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The Korean Vegan: Homemade: Recipes and Stories from My Kitchen
Joanne Molinaro, author of the New York Times Bestselling and James Beard Award Winning Korean Vegan Cookbook, returns with fresh new dishes with Korean twists
Joanne Molinaro is everyone’s favorite storytelling vegan cook. On her platform, The Korean Vegan, she’s known for her personal narrative voiceovers, which accompany mouthwatering videos of her making everything from Kimchi to Korean-inspired pasta dishes. Whether it’s a reflection on her relationship with her father over a plate of noodles or a story about learning to love her body as a marathon runner while she bakes dessert, Joanne is always making deep connections with her followers through food. Now, in The Korean Homemade, Joanne offers the recipes that she makes most often at home.
As Joanne likes to say, she loves to “veganize” Korean cuisine and “Koreanize” everything else. This book is a tribute to all the culinary inspirations that have shaped her cooking over the years and incredible flavors they have created. A memory about learning to repurpose leftover rice from her grandmother Hahlmuhnee results in Fried Rice Waffles; a question from her father leads to Joanne learning to make his childhood favorite noodles, Janchi Guksu; her Pesto Tteokbokki combines her husband’s Italian roots with her own; and her love of savory snacks and kimchi helps invent Buffalo Kimchi Artichoke Dip. With her stunning signature photography and tips for building a Korean pantry, Joanne celebrates the magical connections between family, home, and food.
Joanne Molinaro is everyone’s favorite storytelling vegan cook. On her platform, The Korean Vegan, she’s known for her personal narrative voiceovers, which accompany mouthwatering videos of her making everything from Kimchi to Korean-inspired pasta dishes. Whether it’s a reflection on her relationship with her father over a plate of noodles or a story about learning to love her body as a marathon runner while she bakes dessert, Joanne is always making deep connections with her followers through food. Now, in The Korean Homemade, Joanne offers the recipes that she makes most often at home.
As Joanne likes to say, she loves to “veganize” Korean cuisine and “Koreanize” everything else. This book is a tribute to all the culinary inspirations that have shaped her cooking over the years and incredible flavors they have created. A memory about learning to repurpose leftover rice from her grandmother Hahlmuhnee results in Fried Rice Waffles; a question from her father leads to Joanne learning to make his childhood favorite noodles, Janchi Guksu; her Pesto Tteokbokki combines her husband’s Italian roots with her own; and her love of savory snacks and kimchi helps invent Buffalo Kimchi Artichoke Dip. With her stunning signature photography and tips for building a Korean pantry, Joanne celebrates the magical connections between family, home, and food.
432 pages, Hardcover
Published October 14, 2025
31 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
Joanne Lee Molinaro
3 books53 followerstik-tok
instagram
With over 5 million fans spread across her social media platforms, New York Times best-selling author Joanne Molinaro, a.k.a The Korean Vegan, has appeared on The Food Network, CBS Saturday Morning, ABC's Live with Kelly and Ryan, The Today Show, PBS, and The Rich Roll Podcast. She's been featured in the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, NPR, and CNN; and her debut cookbook was selected as one of “The Best Cookbooks of 2021” by The New York Times and The New Yorker among others.
Molinaro is a Korean American woman, born in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents were both born in what is now known as North Korea. Molinaro started her blog, The Korean Vegan, in 2016, after adopting a plant-based diet. In July 2020, she started her TikTok (@thekoreanvegan), mostly as a coping mechanism for the isolation caused by the global pandemic. She began posting content related to politics and life as a lawyer during quarantine. However, after a single post of her making Korean braised potatoes for dinner (while her husband taught a piano lesson in the background) went viral, Molinaro shifted her attention to producing 60 second recipe videos, while telling stories about her family—immigrants from what is now known as North Korea.
With over 5 million fans spread across her social media platforms, New York Times best-selling author Joanne Molinaro, a.k.a The Korean Vegan, has appeared on The Food Network, CBS Saturday Morning, ABC's Live with Kelly and Ryan, The Today Show, PBS, and The Rich Roll Podcast. She's been featured in the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, NPR, and CNN; and her debut cookbook was selected as one of “The Best Cookbooks of 2021” by The New York Times and The New Yorker among others.
Molinaro is a Korean American woman, born in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents were both born in what is now known as North Korea. Molinaro started her blog, The Korean Vegan, in 2016, after adopting a plant-based diet. In July 2020, she started her TikTok (@thekoreanvegan), mostly as a coping mechanism for the isolation caused by the global pandemic. She began posting content related to politics and life as a lawyer during quarantine. However, after a single post of her making Korean braised potatoes for dinner (while her husband taught a piano lesson in the background) went viral, Molinaro shifted her attention to producing 60 second recipe videos, while telling stories about her family—immigrants from what is now known as North Korea.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 4, 2025
Aside from the food, the star of this Korean Vegan sequel is her grandma, Hahlmuhnee. I loved reading about their special bond. How she showed her love through food and presence. Between the memoir chapters, we get tons of new recipes for Korean and Korean-ish comfort food. I enjoyed learning about and trying new things. Thank you, Avery Books, for the gifted copy.
🇰🇷
Here’s what I made:
🍒 Cherry Pie Pockets- These reminded me of the cherry turnovers from Arby’s, which as a gf person I miss so much. Really good.
🍓 Strawberry Yogurt Milk- this is a great way to use up a bunch of plain yogurt. The sugar, orange juice, and strawberries make it a treat!
🥔 A Healthier, Crispier Hash Brown- this did, in fact, taste healthy. The flavor (miso, red onion, olive oil) was a bit odd in this context.
🌿 Pesto Tteokbokki With Noodles- I tried a rice cake plain to check for doneness and I liked the flavor. The pesto was good on them but I want to experiment with them more where their flavor can shine through. Glad Molinaro introduced me to them!
🇰🇷
Here’s what I made:
🍒 Cherry Pie Pockets- These reminded me of the cherry turnovers from Arby’s, which as a gf person I miss so much. Really good.
🍓 Strawberry Yogurt Milk- this is a great way to use up a bunch of plain yogurt. The sugar, orange juice, and strawberries make it a treat!
🥔 A Healthier, Crispier Hash Brown- this did, in fact, taste healthy. The flavor (miso, red onion, olive oil) was a bit odd in this context.
🌿 Pesto Tteokbokki With Noodles- I tried a rice cake plain to check for doneness and I liked the flavor. The pesto was good on them but I want to experiment with them more where their flavor can shine through. Glad Molinaro introduced me to them!
November 9, 2025
Wow. I just finished this COOK BOOK and I am SOBBING! LOL! What the heck?! This woman is one of the most incredible storytellers out there. I absolutely adore the introductions that she writes for each chapter. I am so moved. The recipes are incredible, too. I made the cabbage and soft tofu stew today for my lunch meal prep! What a book!
October 15, 2025
While I read it, I really wanted to have a conversation with you, reading the stories and the introductions to the recipes, it all speaks to me.
December 1, 2025
Loved the book. This is the first cookbook I read cover to cover. I’ve only made two dishes so far from the book, they were great. looking forward to cooking more.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews