What do you think?
Rate this book
But I Could Never Go Vegan!: 125 Recipes That Prove You Can Live Without Cheese, It’s Not All Rabbit Food, and Your Friends Will Still Come Over for Dinner
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Food & Cookbooks (2015)“Get ready for your taste buds to explode.”—Isa Chandra Moskowitz
Can’t imagine living without cheese? Convinced that dairy-free baked goods just don’t cut it? Hate the taste of tofu and not a fan of boring salads? EXCUSES, BE GONE!
Blogger-author extraordinaire Kristy Turner deliciously refutes every excuse you’ve ever heard with 125 bursting-with-flavor vegan recipes for every meal of the day—including dessert! If you’re a waffling vegan newbie, on-the-fence vegetarian, or veg-curious omnivore, this book will banish your doubts. You’ll find you can get enough protein, fit in at a potluck, learn to love cauliflower, and enjoy pizza, nachos, brownies, and more—without any animal products at all. (Even vegan pros will discover some new tricks!)
Colorful photographs throughout will have you salivating over Kristy’s inventive, easy-to-follow recipes. So what are you waiting for? Get in the kitchen and leave your excuses at the door!
Can’t imagine living without cheese? Convinced that dairy-free baked goods just don’t cut it? Hate the taste of tofu and not a fan of boring salads? EXCUSES, BE GONE!
Blogger-author extraordinaire Kristy Turner deliciously refutes every excuse you’ve ever heard with 125 bursting-with-flavor vegan recipes for every meal of the day—including dessert! If you’re a waffling vegan newbie, on-the-fence vegetarian, or veg-curious omnivore, this book will banish your doubts. You’ll find you can get enough protein, fit in at a potluck, learn to love cauliflower, and enjoy pizza, nachos, brownies, and more—without any animal products at all. (Even vegan pros will discover some new tricks!)
Colorful photographs throughout will have you salivating over Kristy’s inventive, easy-to-follow recipes. So what are you waiting for? Get in the kitchen and leave your excuses at the door!
320 pages, Paperback
First published December 2, 2014
881 people are currently reading
5867 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
December 13, 2014
1st let me say that I collect vegan cookbooks. I currently have 65 & that's only because I recently got rid of about 40. So I have a lot to compare cookbooks too!That being said this book is in my top 5!
Everything in this book looks Amazing!!
I thought this book, because it is geared towards veg-curious, would, like most books in a similar market, would be full of vegan meat substitutes, Daiya cheese, & other vegan convenience foods. But I was wrong!! This is actually a pretty healthy cookbook. Everything looks decadent but it's mostly whole foods based!!
A few recipes call for vegan butter or vegan cream cheese but those are few & far between!! This may be one of my favorite vegan cookbooks this year.
Everything in this book looks Amazing!!
I thought this book, because it is geared towards veg-curious, would, like most books in a similar market, would be full of vegan meat substitutes, Daiya cheese, & other vegan convenience foods. But I was wrong!! This is actually a pretty healthy cookbook. Everything looks decadent but it's mostly whole foods based!!
A few recipes call for vegan butter or vegan cream cheese but those are few & far between!! This may be one of my favorite vegan cookbooks this year.
February 27, 2015
If you’re a waffling vegan newbie, on-the-fence vegetarian, or veg-curious omnivore, this book will banish your doubts.
But I Could Never Go Vegan! countered the many reasons people give for not going vegan. I picked it up because I'm always looking for 1) new veggie-focused meals to try and 2) ideas to help me reduce the amount of dairy in my meals. The author being a former cheese-lover herself, I thought I could trust her recipes to actually satisfy my dairy cravings. Frankly, sometimes I'll read recipes online, try 'em out, spit 'em out, then think, "Does this person even know or remember what [insert dairy-beef-poultry here] actually tastes like?!!" Kristy Turner so very obviously remembers. Her recipe for tempeh "bacon" was the first time in all my seven years of never eating pork, but still missing crispy bacon, that came close to replicating both the flavor and texture of real bacon.
I loved how this cookbook was organized by the reason one might give for not going vegan: it's more expensive (which it is despite this author and other health gurus saying it's not; sadly, healthy food costs more than junk food nowadays, no matter where you shop); I couldn't give up cheese; no soup again!; it's all rabbit food; my friend's won't want to come over for dinner; and so many more. So all I had to do was think of a reason, look up its section, then thumb through the easy-to-follow instructions.
I like to see what my food is going to look like. So it will probably come as no surprise what I think Kristy did better than most of the healthy cookbooks I've read in the past couple years: She included a COLOR photo for EVERY recipe!
4 stars
(because I wanted more recipes per reason/chapter)
But I Could Never Go Vegan! countered the many reasons people give for not going vegan. I picked it up because I'm always looking for 1) new veggie-focused meals to try and 2) ideas to help me reduce the amount of dairy in my meals. The author being a former cheese-lover herself, I thought I could trust her recipes to actually satisfy my dairy cravings. Frankly, sometimes I'll read recipes online, try 'em out, spit 'em out, then think, "Does this person even know or remember what [insert dairy-beef-poultry here] actually tastes like?!!" Kristy Turner so very obviously remembers. Her recipe for tempeh "bacon" was the first time in all my seven years of never eating pork, but still missing crispy bacon, that came close to replicating both the flavor and texture of real bacon.
I loved how this cookbook was organized by the reason one might give for not going vegan: it's more expensive (which it is despite this author and other health gurus saying it's not; sadly, healthy food costs more than junk food nowadays, no matter where you shop); I couldn't give up cheese; no soup again!; it's all rabbit food; my friend's won't want to come over for dinner; and so many more. So all I had to do was think of a reason, look up its section, then thumb through the easy-to-follow instructions.
I like to see what my food is going to look like. So it will probably come as no surprise what I think Kristy did better than most of the healthy cookbooks I've read in the past couple years: She included a COLOR photo for EVERY recipe!
4 stars
(because I wanted more recipes per reason/chapter)
April 25, 2015
Great idea to organize the chapters by the most common excuses! Nice photos. I made several delicious things from this book:
Tofu sour cream
Chickpea "fries"
Three pea and pistacio pesto orzo salad (I used something other than orzo, I think it was just brown rice)
Lentil, chard, and sweet potato curry (this was really good)
Broccoli cheddar soup
Carrot cashew pate]
Creamy curried tempeh salad with dried cherries and almonds (I used raisins; DELICIOUS)
Spiced carrot cake cupcakes (without frosting)
Tofu sour cream
Chickpea "fries"
Three pea and pistacio pesto orzo salad (I used something other than orzo, I think it was just brown rice)
Lentil, chard, and sweet potato curry (this was really good)
Broccoli cheddar soup
Carrot cashew pate]
Creamy curried tempeh salad with dried cherries and almonds (I used raisins; DELICIOUS)
Spiced carrot cake cupcakes (without frosting)
February 2, 2016
I have made quite a few of these recipes and I have not been disappointed! The only thing that didn't turn out wonderful was my lentil loaf and I believe it was because I did not cook my lentils long enough and did not have enough flour to my loaf but other than that, I'm very very happy with this purchase!
September 25, 2016
This one was getting hyped a lot awhile back, but when I looked at a few of the reviews it seemed like a lot of people were saying there's too much fake meat and cheese in it, and since I mostly tend to avoid those things (not having been big on meat even before I decided to quit eating it), I figured it wasn't for me. But then, I dunno, the cover is pretty and there's a quote from Isa Chandra Moskowitz on it, so I ended up getting talked into it despite that (it also helps that a perk of my library job is free inter-library loans when our system doesn't have something I want to read--booyah!).
Aaaaaanyway, I opened it up and literally the first recipe is for tempeh bacon. Nope! And then a fake sausage recipe. And then how to make homemade seitan, which I do not like at all. So I was like, "uhhhhh, why did I get this again?" When I saw the next section was all fake cheese I groaned. Only then it turns out it's not all nutritional yeast flakes (beh) and there are recipes for things like tofu chevre and feta (which are two of the cheeses I love the very most), so I started thinking maybe I'd want to try one of those and see if it works.
