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Truly Simple: 140 Healthy Recipes for Weekday Cooking
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • 140+ delicious and accessible recipes for super-easy, family-friendly, mostly gluten-free weekday meals, from the TV star and author of True Comfort
In her bestselling cookbooks, True Comfort and True Roots , Kristin Cavallari shared nourishing and comforting recipes that encouraged fans to cook healthy meals at home. Over the years she has changed her thinking on what healthy truly means, and has embraced intuitive eating with less restrictions. In Truly Simple , she focuses on the weekday meal, with more than 140 quick and easy recipes that will lift you out of that cooking rut (126 of the recipes are gluten-free). In her most personal book yet, Cavallari shares her hard-won philosophy on cooking for kids and spending more time out of the kitchen and around the table.
These simple recipes
• Blueberry Cinnamon Sugar-Baked Oats and Turmeric Fried Eggs with Sauteed Kale and Chili Oil
• Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Salad and Salmon BLT Salad with Tomatillo Ranch
• Cheesy Stuffed Poblanos and Veggie Rice Bowl with Sweet Tahini Sauce
• Tuscan Spaghetti Squash Casserole and Panfried Chicken with Spicy Arugula and Honey Mustard
• Gluten-Free Naan with Tzatziki Sauce and Spicy Grilled Peaches with Balsamic Glaze
• Skillet Carrot Cake and Cold Brew Brownie Cookies
In her bestselling cookbooks, True Comfort and True Roots , Kristin Cavallari shared nourishing and comforting recipes that encouraged fans to cook healthy meals at home. Over the years she has changed her thinking on what healthy truly means, and has embraced intuitive eating with less restrictions. In Truly Simple , she focuses on the weekday meal, with more than 140 quick and easy recipes that will lift you out of that cooking rut (126 of the recipes are gluten-free). In her most personal book yet, Cavallari shares her hard-won philosophy on cooking for kids and spending more time out of the kitchen and around the table.
These simple recipes
• Blueberry Cinnamon Sugar-Baked Oats and Turmeric Fried Eggs with Sauteed Kale and Chili Oil
• Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Salad and Salmon BLT Salad with Tomatillo Ranch
• Cheesy Stuffed Poblanos and Veggie Rice Bowl with Sweet Tahini Sauce
• Tuscan Spaghetti Squash Casserole and Panfried Chicken with Spicy Arugula and Honey Mustard
• Gluten-Free Naan with Tzatziki Sauce and Spicy Grilled Peaches with Balsamic Glaze
• Skillet Carrot Cake and Cold Brew Brownie Cookies
272 pages, Hardcover
Published April 11, 2023
103 people are currently reading
7345 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 13, 2023
Kristin Cavallari has done it again with her new cookbook Truly Simple. After having read the entire cookbook, I'm so excited to start trying these "simple" recipes. I'm always looking for healthy alternatives but not going overboard. These recipes give a great balance of healthy and everyday foods with a new spin of flavor. Did I mention most of these look fairly easy and quick to make?!? Highly recommend this cookbook along with her others, True Roots and True Comfort!
August 21, 2025
this appears great 😊
February 16, 2025
Most of the "best of" or "best seller" cookbooks I pick up at the library are by authors I've never heard of. I've mentioned before, if they're Tik Tok stars, I've never heard of them. If they've gone viral on YouTube, who knows? I don't. So maybe my reviews are a little less star struck. I don't know. You be the judge.
I had no idea who Kristen Cavallari was. I just grabbed the cookbook Truly Simple for two reasons: it was close to the other cookbook I picked up at the library and it had a "best seller" sticker on the spine.
Seriously people. I've never heard of her. I guess it's because we don't have cable anymore.
I was glad I read her introduction because that hinted at a couple of things I might need to know before I delved into the recipes: she has a thing for white foods but has made peace with a little bit of processed sugar and her other cookbooks, it appears, contain a bit more elaborate recipes.
This cookbook is about her cooking at home for her family, no pretentiousness.
