Vegan with a Vengeance : Over 150 Delicious, Cheap, Animal-Free Recipes That Rock

by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

The classic first cookbook from the coauthor of Veganomicon is back with even more tasty recipes, chatty anecdotes, and money-saving tips for easy plant-based cooking, featuring tempting full-color photos throughout.

Ten years ago a young Brooklyn chef was making a name for herself by dishing up amazing vegan meals -- no fuss, no b.s., just easy, cheap, delicious food. Several books -- including Veganomicon , Appetite for Reduction , Isa Does It , and Superfun Times Holiday Cookbook -- later, the punk rock priestess of all things tasty and animal-free returns to her roots-and we're not just talking tubers. The book that started it all is back, with new recipes, ways to make those awesome favorites even awesomer, more in-the-kitchen tips with Fizzle--and full-color photos of those amazing dishes throughout.

With tips for taming your tofu, doing away with dairy, and getting rid of the eggs, you'll find recipes for:

"Fronch" Toast; Biscuits and White Bean Sausage Gravy; Chile sin Carne al Mole; Apple Pie-Crumb Cake Muffins; Three Kinds of Knishes (Knish Madness!); Revolutionary Spanish Omelet; Tempeh Reuben; Braised Cauliflower with Three-Seed Sauce; Ethiopian Seitan and Peppers; No-Bake Black Bottom-Peanut Butter Silk Pie; Coconut Heaven Cupcakes . . . and more. So much more.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Vegan, Nonfiction, Reference, Vegetarian

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Oh goodness, there is a date of death dropdown menu on this form. Do the fine people of goodreads know something that I don't?

Reviews

[Sean Barrs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been a vegan for almost six years, and in that time I’ve amassed a rather large collection of plant based cookbooks.

And some of them feel very samey, filled with very similar main courses and sides. Some are overly fancy with complex dishes of expensive ingredients I’ve never even heard of. They’re impractical. Veganism doesn’t have to be difficult and the food involved doesn’t have to require huge amounts of effort and time. It can be simple and straightforward just like this cookbook. This is packed full of so many recipes and ideas, none of them particularly difficult or expensive. The muffins were a particular favourite of mine.

So this is a good cookbook if you want relatively quick vegan food that is still healthy and tasty. Very much recommended.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

O.M.G. I should have known, after using Veganomicon for a couple of years, that the cookbook that launched Isa Chandra Moskowitz was bound to be a keeper. Isa credits Terry Hope Romero with the Chili Sin Carne recipe that ROCKS with its own calypso band on days 2 and 3. Make it a day early if you've guests coming and this recipe will stay in your memory forever. And the Macadamia-Coconut-Carrot Cake is, without exaggeration, the far-and-away BEST carrot cake I have ever encountered. I probably would use 1/4-1/2 cup less sugar because I am not enamored of sweets so sweet, but let's not quibble. This is pure, unadulterated GENIUS. I am a fan. If everyone knew that going meatless was so bloody delicious, this would end any argument. I almost feel like laughing when I hear "don't tell them it's vegan"--as though unaugmented vegetable matter were something queer. But what strikes me again, after working my way through Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and The Joy of Vegan Baking, is how baked goods suffer not at all from lack of eggs or milk products. In fact, these baked goods are among the best I have ever tasted. Full stop.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the photos in this volume. Not as many entrees I want to try as I had hoped, but a grand emphasis on fun vegan breakfasts.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, but necessarily recommended for those exploring/dabbling in a plant based diet.

I'm a huge fan of Isa's recipes. Though I have only made a few from this cookbook so far, I have made several from Appetite for Reduction: Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Meals and Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook and been impressed with almost every single one. "Veganomicon" has some more complex recipes, but "Appetite" and "Vegan/Vengeance" have many recipes that are very easy or fairly easy to make and probably would not intimidate even novice chefs or those new to vegan cooking/baking. They are sooo delicious!

The Post Punk Vegan Kitchen is Isa's website and I highly recommend it for those new to veganism, dabbling in it, or who just want to check out some of her recipes before they invest in one of the books: http://www.theppk.com/

I personally enjoy the chatty style in her cookbooks and it helps me feel like I have a friend in the kitchen and gives me some added confidence while I cook. However, this could be a bit off-putting for those wanting just a "plant based diet" or to omnivores dabbling in some meat free meals who don't want lessons about why veganism is an ethical choice. Also, I must say I was a little disappointed (and thus docking one star) in "Vengeance" because, amongst some personal anecdotes, Isa includes one with a political slant that could alienate readers not of her persuasion. Of course, it is certainly her prerogative to share her political opinions and they are probably ones that many vegans would agree with. But, something makes me a bit uncomfortable about the way it was presented, as if everyone reading her book would agree with her and I know that not all vegans would. This might be off-putting to some readers, or to some people exploring the idea of becoming vegan, if it is a political affiliation they do not identify with themselves. Many people already assume a lot of things about you if you say you are vegan. Political affiliation is probably one of them. I personally think that animal welfare is something that people from all political persuasions can and should consider. I remain a big Isa fan, I think her heart is in the right place and her recipes rock, but I do wish this book had not included that particular story because it could infuriate rather than welcome certain people to the vegan fold.

[jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been cooking out of VWAV for several years now; it's about time I write a review for it.

If you are new to vegan cooking, or looking for a basic place to start wooing a vegan date, this is a solid, dependable book to start with. While I love Isa's newer book (veganomicon) a lot more, I have to give credit where credit is due and say that VWAV is the root of much of my cooking ability. I would be lying if I didn't say that many of the basic dishes that I science up on the regular come from this cookbook. The biscuits that accompany my family's famous secret recipe vegan gravy - they are the biscuits from this book. The muffin recipes are semi-dependable, although I don't love the pumpkin muffins. The seitan recipe is simple & good.

Isa Chandra Moskowitz is a shining star in the vegan cookbook world, providing recipes that are often kid-pleasing, easy to cook, and push us vegans out of the "stir-fried tofu" arena into greener pastures. Some techniques that seem intimidating are clearly explained in the PUNK POINTS sections. This cookbook not only provides inspirational recipes - it gives you the tools & talents you need to take your cookery onto another level. I am definitely a better person as a result of this cookbook. And how many cookbooks can you say that about? Not too many.

[Alix · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a professed hater of vegetables, it's nothing short of amazing that I even picked up a vegan cookbook, let alone gave it 5 stars. I don't consider myself a vegan, in fact, I love meat. But I do hate tortured animals and chemical additives, so I thought I'd give it a try. I've made about 8 of these recipes and each one has turned out divine. What do I mean by divine? Suffice it to say that my fiance is usually considered the best cook in the house, but after cooking those last 8 recipes, he quickly abdicated the throne and I now feel like a vegan Rachel Ray:)

[Nicole Marino · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book with all my heart. There is not one meal that I have made that hasn't been delicious; the fact that my incredibly carnivorous and generally unhealthy food devouring family is duly impressed with each new dish is amazing.

I appreciate the simple yet malleable nature of most of the recipes (well, the ones I've tried!). A vegan due to a variety of food related health issues, I also have to keep my foods gluten free, and do my best to keep them low-fat. It's incredibly easy with these. The recipes don't rely on battering and frying tofu 101 ways and they are not overly carb-heavy. The result? Foods that are immensely satisfying and incredibly tasty as well as easy on the stomach, the blood sugar, the belt notches, and the wallet. (In my experiences anyway!)

I cannot stop making the Chickpea-Broccoli casserole (with added spinach and peas, and sometimes TVP in place of the sorely missed Japanese breadcrumbs) or my version of the Veggie burgers (baked). I also love the Punk Rock Chickpea Gravy on Mashed Potatoes (even on mashed chickpeas) and the Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Garlic. Dessert wise, I've only made the Mexican Chocolate Rice Pudding. I plan to try other desserts,pizzas and waffles when I'm ready to experiment with GF flours...but not before I've made every soup and entree. Looking forward to reading VEGANOMICON.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

It doesn't quite feel right only giving this book five stars. It was more than a cookbook, it was an education. Isa's prediction from her introduction absolutely came true for me:

"A cookbook isn't just light beach reading; it becomes part of your life. In a few month's time it will be scribbled with your notes and splashed with tamari and tomato sauce. Its food-stained, dog-eared pages will bring back memories"

As a vegetarian for over a decade, I decided 2012 would the year I would go completely vegan. As a companion to making the switch, I resolved to cook every recipe in this book over the course of the year. Although I started the year making great progress, after a few months I started to burn out. It wasn't just cooking from the same cookbook all the time that got me, it was just having to cook recipes all the time rather than just throwing together something simple like beans and rice on some nights. So I adjusted my goal to cooking half the recipes in the book, and I'm happy to day I exceeded that target (by my count there are 133 unique recipes - I made 72).

There is no doubt the type of cooking Isa is presenting in this book is comfort food, not health food. It's full of oil, white flour, syrup, refined sugar, etc. But to a new vegan it's great, because it proves there is even such a thing as vegan comfort food. I'd say the books strongest section is brunch, just about everything in there is amazing. The main courses are a little more hit and miss, but there are some truly exceptional ones in there. Check my progress updates on the book for my ratings of each of the recipes I cooked. After a year of cooking, my top five are:

1. Mushroom and Sun-dried Tomato Risotto [pg 186]
2. Brooklyn Pad Thai [pg 180]
3. Pancakes [pg 31]
4. Isa Pizza [pg 131]
5. Marinated Tofu [pg 145]

Thank you Isa for making this book. We've been on quite a journey together, and it's been delicious.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't think it fair to rate this book, as I neither finished reading it nor made recipes from it. My fiance and I are both enthusiastic omnivores, but are looking for new ways of incorporating veggie protein in our diet in order to diversify, save money, and be planet friendly. This cookbook came highly recommended, but as with Veganomicon The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook, I was underwhelmed. A number of the recipes looked interesting, but required enough specialty ingredients in place of meat/dairy to be off-putting. The entrees sounded good, but not particularly unique. The over-the-top punk vegan righteousness was a bit much as well - I guess that's to be expected from a book with VENGEANCE in the title - but as an omnivore, I really appreciate tolerance and understanding among my vegan friends about my eating and lifestyle choices, just as I try to express tolerance and understanding towards theirs.

In short, I was hoping this book would get me excited about cooking vegan. Instead I was pretty turned off, and returned it and Veganomicon The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook to the library today.

[Emily M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I am not a vegan. HOWEVER, I really like plant-based dishes - I eat vegetarian or vegan about 65-80% of the time, depending on the circumstances – and have fun collecting recipes for them. So, does this kinda punk-rock themed cookbook do well at selling the non-vegan on how appealing vegan foods can be? Well…there are some good ideas here, but I’ve been finding most of the recipes need considerable tweaking – sometimes to fit my taste, but sometimes just to function.

Recipes I’ve tried (from best to worst)
Creamy red chard linguini (A delicious recipe IF you only use HALF the broth! The soaked cashews work to create a creamy sauce, but unless you cooked it down for a long period of time – which it doesn’t say to do – you would get noodle soup)
Rustic lentil stew over polenta (Made this a while ago, subbing in sweet potatoes for regular ones. It was fine, but I haven’t felt the need to make it again)
Black eyed pea and quinoa croquettes with mushroom sauce (The croquettes have a good flavor, but they don’t stick together well – they broke at the lightest touch when I flipped them! – and it was even hard to get the bread crumb coating to stick. I know it defeats the purpose but I think they would work a lot better if you added an egg! The mushroom sauce is basically a gravy. I don’t actually like meat-based gravy much, so this is an improvement that I would willingly pour over quinoa or mashed potatoes…but I reduced the broth by a cup and used less soy milk too because it would have been weirdly runny otherwise)
Tofu chimichurri (The sauce recipe is mostly fine, but DON'T add the broth! It was on the runny side already without that so, as with the mushroom sauce, I recommend blitzing the herbs in the food processor first before you decide how much extra liquid to add. I also added an extra clove of garlic, and it could take a bit more than that. You really only need half the sauce to rub onto the tofu slices – I did 12 pieces instead of 8 to minimize the potential for bland insides. I marinated an hour before frying: just use some olive oil in the pan instead of faffing about with oil spray! The result…was still a bit bland in the middle, but adding some of the fresh sauce helped; Could be good in a sandwich, maybe w/ some fresh tomato. I noticed a small broken bit was better, and fortunately, since I was cooking for myself, I’d only fried half the tofu. So I cut the rest in smaller bits and left to marinate overnight. That helped, but was still hard to get a nice texture.)
Tempeh bacon (Look, even turkey bacon doesn’t have the essential quality I look for if I’m going to eat bacon at all - the crunch when it is well-fried - so I don’t know why I thought I would like this. I’d call this something like “barbecue tempeh”, maybe. But there’s other ways I prefer to eat the soy bean cake)

Sections of the book I’m not likely to use, and why
-Sides There’s a big section on side-dishes, which kind of feels like cheating because OF COURSE roasted veggies or coconut rice are vegan! They look perfectly tasty, but I tend to like my plant proteins mixed in with the veg, because something like tofu doesn’t have as much flavor on its own. However, if you were doing, say, a mushroom pie as the main, and wanted some orange-glazed beets on the side - sure, that’s when you might use this. Or…almost any other side dish recipe from another cookbook!
- Most of the egg or meat substitute brunch dishes. This is just not my preference when it comes to vegan cooking because, they always seem like very pale imitations. However, if you haven’t been able to eat the originals for a while, maybe these would work?
- “Sammiches”. I don’t tend to make elaborate sandwiches at home. But, if I were to do that, I’d make something with a nice bean spread or vegan pate, rather than anything in this cookbook.
- Pizzas Well, the crust looks good – but pizza crust is typically vegan anyway, and to me a pizza with no cheese is just an open-faced toasted sandwich, really. Would rather make a focaccia.
- Muffins & scones, and cookie & bars. Oh dear. Cookbook illustrations are usually the best-case scenario for a recipe, but almost every muffin or biscotti or whatever looks sad, flat, and underbaked! So, I can’t say I’ve been tempted to see what my attempt to make them would look like. (Not in this section, but the knishes also look extremely doughy and unappealing compared to almost any photo you can google of that dish!)

[Canette Arille · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this cookbook. The recipes are great, and so yummy. I m a vegan, so like it much.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cookbook is so entertaining and the recipes look great. Have read a lot of this cookbook, although haven't yet tasted any of the recipes. But I can tell that I'd find them delicious. The recipes look relatively easy to make although many have a lot of ingredients. I highly recommend this cookbook.

[Kai · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a reread for me. I got my first copy when it came out in 2005. It was the first cookbook I bought for myself and the first one I read that felt like it was for me. It was a little edgy with a do your own thing, punk rock, love life kind of vibe. It was a good jumping off point. Techniques and tools are explained well, most of the recipes are super easy and the food rocks. Everything I've made from the book so far has been good. My carnivorous buddies even like what I've made for them.

[melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally got this last week! I LOVE IT! Isa is freakin AMAZING, she writes like how I talk (but not like how I think. How I think is much more Jane Austen.) and this has ot be the most exciting, inspiring cookbook I've ever laid my feasty little eyes and hands on. I would put it straight into my belly but then I couldn't make things like....coconut pancakes with pineapple sauce. Or Butternut squash vindaloo. Or pomegranate tofu and coconut rice and summer rolls and fauxstess cupcakes and and and....oh man! Now, I'm not completely vegan as I have this fear of letting go of cheese but I think that I will be rolling in the vegany goodness for a long time with this book.

[Alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this last year for xxx-mas from melissa. (yeah?) Seriously, Isa does a good job about telling a story and making it interesting, but her flavor profiles are off. I KNOW that being a good cook doesn't mean following a recipe, but sometimes when it says "This is really good and yadda yadda" in the book and on the web site I trust too much. So... with a grain of salt (literally TASTE everything you make in a small batch before you commit to ANYTHING in this book) I enjoy this book for it's great ideas, but momma needs to catch up with someone who will make her CHECK and RECHECK her ratio's and flavor profiles.
rar rar rar food.

[Aja Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never got the original one, this one is full of even more fun ideas and interesting flavor combinations and lots of yummy treats! I might have to pick this one up for the bookshelf...

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading the original cookbook (checked out from the library) but had to return it before I finished it. When I got another copy, it was the 10-year anniversary edition. Both are good in their own ways. The new version is automatically good because it has tons more pictures. BUT Isa updated her intro, and in doing so, a new reader misses out on her entire story of what brought her to write the book, which I found helped to make the book. Otherwise, I'm excited to try out a ton of the recipes, as they sound delicious.

(And yes Tegan, it's another cookbook)

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a vegan for a couple decades, and even though my diet now includes meat (for health reasons), I still have allergies that make good vegan recipes a must have. Back in the day, I used to frequent Post Punk Kitchen quite a lot. The Snobby Joe recipe from that site still sits in our family recipe binder (all marked up with vegan goop and dark red rooibos tea stains); I still think it’s better than any Sloppy Joe I’ve ever had (don’t fight me on it until you’ve tried it). However, PPK’s heavy reliance on soy, sugar, wheat —and the perpetual vegan fav—NOOSH (nutritional yeast for noobs), made it less attractive when my adult onset allergies really started to worm their way into my system.

This really is, for me, the true test of any vegan cookbook—flexibility and accessibility for all sorts, even folks who can’t dump sugar and yeast all over their tacos (pun intended).

There are enough recipes here I can eat, though, that look amazing and will likely taste great. We made the Coconut Mint Chutney, for instance, and it is freakin phenomenal; instant staple, truly. Totally up to PPK’s usual standards.

Unfortunately, the dessert section is a complete wash out if you don’t eat refined sugars or wheat. This might be okay, like 10 years ago, but 6 years ago (when this was published, I believe), it’s odd. Like was Fizzle not available to offer up alternatives to things like brown sugar or confectioners sugar? Could it have hurt to put just one or two dessert recipes that wouldn’t spike your blood sugar and send you running for the Monistat?