And then stuff just started looking better and better. The protein section has things like spinach edamame hummus and falafel tacos, the tofu section has a savory corn cheesecake with cilantro-pepita dressing that looks amaaaaazing, and then I hit the salad section. A note here: I generally just skim the salad sections in cookbooks because I mostly feel like there's no need for a recipe for salad--just fill a bowl with lettuce and throw a bunch of other stuff in there, right? But omg. The salads! BBQ cauliflower salad? Three pea and orzo pistachio pesto salad? Beluga lentil and couscous salad with orange-champagne vinaigrette? Warm lemony olive potato salad? SOLD!
And then there's a section called, "Fake 'Foods' Freak Me out" that includes corn fritters with chile-lime sauce (ha, you got me there, Kristy Turner!). And one called, "It's All Rabbit Food" that contains jackfruit nachos supreme, onion rings, and chocolate stout chili fries. And then, once again, oh dear god the soup! The only one that does not look good to me is the broccoli-cheddar, because then we're back to the nutritional yeast flakes, and also making broccoli-cheese soup the lazy way for years after college (a block of Velveeta + a bag of frozen broccoli and voila!) has ruined me for putting actual effort into it.
It goes on. The point is, yes, there are a lot of recipes that rely heavily on fake meat and cheese in this book. Most of those don't really appeal to me, though some certainly do, surprisingly enough. But there are also enough recipes that don't fall into that category to make me want to buy a copy of this book and get cooking! And I actually really like the way Kristy Turner's set this book up, with each section devoted to a typical argument people give for why they could never be vegan ("I Would Miss Pizza" or "Vegan Cooking is Too Hard" or "What About Brunch?") and a number of recipes to prove that things are otherwise. Great photographs too!
Also, this is probably the longest review I've ever written for a cookbook. I think just because it so pleasantly surprised me. I'm going to stop here though and move onto the next one--ha!
Aaaaaanyway, I opened it up and literally the first recipe is for tempeh bacon. Nope! And then a fake sausage recipe. And then how to make homemade seitan, which I do not like at all. So I was like, "uhhhhh, why did I get this again?" When I saw the next section was all fake cheese I groaned. Only then it turns out it's not all nutritional yeast flakes (beh) and there are recipes for things like tofu chevre and feta (which are two of the cheeses I love the very most), so I started thinking maybe I'd want to try one of those and see if it works.
And then stuff just started looking better and better. The protein section has things like spinach edamame hummus and falafel tacos, the tofu section has a savory corn cheesecake with cilantro-pepita dressing that looks amaaaaazing, and then I hit the salad section. A note here: I generally just skim the salad sections in cookbooks because I mostly feel like there's no need for a recipe for salad--just fill a bowl with lettuce and throw a bunch of other stuff in there, right? But omg. The salads! BBQ cauliflower salad? Three pea and orzo pistachio pesto salad? Beluga lentil and couscous salad with orange-champagne vinaigrette? Warm lemony olive potato salad? SOLD!
And then there's a section called, "Fake 'Foods' Freak Me out" that includes corn fritters with chile-lime sauce (ha, you got me there, Kristy Turner!). And one called, "It's All Rabbit Food" that contains jackfruit nachos supreme, onion rings, and chocolate stout chili fries. And then, once again, oh dear god the soup! The only one that does not look good to me is the broccoli-cheddar, because then we're back to the nutritional yeast flakes, and also making broccoli-cheese soup the lazy way for years after college (a block of Velveeta + a bag of frozen broccoli and voila!) has ruined me for putting actual effort into it.
It goes on. The point is, yes, there are a lot of recipes that rely heavily on fake meat and cheese in this book. Most of those don't really appeal to me, though some certainly do, surprisingly enough. But there are also enough recipes that don't fall into that category to make me want to buy a copy of this book and get cooking! And I actually really like the way Kristy Turner's set this book up, with each section devoted to a typical argument people give for why they could never be vegan ("I Would Miss Pizza" or "Vegan Cooking is Too Hard" or "What About Brunch?") and a number of recipes to prove that things are otherwise. Great photographs too!