Her pantry section might be a bit much and I'm not sure how simple it is (for me). Equipment needed is a bit pricey (or obscure) for some like a Vitamix AND a food processor and a nut milk bag. "In the fridge" again could be pricey for some: wild-caught fish, grass-fed beef and bison, pasture-raised organic chicken and eggs, goat's and sheep's milk cheeses, sheep's milk yogurt. The pantry suggestions are pretty standard: nuts, pasta, chicken stock, etc.
So I'm wondering if you didn't have the Cavallari life style how simple these recipes really are. Beverages include ingredients such as Brazil Nut Milk, chlorella powder, and "your favorite collagen powder." These were for mostly the iced coffee drinks. The smoothies seemed a little more obtainable. The honey-maple lemonade sounds delicious.
The breakfast recipes really are eclectic. There's a few gluten free options (simple baked oats or yogurt parfait) along with muffins and full blown huge meals. Some of the more promising ones were the Veggie, Bacon, and Feta Crustless Quiche (43); Tomato and Corn Breakfast Tostadas w/Fried Eggs (55); and Pesto Egg Casserole (56). Probably the weirdest recipe in this section was Cauliflower Oatmeal (60). It's full of great stuff like cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup, chia seeds, strawberries, coconut, hemp seeds, cocao nibs.... I just couldn't get past the cauliflower. Her Blue Blueberry Muffins (63) contain spirulina so that's interesting.
On to Salads. Her Taco Salad (66-67) has a rice base and features a spicy cilantro dressing. She throws in roasted asparagus to the Close-to-Classic Cobb (69-70). The salad dressings here might be more inventive than her salads: Spicy Cilantro Dressing (67), Spicy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing (74), and Whipped Goat's Milk Cheese for the Charred Cabbage (76).
For Lunch, Cavallari features lots of bowls. The Vegan Rice Bowl (92) seemed the most appetizing to me. I also thought the Cheesy Chicken Stuff Poblanos (100) had some merit.
The Dinner section is the most extensive. After I first picked up this book, I quickly perused through this section for something quick to make for dinner. "Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Casserole" (136) sounded promising but it used cauliflower rice and was more of a one-pot slow-cooker meal than a casserole. I thought about subbing in brown rice but this recipe is literally just chicken thighs, a bottle of buffalo sauce, with some broccoli thrown in along with a "tub" of cream cheese. It just didn't sound good. The Creamy Prosciutto Pasta on the next page sounded a bit better but it used coconut milk. Again, I thought that would be a bit odd. Beef Stroganoff (131) was a bit more mainstream and Mediterranean Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce (169) has promise.
Sides contains vegetables, cheddar buns (gluten-free), noodles, pasta and cornbread. The Sweet Harissa Cauliflower (174) is a keeper. The Tahini-Harissa Sauce makes this dish.
One can find lots more gluten-free recipes in Snacks like GF PBJ Oat Bars (202) and GF Naan (207). I'm a sucker for appetizers and the Baked Goat's-Milk Cheese and Tomato Dip (208) along with the Green Chili Chicken Dip (219) might be keepers.
More GF recipes show up in Desserts: GF Maple Date Brownies (222), GF Lemon Strawberry Blondies (233), GF Cold Brew Brownie Cookies (236), GF Lemon Pound Cake (237) and GF AND Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Pistachio Cookies (241). N'ice Cream Three Ways (Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry) (242) is also a dairy-free recipe as is the Individual Key Lime Pies (238).
Staples lists the rest of the recipes you need to make the previous dishes things like Chicken Thighs Two Ways (245) which is mentioned in a lot of the salad and entrée dishes. Most of the rest of the recipes are sauces: Tzatziki (251), Pesto (254), Warm Berry Sauce (257), Spicy Mayo (263), and Ranch Dressing (264). The last recipe does use mayo but uses almond milk instead of buttermilk.
