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Fuss-Free Vegan: 101 Everyday Comfort Food Favorites, Veganized: A Cookbook

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Being vegan doesn’t have to mean living off kale and quinoa, or spending your money on fancy and expensive ingredients. And it definitely doesn’t have to mean feeling limited for choices of what to eat! What if “vegan food” could mean cheesy nachos and pizza, hearty burritos, gooey spinach and artichoke dip, decadent chocolate cake or even crème brûlée? Well, it can. In Fuss-Free Vegan, Sam Turnbull shows you that “vegan” does not equal unappetizing dishes, complicated steps, ingredients you have never heard of, or even food that tastes healthy. Instead, she gives you drool-worthy yet utterly fuss-free recipes that will bring everyone together at the table, vegans and non-vegans alike, in a chorus of rave reviews. This is the cookbook Sam wishes she had when she went one that recreates and veganizes the dishes she loved most in her pre-vegan days, like fluffy pancakes and crispy bacon, cheesy jalapeño poppers and pizza pockets, creamy Caesar salad and macaroni and cheese, rich chocolate brownies and holiday-worthy pumpkin pie, to name just a few. (And there’s no hummus recipe in sight.) Say goodbye to searching endlessly around for that one special ingredient that you can't even pronounce, or cooking dishes that don’t deliver on their promise of yumminess; instead, say hello to ingredients you can pick up at your local grocery store, step-by-step techniques, and Sam’s enthusiastic voice cheering you on throughout this fun, approachable cookbook. With 101 tried-and-tested, one-of-a-kind vegan recipes for every meal, from breakfasts to lunches to dinners, and even snacks, desserts, appetizers and vegan staples, as well as handy menu plans and tips to amp up the recipes and your vegan life, Sam Turnbull and Fuss-Free Vegan are your ultimate guides in the new vegan kitchen.

384 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 17, 2017

177 people are currently reading
351 people want to read

About the author

Sam Turnbull

5 books36 followers
Sam Turnbull is a vegan recipe developer and cookbook author.

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5 stars
261 (59%)
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116 (26%)
3 stars
44 (10%)
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10 (2%)
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5 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
Profile Image for Dianna.
1,954 reviews43 followers
June 20, 2020
I love the author's website (https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/), so it's no surprise that I love the book as well! Many of the recipes in the cookbook are also on the website, but I enjoy owning them in cookbook format so I'm not constantly having to look things up on a computer.

The cookbook is very visually appealing, and every recipe is well photographed. The recipes appeal strongly to kids, families, and people who have maybe just gone vegan and just want something "normal." Carrot hot dogs, tofu BLTs, spaghetti, pizza, and chocolate chip cookies can all be found here.

I have cooked and enjoyed several recipes from this book. So far, all of them have been popular with the family. We try to eat more WFPB than vegan, and if you're an experienced WFPB cook, you should be able to adapt most of these recipes to be WFPB (except perhaps the desserts).
Profile Image for Kristin Matthews.
167 reviews3 followers
March 3, 2018
I think this book is ingenious. The recipes are simple, and do not disappoint in either taste or nutritional value. She really shows you how easy and fast it actually can be to make a vegan meal that is everything you want in a meal that you have to make yourself: healthy, delicious and inexpensive! As a vegan, I have several vegan cookbooks and also vegetarian ones from before. Of all of them, this is likely the first one I'd lend out to a friend who is new to meatless eating. But even the more 'advanced' vegans shouldn't shy away; this book is really for everyone. Her blog also has great recipes. Look forward to seeing what else she comes up with in the future. :)
Profile Image for Stephanie Behl.
66 reviews1 follower
June 25, 2018
One of the best vegan cookbooks I have cooked from. I loved all the photographs and how the recipes are straightforward, and delicious yet easy to prepare. The caramelized onion pizza was amazing, and the gooey mozzarella on top was the simplest cheese I have made. Also really enjoyed the waffles, dude-approved chickpea salad, tomato soup, and veggie skewers.
Profile Image for Tanner.
75 reviews12 followers
July 12, 2019
This is what I need in a cookbook (Insert laugh-cry emoji). Like Hi, I'm a millennial who's not chill with eating animals because that shits not sustainable so give me the goods with clear instructions, picturez of what my masterpiece should look like and an understanding that I'm definitely going to need easy, fast and AWESOME sna ks&meals (like hi vegan pizza, how are ya).
Profile Image for Barbara.
618 reviews10 followers
November 1, 2018
Some people think that if you go Vegan, you will be missing out on many of your favorite comfort foods. Not so! This beautifully photographed and well laid out book shows you that you can still eat all of your favorites, i.e. french toast, pancakes, scrambled eggs (tofu), bacon (rice paper), cheese, ranch dressing, burgers, pot-pie, etc. The recipes are pretty straight forward with mostly readily available ingredients. I can hardly wait to try these as I wish to make almost everything in the book! A real treasure!
Profile Image for Hana.
276 reviews15 followers
March 31, 2018
I got quite a few recipes that I want to try! Especially the recipe for rice krispie like squares.
Profile Image for Cory Ellerbe.
33 reviews14 followers
May 2, 2020
Let me just start by saying I bought this cookbook on a whim at my favorite local bookstore because I love nothing more than parting with my hard-earned money. Add the word "vegan" and its basically an insta-buy for me.

There are a lot of reasons to love this book.

1. Simple, no-nonsense recipes with easy to find ingredients!

No weird veggies, hard to find add ins. Just good old fashioned pantry staples!

2. Weeknight friendly recipes!

One of my favorite things about this particular cookbook is how simple it is to find a quick weeknight dinner in here (that make great leftovers). It's not that this book is bringing anything groundbreaking to the table, its reminding you of all those old easy staples you love and making it easy to veganize them. Most recipes have 5-10 ingredients.

3. Something for everyone and every occasion

Want a brunch worthy vegan breakfast that isn't just pancakes? Try the Overnight Cinnamon Bun French Toast Bake OR Smoky Tofu and Avocado Benedict.

Hosting a party for lots of different palettes? Jalapeno poppers and spinach and artichoke dip to the rescue. Also VEGAN CHEESEBOARD. UNCOMPLICATED VEGAN CHEESEBOARD!!!!!!!!

Hot AF in the summer and don't want to turn your oven on? Edamame and mandarin salad! Chickpea Salad sandwiches!

Craving and old favorite? MAC AND CHEESE! PHILLY CHEESE SANDWICHES!!!

Want takeout but can't bear to spend $40 postmating from your fave place? Pad Thai! Tacos! Pizza!

And oh the places you'll go with dessert. VEGAN. CHEESECAKE. Ice cream that doesn't cost $6.99 but you buy it anyway because it's your only option. UNTIL NOW! CREME FREAKING BRULEE!!

And somehow none of it is super complicated! An my husband enjoys these recipes! everybody wins!


Profile Image for Hana.
136 reviews1 follower
June 30, 2020
This is a really great cookbook for any vegan. Or anyone interested in plant-based cooking. Most of her recipes have simple ingredients and are easy to follow. While some of the dishes are not as intensely flavorful or unique as some other vegan cooks, such as minimalist baker, Sam Turnbull offers quick and easy vegan recipes that are tasty. And in this busy world, sometimes that’s what you need.

I am slowly working my way through different recipes, though I have looked through the entire cookbook. I have made tofu scramble and her pancakes and they are wonderfully delicious. My only critique is that she tends to reinforce diet culture throughout the book. She calls many dishes “sinfully delicious” which feeds into the good bad dichotomy of diet culture. I repeat food is not good or bad, it is just food. By labeling certain dishes as “sinful” or “guilt-free” Turnbull is playing into the lies that diet culture tells us. This, in turn, can lead to eating disorders or disordered eating habits. I know that was not her intention when writing this book, but it is important to note how language affects the way we think about food and our bodies. I appreciate how there is no calorie information for the dishes & how Turnbull isn’t featuring typical “healthy” vegan fare.

If you’re interested in plant-based eating at all, I recommend giving this book a look. I will definitely be using some of these recipes once I’m back in college and need a quick, but yummy, vegan dish to eat.
Profile Image for Steph Raph.
283 reviews2 followers
July 21, 2023
The author says she is addicted to pasta, but that is a lie!!!!!! She is clearly obsessed with walnuts and liquid smoke. If you don't have liquid smoke, you can't cook her recipes.
Minimal banana recipes, which I truly was impressed with.
I loved how she wrote. Her experience going vegan is super relatable and she uses words like "drool-worthy", which I very much approve of. I will be buying this book, right after I buy some liquid smoke.
Profile Image for Kathleen.
18 reviews
October 22, 2017
Sam Turnbull recipes remind me of Chloe Coscarelli's: simple ingredients, easy instructions, quick, but remains delicious. I've only had her book for a few days, and I've already made her mozzarella sauce twice. If you are new to vegan cooking or a pro, this is a must need cookbook!
Profile Image for Tilly Wadsworth.
4 reviews8 followers
February 4, 2019
We was recently lucky enough to receive a copy of ‘Fuss Free Vegan’ by by Sam Turnbull (published by Random House).

We came across Sam Turnball’s blog back before Christmas when we were looking for a good vegan recipe for sugar cookies, and oh-boy, we found one. Our entire office was fooled by the delicious light cookies and that is where the curiosity started.

While Sam’s book is almost always healthier than the general cookbook, it offers up great recipes for comfort food vegans/ lactose intolerant folks miss so much. We loved the layout of the book, without sounding pretentious, it was very aesthetically pleasing, with gorgeous text types, pictures and we love a good organised layout!

There’s tips and tricks, pantry must haves (most of these are also dried so you don’t have to worry about things going off). We also loved how most of the recipes could be changed as it mentions somewhere on the page to be more naughty or healthier.

We already made some desserts so knew they would all be amazing, so we decided to go with a breakfast and lunch/dinner. We wanted to go outside our comfort zone and actually cook something we had either never done or would never think to do.



First up, the tofu scramble.

Something we had honestly never thought to try! On a personal note, we can’t have dairy and eggs are not really our cuppa-tea, so scrambled eggs is something we haven’t had in a long time. It was incredibly simple to make, took around 5-10 minutes and was genuinely delicious. Tofu is also a great source of calcium so we are always looking to add it to our diet whenever we can since we no longer consume dairy. We added in a few cherry tomatoes we had to use up and it really added a lovely finishing touch, Sam does recommend sundried tomatoes, so next time we make it we’re definitely going to try that!



Next up, Cheesy Broccoli soup.

Now, we have a confession to make. We’ve never made home-made soup… so as a challenge and also a change, we thought we’d tackle this one!

Just like the scrambled Tofu, it was so much easier than we thought. You quite literally cook the ingredients and then blend. Much like the cookies, we shared this around, my parents didn’t realise no cheese was added firstly (thank you Nutritional Yeast!) and my mother said it was the best broccoli soup she had ever had. We made enough for about 10 servings, and I only had one… the rest was all eaten by family members. I actually ended up making another batch the next week and then freezing some for emergency ill-days. 100% would make again and recommend!


Overall, if you’re vegan, meat eater, fussy eater… human? This is the cook book for you. Everything tastes better vegan in our opinion, we genuinely believe just cutting out certain things when you can is better than nothing and no book is better than this one. Vegan food doesn’t have to be what Pier’s Morgan makes it out to be, it’s not just raw veg thrown into a bowl, it can be better than the average comfort food and when its healthier it tastes even better. We can’t wait to make the mushroom burgers, the Mexican bowl, cinnamon buns and we are SO excited to make the vegan mozzarella mentioned. (The only thing we will mention – and it is absolutely not the fault of this book, is that cashews are so damn expensive in UK supermarkets, please comment down below or message us cheaper cashew brands, much love xxxx)

So impressed, so excited. It’s honestly very refreshing to find a cookbook we can have fun with, trust to be tasty and eat guilt free. Hurrah!


Thank you to Penguin Random House for so kindly sending a review copy in exchange for a honest review.
Profile Image for Tisha (IG: Bluestocking629).
925 reviews40 followers
December 29, 2017
4.5 Stars.

OK this is another book that has been in my currently reading tote bag for two months. I blame not reading it on reading only Christmas themed books.

Like my last book reviewed which was (The Happy Healthy Plant-based Eating Guide) this book is another vegan cookbook. This particular book was as the cover states comfort food. This is re-creating some of my favorite pre-vegan comfort food: Philadelphia cheesesteaks (30 years living in Philadelphia will do that to a person), burritos, cupcakes, banana bread, coleslaw, etc. You get the idea!

I've already tried one of the recipes - on Christmas. It was the pastry wrapped lentil loaf. Very time-consuming but it was delicious. I'm so glad I made the effort.

Profile Image for Elisa.
114 reviews
January 26, 2019
I love this cookbook! As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, I recommend it (even though there's no nutrition facts on any of the recipes - just use your own best judgement...a lot of oil/fat means a lot of calories!). Usually vegan cooking seems so unapproachable - you need to stock up on exotic ingredients and spend hours in the kitchen. Not so with Sam Turnbull. For the purchase of a small bottle of Liquid Smoke (less than $3), I was able to make "insanely good rice paper bacon" and it's not hype!!! Love the recipes (using REAL foods that you might normally get in the supermarket), the descriptions and the photos. This is a great cookbook for anyone to add to their shelf - even die-hard carnivores.
Profile Image for Dana.
1,254 reviews35 followers
June 5, 2023
Overall everything was good, quick to make and used basic ingredients.

I made the following recipes:
*Best-ever waffles - these are really some of the best waffles I've made
*TLT - My tofu didn't crisp up for some reason but it was still very good
*15 minute peanut noodles - I always like peanut noodles
*BBQ Cauliflower Steaks - surprisingly I didn't really like these. I didn't use her BBQ sauce though so it might be better with that
*Better Than Take-Out Veggie Pad Thai - not very authentic but very good
*Caramelized Onion Pizza To Die For - Delicious
*Mozzarella cheese - I made it for the pizza but used leftovers with many other things and it was really good
*Mexican sweet potato and black bean burrito - quick and delicious
*Fab veggie fried rice - OK but not my favorite
Profile Image for Olivia S.
781 reviews8 followers
April 27, 2018
I was disappointed in this. Granted, I only tried three recipes, but they weren't worth it. The hearts of palm salad sandwiches were good, but I didn't follow the recipe, just took the idea and made my own. I also tried the peanut noodle salad and the mandarin almond salad. I found both too strong tasting, and just wouldn't bother making them again. Overall, I'm pretty disillusioned with cookbooks, and am finding that I much prefer finding recipes online, where they have comments and ratings.
Profile Image for Dawn.
1,456 reviews79 followers
August 4, 2018
It is honestly just not that hard to veganize muffins, pizza dough, salad, sandwiches, etc.
And as the vegans I cook for don't eat tofu, what I was left with out of this book were a few vegan cheese recipes.

I do think this is a great book for anyone starting out on a vegan eating plan, she gives you lots of options for turning your traditional foods into something vegan.

It just wasn't something I was interested in.
Profile Image for Kristina.
152 reviews2 followers
June 23, 2024
This book is ideal for those new to vegan cooking & people looking to cook vegan food that looks/feels/tastes like traditional, typical dishes. The author has recipes for homemade vegan alternatives to mayonnaise, ricotta, mozzarella & nacho cheese sauce. With those ingredients alone, you can recreate many of your favorite dishes. Personally, that’s not me & I prefer recipes with fewer ingredients.
Profile Image for Margaret.
1,134 reviews
January 13, 2021
I bookmarked so many recipes in this book! I am especially looking forward to trying the vegan bacon recipe made with edible rice paper. I have tried making a recipe for vegan bacon made with banana peels ( the only good thing I can say about it is that it is finally a use for banana peels) and have put off making a recipe using carrots for vegan bacon. ( Too hard to get the right thickness.)

Update: I made the vegan rice paper bacon. It was very good compared to other vegan bacons, even having a it of chewiness to it. Drawback: it does not have a lot of nutritional value and the chewiness comes from the fact that you are eating PAPER! Yes, it is edible paper, but putting a bunch of pieces together like is called for in the recipe makes it very dense and it sits in your stomach like, well, a bunch of PAPER!
Profile Image for MusingsofRu.
407 reviews52 followers
July 1, 2025
This cookbook has my favorite recipes in them. As like all truly well loved cookbooks this one has tabs all over it. The recipes are tasty and they are easy to make. Looking for one to start with the Suhweet potato pot pie is one that I make weekly in the winter. Must read even if you aren't vegan.
Profile Image for Kim.
26 reviews1 follower
August 3, 2025
One of my go to favorite all time cookbooks! Recipes are easy, delicious and with easy to find ingredients. Although I'm not vegan, I like to eat plant based most of the time and this cookbook makes it easy and delicious. I'm fascinated by how much these vegan recipes taste like the real thing! Beautiful food pictures too!
Profile Image for Angela.
551 reviews
May 25, 2018
The recipes in this book are really good. Great pictures (and a picture for every recipe) and easy to follow instructions. The only thing I don't like is that some recipes call for white flour and sugar.
Profile Image for Hope.
964 reviews6 followers
June 16, 2018
This cookbook is AWESOME!!!
It is a complete must-buy! I will be ordering this with my Barnes & Noble gift card!
The recipes are simple, yet super tasty! I love that they don't have any weird ingredients - just regular food!
The first recipe I made was the pumpkin spice pancakes. They were a total hit with the family, all of whom are not vegan in any way! Everything that followed was easy, super yummy and got rave reviews by the entire family - I have never had that happen with any other cookbook! Usually there are a few recipes that people enjoy but not EVERY recipe.
I love it and WILL be buying it!!!
~Hope
Profile Image for Rachel.
26 reviews
June 19, 2018
This is the vegan cookbook I have been searching for! It is perfect if you need dishes to share with non-vegans and want to stuck with the familiar. So happy someone finally put this type of book together.
Profile Image for Andrea.
867 reviews9 followers
February 6, 2019
Sometimes vegan cooking seems bland and uninspired. These recipes are easy and delicious! I tried the Sensational Smoky Tofu Benedict, and the B.L.T. Both were great! Look forward to trying more recipes like the mayonnaise, crepes, and waffles too.
Profile Image for Nancy.
109 reviews
May 8, 2019
Lots of easy recipes for the types of things new vegans probably miss: tacos, pastas, cheesy things, pizza. Oil is used in recipes, so many recipes aren't whole-food based. Seems a little short on vegetables, with many waffle, pancake, sandwich, pizza and lots of sweets recipes.
Profile Image for Stevie.
11 reviews2 followers
August 16, 2019
So many of these recipes have become staples in our house! Love the cauliflower alfredo, baked cheesecake, and ricepaper bacon to name a few. I find the recipes are easy, usually call for ingredients I have on hand, and they always turn out!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews

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