Also, this is probably the longest review I've ever written for a cookbook. I think just because it so pleasantly surprised me. I'm going to stop here though and move onto the next one--ha!
June 8, 2016
Okay... I'm not vegan nor do I intend to be. I checked this out because I eat a vegan-like diet a good portion of the year for religious reasons. If I were considering being a vegan, this book would not sway me.
When I look at vegan recipes, I always discard the ones with fake food. Blech. (Yes, I know there was a section that addressed this). I love cooking with whole, real foods and spices. (I also love cooking with grass-fed butter, ghee, local, free-range eggs, and cheese...but that's not always an option for me). I don't want fake egg substitutes or soy milk instead of dairy; I want someone to tell me how to bake without ANY eggs or dairy. (I'm ranting about most vegan cookbooks with this statement).
I gave this two stars because it could probably be helpful to someone who is just starting out on a vegan journey and learning how to cook with ingredients that are sometimes a bit foreign, especially in American diets. I also really loved that there were nice pictures for every recipe. That's a big plus when looking at cookbooks.
In conclusion, this book was just not for me.
When I look at vegan recipes, I always discard the ones with fake food. Blech. (Yes, I know there was a section that addressed this). I love cooking with whole, real foods and spices. (I also love cooking with grass-fed butter, ghee, local, free-range eggs, and cheese...but that's not always an option for me). I don't want fake egg substitutes or soy milk instead of dairy; I want someone to tell me how to bake without ANY eggs or dairy. (I'm ranting about most vegan cookbooks with this statement).
I gave this two stars because it could probably be helpful to someone who is just starting out on a vegan journey and learning how to cook with ingredients that are sometimes a bit foreign, especially in American diets. I also really loved that there were nice pictures for every recipe. That's a big plus when looking at cookbooks.
In conclusion, this book was just not for me.
January 14, 2015
This was a curiosity read. Vegans still fail. I believe that vegetables and fruits and such can be made tasty, but I am insulted by the unattainable - and extremely expensive - ingredients required to recreate something that's already majestic. Broccoli cheddar soup? Why make it without the cheese? Why have cheese in the title if cheese isn't in the recipe is a better question? Maybe I'm narrow-minded, but vegans are either very wealthy to afford the unique ingredients to make fake food or they are all just starving and not saying anything. Give me the Joy of Cooking, James Beard's American Cookery, or Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking anyday.
June 12, 2020
One of the first books I bought when I started a whole foods, plant based diet. There are some wonderful recipes and also a good introduction of kitchen tools and basic ingredients that make life easier in a vegan kitchen. I like the pictures in the book, too. Good index.
November 3, 2019
Has some great recipes,going to get busy preparing a few this week.
March 7, 2024
One of the better vegan cookbooks I’ve read. Got some good ideas like cauliflower piccata, lemony greens and potatoes salad, mushroom carpaccio, peas and guacamole, and mango ice cream.
November 1, 2014
This cook book is absolutely wonderful! I have cooked several recipes from here already and they are a huge hit with me and my family . I am vegan and have to eat gluten free so it is a challenge. The author labels each recipe with tags like sugar free , gluten free, I still can make many things that are not labeled gluten free with gluten free ingredients . Very clear concise directions and easy to follow. If you are looking to go vegan or want to go vegan a few times a week , whatever your reason get this fabulous cook book . It is a keeper for me !
December 30, 2018
I only tried 2 recipes but the ones I made were a huge disappointment. The mix of flavors in the veggie wrap were not appetizing in my opinion and the broccoli tabbouleh just tasted healthy. I've been able to cook healthy recipes from other books where they are very flavorful. Maybe I just picked 2 bad recipes as this seems to be a popular book. However, I haven't been tempted to make anymore recipes so I may not find out how the rest of the book is.
March 17, 2016
What a fantastic and informative read. First I must clarify: I love reading cookbooks...every...last...word.
This book not only offers 125 vegan recipes but some useful information. I am in the process of becoming a vegan so I was appreciative of this information.
And yes there are pictures! I hate cookbooks that don't have pictures of the prepared food.
This book not only offers 125 vegan recipes but some useful information. I am in the process of becoming a vegan so I was appreciative of this information.