Final thoughts:
There's little milk-cow dairy in the book that I could find. Nut milks or full-fat coconut milk is subbed in. (There is a bit of plain yogurt, whole-milk ricotta, grated cheeses and sour cream that are sprinkled throughout though.)
No refined wheat flour is mentioned. I saw coconut flour, lots of arrowroot, oat flour, and almond flour
There are lots of suggestions for alternatives like a brand of almond flour tortillas.
It's not all alternative stuff though-- there is Sourdough French Toast (51) that sounds amazing.
Her oils of choice are coconut oil or avocado oil.
I guess I didn't find anything really remarkable. I decided to definitely make the Goat Cheese/Tomato Dip though.
Is this book full of healthy options? Absolutely, and if you cooked this way and had the supplies on hand, this would be your go-to cookbook. I just didn't see anything too revolutionary in this book. Maybe if I was a Cavalallari fan-girl, I would have loved it.
I had no idea who Kristen Cavallari was. I just grabbed the cookbook Truly Simple for two reasons: it was close to the other cookbook I picked up at the library and it had a "best seller" sticker on the spine.
Seriously people. I've never heard of her. I guess it's because we don't have cable anymore.
I was glad I read her introduction because that hinted at a couple of things I might need to know before I delved into the recipes: she has a thing for white foods but has made peace with a little bit of processed sugar and her other cookbooks, it appears, contain a bit more elaborate recipes.
This cookbook is about her cooking at home for her family, no pretentiousness.
I'm not trying to be something I'm not, and I'm okay with letting everyone see the real me. I've stepped into my comfort zone, and it feels really damn good. I've let go of perfectionism, and trying to do it all. In a general sense, I'm more at peace. And it shows through my cooking. I'm all about simplicity these days. (10)
Her pantry section might be a bit much and I'm not sure how simple it is (for me). Equipment needed is a bit pricey (or obscure) for some like a Vitamix AND a food processor and a nut milk bag. "In the fridge" again could be pricey for some: wild-caught fish, grass-fed beef and bison, pasture-raised organic chicken and eggs, goat's and sheep's milk cheeses, sheep's milk yogurt. The pantry suggestions are pretty standard: nuts, pasta, chicken stock, etc.
So I'm wondering if you didn't have the Cavallari life style how simple these recipes really are. Beverages include ingredients such as Brazil Nut Milk, chlorella powder, and "your favorite collagen powder." These were for mostly the iced coffee drinks. The smoothies seemed a little more obtainable. The honey-maple lemonade sounds delicious.
The breakfast recipes really are eclectic. There's a few gluten free options (simple baked oats or yogurt parfait) along with muffins and full blown huge meals. Some of the more promising ones were the Veggie, Bacon, and Feta Crustless Quiche (43); Tomato and Corn Breakfast Tostadas w/Fried Eggs (55); and Pesto Egg Casserole (56). Probably the weirdest recipe in this section was Cauliflower Oatmeal (60). It's full of great stuff like cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup, chia seeds, strawberries, coconut, hemp seeds, cocao nibs.... I just couldn't get past the cauliflower. Her Blue Blueberry Muffins (63) contain spirulina so that's interesting.
On to Salads. Her Taco Salad (66-67) has a rice base and features a spicy cilantro dressing. She throws in roasted asparagus to the Close-to-Classic Cobb (69-70). The salad dressings here might be more inventive than her salads: Spicy Cilantro Dressing (67), Spicy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing (74), and Whipped Goat's Milk Cheese for the Charred Cabbage (76).
For Lunch, Cavallari features lots of bowls. The Vegan Rice Bowl (92) seemed the most appetizing to me. I also thought the Cheesy Chicken Stuff Poblanos (100) had some merit.
The Dinner section is the most extensive. After I first picked up this book, I quickly perused through this section for something quick to make for dinner. "Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Casserole" (136) sounded promising but it used cauliflower rice and was more of a one-pot slow-cooker meal than a casserole. I thought about subbing in brown rice but this recipe is literally just chicken thighs, a bottle of buffalo sauce, with some broccoli thrown in along with a "tub" of cream cheese. It just didn't sound good. The Creamy Prosciutto Pasta on the next page sounded a bit better but it used coconut milk. Again, I thought that would be a bit odd. Beef Stroganoff (131) was a bit more mainstream and Mediterranean Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce (169) has promise.
Sides contains vegetables, cheddar buns (gluten-free), noodles, pasta and cornbread. The Sweet Harissa Cauliflower (174) is a keeper. The Tahini-Harissa Sauce makes this dish.
One can find lots more gluten-free recipes in Snacks like GF PBJ Oat Bars (202) and GF Naan (207). I'm a sucker for appetizers and the Baked Goat's-Milk Cheese and Tomato Dip (208) along with the Green Chili Chicken Dip (219) might be keepers.
More GF recipes show up in Desserts: GF Maple Date Brownies (222), GF Lemon Strawberry Blondies (233), GF Cold Brew Brownie Cookies (236), GF Lemon Pound Cake (237) and GF AND Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Pistachio Cookies (241). N'ice Cream Three Ways (Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry) (242) is also a dairy-free recipe as is the Individual Key Lime Pies (238).
Staples lists the rest of the recipes you need to make the previous dishes things like Chicken Thighs Two Ways (245) which is mentioned in a lot of the salad and entrée dishes. Most of the rest of the recipes are sauces: Tzatziki (251), Pesto (254), Warm Berry Sauce (257), Spicy Mayo (263), and Ranch Dressing (264). The last recipe does use mayo but uses almond milk instead of buttermilk.
Final thoughts:
There's little milk-cow dairy in the book that I could find. Nut milks or full-fat coconut milk is subbed in. (There is a bit of plain yogurt, whole-milk ricotta, grated cheeses and sour cream that are sprinkled throughout though.)
No refined wheat flour is mentioned. I saw coconut flour, lots of arrowroot, oat flour, and almond flour
There are lots of suggestions for alternatives like a brand of almond flour tortillas.
It's not all alternative stuff though-- there is Sourdough French Toast (51) that sounds amazing.
Her oils of choice are coconut oil or avocado oil.
I guess I didn't find anything really remarkable. I decided to definitely make the Goat Cheese/Tomato Dip though.
Is this book full of healthy options? Absolutely, and if you cooked this way and had the supplies on hand, this would be your go-to cookbook. I just didn't see anything too revolutionary in this book. Maybe if I was a Cavalallari fan-girl, I would have loved it.
April 19, 2023
This is by far her best cookbook and most practical! I follow her on Instagram, and she actually shows these recipes/food she makes for her family so i’ve seen a lot of them already and have already made 3 now that the book is out, and look forward to more.
May 11, 2023
Super practical - love it
August 21, 2023
This is a fantastic cookbook!! I have already made 4 recipes and I have had the book 5 days!
February 25, 2024
Lots of easy recipes for classics.
the taco bell remake is going to be KY new favorite go to.
Also includes easy sauces and dips to flavor versions you may already make.
the taco bell remake is going to be KY new favorite go to.
Also includes easy sauces and dips to flavor versions you may already make.
May 14, 2023
While I was Team LC back in the day, Kristin Cavallari is my go to for healthy, easy to make meals for the whole family! There are so many recipes from this cookbook I can’t wait to make.
May 29, 2023
Love me some Kristin! Looking forward to trying some new recipes.
July 1, 2023
Recipes looked very good and fairly simple. I checked it out from the library and am not planning on buying it, but for her fans this might be a good purchase.
July 13, 2023
Wish there were more pics of actual recipes, but even then I didn’t find any worth saving. Pass on this one.
March 26, 2024
Not a bad cookbook, though I found it a little odd how the recipes pinged back and forth between healthy, vegan, gluten free and regular. Overall, just nothing that stood out to me.
February 17, 2024
Love this cookbook! But, my only complaint is that some of the recipes, despite saying they are quick, week night meals, are not all that quick! All are tasty though!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews