This New Cookbook Series Will Make You Want to Go Plant-Based

If you’ve ever thrown mushrooms into a pan and watched them shrivel up to almost nothing, you’re not alone. That’s because mushrooms are mostly water. Now what you do with that fact can take your dish from just fine to seriously good.

For example, most people’s first instinct is to salt mushrooms right away. But if you hold off, they’ll crisp up instead of steaming and potentially getting soggy. It’s a small shift, but one that can totally change the outcome and turn a basic ingredient into something seriously craveable.

That kind of practical, approachable tip is exactly what the Make It Plant-Based! series is all about: helping home cooks, no matter their experience level, get more confident with vegetables and make them taste their best. The series, edited by Mehreen Karim, is packed with more than 200 recipes across four globally and regionally inspired titles: Filipino, Indian, Southern, and Mexican. Each one teaches the “why” behind the recipes and offers flexible substitutions for seasonal or budget-friendly swaps. Think: sub sweet potatoes for squash, or use whatever leafy green you have in the fridge.

I get to talk to cookbook authors often—from chefs-turned-influencers to influencers-turned-chefs. But what stood out about this series was how grounded and practical it is. These books are designed with real weeknight dinners in mind. The kind of meals that don’t require niche ingredients or a trip to five grocery stores. I’m not strictly plant-based, so I’ll admit—I was curious, but a little skeptical at first. Then I started flipping through the recipes, tried a few, and got to hear directly from the authors. I was sold.

Here’s a closer look at each book in the series—plus the recipe each author shared with us.

So, What Is the Make It Plant-Based! Series?

Each of the four books is an ode to a different cuisine or approach, with a unified goal: making plant-based cooking feel intuitive and flexible. The books aren’t rigid rulebooks—they’re more like guides from your smartest friend who also happens to know a lot about cooking. They give context on ingredients, explain cultural histories, and include handy swaps throughout. Think: “don’t have kabocha squash? Use sweet potatoes.” “Can’t find mustard seeds? Try cumin instead.”

The full series is out now (as of May 13), available on Amazon and just about wherever else you buy books. It’s edited by Mehreen Karim, whom you might recognize from Bon Appétit or Next Level Chef. She also authored the Southern volume herself—a love letter to the food she grew up eating in Georgia.

“These books let you really understand what you’re working with, and that’s what makes the dishes shine,” Mehreen told me.

But What If I’m Not Plant-Based?

Honestly? That might make this series even more helpful. The focus here isn’t about replacing meat—it’s about getting more out of your vegetables. And that’s something anyone can benefit from.

“These books are written with beginners in mind,” Mehreen explained. “Plant-based products are actually easier to manipulate than animal products—there’s less variability, and more consistency.”

Make It Plant-Based! Filipino

Filipino Canadian recipe developer Ria Elciario-McKeown reimagines the meat-forward dishes of her childhood through a plant-based lens. She grew up in the kitchen as the family “taster,” learning to balance flavors from an early age. Her cooking took a turn toward plant-based when she met her now-husband, a vegetarian. “I wanted to share a part of my culture with him and his family,” she told me. “That led to me experimenting and developing recipes that were tailored to them—and that just snowballed.”

Before even starting the book, she knew she had to include her childhood favorite: a squash and green bean coconut stew. “My mom used to mash it up with rice and feed it to me when I was little. It’s a core memory—and it was the first plant-based dish I made for my husband and his family.”

Ria’s cooking emphasizes adaptability and frugality. Her go-to garnishes—chili crisp, green onions, sesame seeds—are simple, flavorful, and cost-effective.

Make It Plant-Based! Indian

Lifelong vegetarian and food writer Srishti Jain taps into the vegetable-rich traditions of Indian cuisine to create beginner-friendly dishes that don’t skimp on flavor. She grew up watching her mother and grandmother cook daily, later hosting supper clubs for up to sixty people at a time before working in restaurants and doing chef residencies.

Her book is grounded in simplicity, but isn’t afraid to push readers just a little. “A lot of the recipes are meant to be beginner-friendly,” she said, “but some—especially in the dessert chapter—introduce more interesting techniques.”
One idea she highlights is the concept of sabzi, which literally translates to “produce.” “Even when you think you have nothing, you can make something,” she said. Her recipes break down ingredients like okra and eggplant—vegetables many home cooks find intimidating—and explain how to get the most out of them.

Make It Plant-Based! Southern

Mehreen Karim’s volume is a celebration of the Southern food she grew up eating in Georgia, but reimagined through a plant-based lens. While she doesn’t label herself strictly vegan, her home cooking has long leaned toward vegetables. Working around Brooklyn, doing residencies and pop-ups, and spending the last two years honing her craft alongside chefs across the city, Mehreen has learned to master the art of developing recipes.

She loves layering flavors, a hallmark of South Asian cuisine, which she grew up watching her family perfect. With this book, she thought about how to weave that love for flavor complexity into Southern dishes. “They all become like different characters in the dish simply because of when they’re introduced.”

“I think the universal barrier for all home cooks, whether you’re plant-based or not, is just not feeling comfortable manipulating your ingredients,” she said. Her goal? Helping readers feel more confident and curious in the kitchen.
Her book blends tradition with approachability, making room for readers to experiment and adapt. Expect creamy sauces made with silken tofu, classic dishes with smart twists, and plenty of tips for stretching ingredients and embracing leftovers.

Make It Plant-Based! Mexican

Writer and recipe developer Andrea Aliseda brings fresh produce and classic Mexican flavors together in this bold, deeply personal cookbook. She first went vegetarian in high school and quickly realized she’d need to start cooking for herself—especially when it came to reimagining the traditional dishes she loved.

Her journey took her from Texas to New York, where she planned to attend culinary school but instead found herself working in vegan kitchens and developing plant-based versions of Mexican staples at home. “I was horrible at cooking at first,” she says, “but I was always curious.”

Andrea draws inspiration from her family and the idea that plant-based cooking is far from new—it’s rooted in Indigenous, East Asian, and Mexican traditions. “The thing about Mexican cooking is that at the heart of it, there are so many vegetables that color the flavors of the dishes,” she says. Her book walks readers through foundational ingredients like masa and encourages them to get creative with what they have.

What cookbooks are you eyeing this summer? I’m always on the lookout for new authors and series!