If this isn’t a concern for you, and you’re just looking for a good, old-fashioned vegan cookbook—NOOSH away!
Still a four star cookbook for me, regardless (mostly for the yummy chutney).

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I love the PPK, the main course recipes in this cookbook are not exactly ideal for someone who doesn't have a lot of time or a big budget. The different tofu marinades and crusts alone call for way more ingredients and time than I can afford. The few main courses I have tried are good, though (albeit rich). My favorite is the green curry (although I use curry paste from the store). The highlight of the book are the baked goods. I am not much of a baker, but I have tried a number of the pie and brownie recipes in this book, and Isa definitely knows how to make a decadent dessert. This is usually an area that vegan cookbooks stumble over so that section alone makes this cookbook a worthwhile purchase. It is a good book for special occasions, but you'll have to go elsewhere for quick, easy weeknight meals.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isa's writing helped me work out what I had preceived as dissonance between the counter-cultural idealism of my youth and the responsible adultness necessary to have a family and be married to a pastor. She calls it being "post-punk." I thought I had just gotten boring. But I'm over the hump now. I've been learning over the last few years that it is possible to be radical (okay, I'll say it one more time. . . and idealistic) and discontent with the state of the world in the process of doing things like taking your kids to preschool and finding yourself chagrined to be living in the suburbs.

All this from a cookbook.

The curried pea soup is easy and delicious. And I pulled off the peanut butter cookies at a church picnic.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the book that made me know that I could follow my heart and eat a plant-based diet. I've always felt badly about eating animals but was raised an 'omni' so it was hard to make the switch--or so I thought. The recipes in this book are ridiculously tasty and flavorful. I still use this book but it is not quite as healthful as Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction which I now use far more often (it is another of my very fav cookbooks!). Anything Isa writes is worth getting...she has a new one out now which is on my list to get soon.

If you love animals, get this book and make the switch. It will benefit animals, the earth/environment, and your own health. :)

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

All around basic, easy, and tasty recipes for vegans (and non-vegans hoping to impress their vegan girlfriends). Usually, cookbooks have a few duds but everything that I've made so far (about 15 recipes) has been good. I am addicted to the Cajun french fries, the asparagus and sun-dried tomato frittata is nom nom, and the sparkled ginger cookies (with my addition of crystallized ginger) is maybe in the top three of my favorite cookies that I've ever made (and I will admit I generally like a lot of butter in my cookies). Good to have in your arsenal.

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this cookbook! I made several recipes from it, always omitted the oil as I cook without it. Every single thing I made tasted WONDERFUL!!!
I forgot to mention it here on my Goodreads earlier, as in when I first checked it out from the library and started using it, but this is definitely one I need to buy! It is awesome! :-D

[Ramey Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

mostly damn good recipes. I wouldn't do the carrot coriander soup though, unless you like a soup that is like a bland carrot hummus. Emphasis on bland.

[Whitaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really great book shows us how everything is great and worth to die for

[Lisa Factora-borchers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just awesome. So much creativity. I want to be BFF with Isa.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the book that you should get if you are planning on becoming a vegan. Amazing recipes! Every single recipe is delicious. My most favorite cookbook.

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

For extra fun, google the authors and watch old footage of their punk cooking show. It was both adorable and hardcore: adorbcore.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book has been the backbone of any good cooking I have for the last twenty years

[Holly Scudero · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been ten years since vegan chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz published her first book. Now “Vegan with a Vengeance” is back with a tenth-anniversary edition, complete with updated recipes, a few new recipes, and more tips from the infamous Fizzle, Moskowitz’s cat. Readers who already have a tattered copy of the original will love the simplified directions and shortened ingredients lists, as well as the inclusion of several popular recipes from the author’s blog and other cookbooks. New readers will fall in love with Moskowitz’s accessible and flavorful style of vegan cooking, not to mention the pages and pages of mouthwatering photographs. Try some amazing Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins for breakfast, Chili sin Carne al Mole for lunch, and Seitan-Portobello Stroganoff for dinner. Learn how to make your own seitan for that matter, and get some ideas for amazing pizza topping combinations. Make a pan of Deluxe Cocoa Brownies or a couple dozen Buttery Lemon Cutout Cookies. Or try out other desserts, like Coconut Heaven Cupcakes or Raspberry Blackout Cake. Eating vegan is not boring, and it is definitely not a sacrifice of any kind when a cookbook like this is available!

(Review originally written for San Francisco Book Review.)