Cozy Cookbook Review: Best of Vegan

In our household, we are meat-free except for the very occasional fish dish. We have been dabbling with veganism more and more, and we aren’t alone. Veganuary is becoming a popular way to kick off the new year and have more people trying plant-based eating. Selecting Best of Vegan to review next was an easy choice for us. 

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Background of the Book & Author

Kim-Julie Hansen became vegan overnight in 2011. She had just lost her father at 53 to a heart attack and, while dealing with her grief, also decided to make some lifestyle changes to prioritize her own health. Now, she shares the knowledge she’s learned with others through Vegan Reset and now this cookbook. She also runs an Instagram account with the same name as the cookbook, @bestofvegan. As someone who used to love meat, fish, dairy, and eggs, she proves that switching to more plant-based is possible and enjoyable.

Best of Vegan is a collection of 100 vegan recipes that celebrate comfort, culture, and community. She shares some of her favorites and includes recipes inspired by other chefs from around the world. You’ll find everything from smoothie recipes to dessert options, so it’s a great way to dabble in veganism if you’re interested. It’s Hansen’s way of showing people how tasty vegan recipes can be.

What Grabbed My Attention

The line on the front of the cookbook grabbed me right away, promising comfort, culture, and community—that’s what food is all about. A chapter called “I Don’t Want Salad” was enough to sell me on a vegan cookbook. I went on a deep dive into Kim-Julie Hansen’s website, and I was hooked. 

Each recipe also comes with a song to put on. I love a little playlist moment. It was fun to try and figure out why they chose the specific song with that recipe.

Overall Cookbook Rating

Ease of recipes – 8/10

Knowledge of methods & ingredients – 7/10

Fits the theme – 10/10

Taste overall of test recipes – 10/10

Quantity of recipes that generated excitement – 10/10

Overall rating – 9/10

Feedback from a lazy cook who hates a dish pile up and making dinner decisions:

This cookbook had such a wide variety of recipes that it was easy to find something simple and quick. Most of our recipes had leftovers, allowing us to enjoy at least multiple meals each time we prepped and cooked. In full transparency, my husband did most of the cooking from this book while I was sick, so it was extra easy for me. 

Feedback from an aspiring cook who wants to impress herself and learn how to do more:

There were fantastic recipes that required multiple steps and some interesting combinations. Nothing we made was too overwhelming, but there are some recipes in the book that we could try in the future with some new flavors or combinations.

Recipes I Cooked from the Cookbook:

Dish 1 – Baja-Style “Fish” Tacos

My favorite fish meal is fish tacos. After living in Southern California, quitting this tasty option is hard. This recipe uses Hearts of Palm instead of fish and includes fresh pineapple. I would have never thought to blend up seaweed to add the flavors of the ocean to the meal. This recipe took longer than the others, but it was a fun experience to try something new and have it work out.

Changes made – none

Suggestions for next time – I would cut the recipes in half or make it for more people. Anything that is fried just doesn’t reheat very well. I would also find another recipe to use purple cabbage in because I had so much leftover without a plan to use it. 

Dish 2 – Greek Pita with Tzatziki

A Gyro is one of the only dishes I miss from my meat-eating days. This pita was fantastic and perfect for feeding us multiple times. Making the tzatziki sauce was easy, and it made a ton of extra, so we could use it as a salad dressing.

Changes made – none

Suggestions for next time – I would add more cucumber to the sandwich since there was so much leftover from the Tzatziki. I might even buy the vegan feta and add that for a little extra. 

Dish 3 – Avocado Pesto Pasta

This recipe is on her website, so you can try it, too. It wasn’t my first time making pesto, but it was the first time I’ve used avocado in the sauce. We typically have at least one avocado on hand, so this would be a perfect way to use it up if it’s getting too ripe. The pasta was creamy and flavorful without any cheese. 

Changes made – none

Suggestions for next time – no notes, except that I would use noodles like the ones in the picture next time

Dish 4 – Whiskey Glazed Brussel Sprouts & Chickpea Caesar Salad

I love Brussels sprouts and will try any recipes that include them. This was a very different way to prepare them than I normally do. I typically roast them so they are a little crispy, but this recipe includes more liquid, and the sprouts were softer when they were done. The flavor was fantastic, and these would make a great side dish at Thanksgiving or any other winter meal.

We made these with the Chickpea Caesar salad. The salad was super easy, and the homemade Caesar dressing was fantastic. I kept the recipe for the salad dressing so we could make it again in the future. Everything we had for this was on hand, too.

Changes made – none

Suggestions for next time – I would use a little less liquid in the sprouts because I had to drain some out before serving.

Lessons Learned

• Chickpeas can really do it all. I have definitely underutilized them in the past, but I won’t be doing that anymore.
• Cheese is not required for all pasta. It’s actually pretty easy to eliminate it from many recipes.
• Vegan swaps are really easy for mayo, butter, and sour cream. We’ve already made the change with milk, but these other things don’t taste any different (or even better), and they help cut back on animal products even more.

Who Should Buy This Cookbook

This cookbook is great for anyone who wants to make a few more swaps for plant-based meals. The recipes offer fun and unique ingredient swaps to some classic recipes (like the “fish” tacos) and many vegetable-forward recipes that look so appetizing. Whether you’re a beginner vegan or have been living the plant-based lifestyle for years, this book has great options to enjoy.

Buy your copy here through Bookshop.org or Amazon.

Final Thoughts on the Best of Vegan

I’m so glad we picked this cookbook for our second review of the year. Everything we tried was fantastic, and there was a whole list of recipes that we wanted to try but couldn’t fit into the two-week review period. This book will definitely be added to our kitchen bookshelf. I can’t wait to try the Classic Mac N Cheese, Chipotle Curry “Chicken” Wraps, and the Chiles en Nogada. Until then, I’ll work through the recipes on her Instagram and website.

If you missed the first cookbook review of the year, catch up here.