also display a list of ingredients.

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Veg-Table by Nik Sharma. I think I enjoy vegetables as much as the next person. Nik Sharma takes it to a whole new level! The first few chapters are super helpful for understanding vegetables, varieties, seasons, edible parts, tips, tricks, and tools. There is a lot of science incorporated to better help you understand storage and cooking as well.
The chapters begin with an in-depth discussion of the family of plant and then multiple recipes. The recipes are easy to follow and made me feel empowered to try something new.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

[Johanna Sawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous book! Cover to cover there’s at least one recipe for a wide variety of vegetables. Easy to follow cooking directions and a plethora of uses to cooking tips, tricks and storage.

What did I like? I love looking at foodie pictures and this went a step further with some basics about the vegetables. Would I use most of the recipes….. probably not. I’m basic when I cook.

Would I recommend or buy? If you’re looking for ways to spice up some veggies this might be it. I’m more into bowls or vegan so this doesn’t have that flair. Four stars for me!

I received a complimentary copy to look at and this is my opinion.

[Rosemary Rey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Veg-table by Nik Sharma is a gorgeous cookbook. Every picture of vegetables and prepared food is beautiful. The photographs are vibrant, popping off the page. The instructions are easy to read with bold typeface for the ingredients. This book is essentially an encyclopedia of every type of vegetable and how to prepare and eat them. I’ve always had concerns about trying a new vegetable at home because I was concerned about how to clean, cut, cook, and eat a new-to-me vegetable. This will be my go-to reference book because I want to try every recipe in this guide.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Bozhena Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this wonderful book. This comprehensive and gorgeously illustrated book about everything vegetable is broken down by the plant family. There are very thorough explanations about each vegetable family with directions on how to prep it, cook it and serve it with a variety of recipes. Some recipes call for exotic ingredients and if someone wants to substitute ingredients — one should already have this knowledge as the book doesn’t really provide that. Overall, it is a great book on everything vegetables that I was happy to have read.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciate the plant science and learned a bit from the recipe techniques. There are recipes I will revisit (e.g., white beans/mushroom stew, beet greens/lentil risotto). However, this is not for a mid-level home chef like me. There are too many esoteric ingredients, things I can’t even find at my Midwest Whole Foods let alone grow myself. I have cardamom pods, but I don’t know about black vs. green. And sev? Shaoxing wine? However, my biggest complaint Is that there is not a list of ingredients. The ingredients are all intermingled in the recipe. I am a prep person, and I like to get things in order before I start to cook.

[Kristin C · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous book devoted to showcasing and celebrating vegetables. Each vegetable or group is introduced by a brief telling of the history and origin, then progresses to storage and cooking tips. The recipes are inventive and playful, but the ingredients and techniques never feel out of reach. Helpful cook's notes are also provided to keep those with less experience on track. And did I mention how gorgeous this book is? The photography is spectacular.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recipes I have made so far have been delicious, but I have to ding it a star for the recipe formatting. Not listing the ingredients out before the recipe makes it much harder to put together shopping lists and decide what to make based on what's in the pantry. The recipes are also formatted such that the notes/tips and tricks are on the next page all alone when they easily could have fit on the previous page, which is annoying when cooking and makes some pages of the book feel weirdly sparse.

[Katy · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was a random choice for cookbook club -

not my favorite style of cookbook - the ingredients are not listed out on the recipe, instead they are contained within the text of the description. While preparing a dish, you have to continually go back to reading paragraphs of text to find the bolded items and when to add them.

however, several recipes look tasty, and the corn, cabbage and shrimp salad was delicious.