And yes there are pictures! I hate cookbooks that don't have pictures of the prepared food.
June 11, 2016
Delicious!
These recipes all sound delicious! I would recommend this to all my friends who like to cook. The cheese recipes are definitely worth getting the book. Also, the pizza recipes sound fabulous, I can't wait to try them.
These recipes all sound delicious! I would recommend this to all my friends who like to cook. The cheese recipes are definitely worth getting the book. Also, the pizza recipes sound fabulous, I can't wait to try them.
August 25, 2017
Good cookbook. Mushroom Fettuccine Alfredo, sort of bland tasting. If you are trying to overcome a tofu aversion, this is not the way to go.
March 28, 2018
I didn't love this vegan cookbook as much as Thug Kitchen - the recipes don't seem as accessible or sound as tasty. Plus, I feel like she's super-focused on convincing me to become vegan, whereas Thug Kitchen just glazes over the fact that it's a vegan cookbook (so I barely even noticed). I'm most excited to try some of the desserts, which is weird since that is usually the section of cookbooks that I have the least interest. I don't care for creating foods that imitate something (like cheese or bacon), so that was a turn-off for me because I just like to cook foods that are already vegan and make them shine. She definitely did not convince me to become vegan. I will update if/when I try some of these recipes.
September 27, 2018
Some of the recipes in this book are quite good, others more basic, inspiring nonetheless.
April 5, 2020
I’ve tried a few recipes. Easy to follow and delicious! I’ve book marked several more. Great tips scattered throughout.
December 29, 2021
Kristy loves cauliflower and so do I ♥️
November 10, 2022
I’m not a vegan so I shouldn’t rate it but I did.
December 21, 2023
2023 is a much better time to become plant based than even 5 years ago (when I went meatless) but I am still not sure I could give up cheese!!!
January 5, 2015
I adore vegan cookbooks, and I can't deny that this particular cookbook has most of the amazing qualities that are typically present in my favorite selections.
For one, this book is jam packed with amazingly gorgeous, colorful photographs of meals that look so *spectacular* that I feel as if I can almost SMELL the food, just by looking at the pictures!
I think this is where "BUT I CAN NEVER GO VEGAN" *especially* shines -- in creating familiar recipes with a healthy vegan twist that still maintain the colors, flavors, and textures that veg-curious/veg-hesitant people may feel they would lose by adapting a plant based diet. Beyond this, the author does a fabulous job of keeping a humorous, upbeat style through the book, while maintaining an excellent organization around common myths/fears that may prevent some people from adapting a vegan lifestyle.
I love that the majority of the recipes are heavy on the whole foods, which definitely makes the foods more healthy and sustainable than many vegan recipe books seem to feature.
My only one teeny issue is that a lot of the recipes do seem pretty complex and overwhelming for someone like myself, who is incredibly klutzy and impatient in the kitchen! (Plus, now I really want to try some jackfruit -- and I'm pretty sure it's not available in this entire little town where I live!)
I did receive an e-book copy of BUT I COULD NEVER GO VEGAN for review purposes. But, the sheer gorgeousness of book means that I will definitely be purchasing the paperback for my own collection -- and I recommend the same for anyone who loves good food (vegan or not!)
For one, this book is jam packed with amazingly gorgeous, colorful photographs of meals that look so *spectacular* that I feel as if I can almost SMELL the food, just by looking at the pictures!
I think this is where "BUT I CAN NEVER GO VEGAN" *especially* shines -- in creating familiar recipes with a healthy vegan twist that still maintain the colors, flavors, and textures that veg-curious/veg-hesitant people may feel they would lose by adapting a plant based diet. Beyond this, the author does a fabulous job of keeping a humorous, upbeat style through the book, while maintaining an excellent organization around common myths/fears that may prevent some people from adapting a vegan lifestyle.
I love that the majority of the recipes are heavy on the whole foods, which definitely makes the foods more healthy and sustainable than many vegan recipe books seem to feature.
My only one teeny issue is that a lot of the recipes do seem pretty complex and overwhelming for someone like myself, who is incredibly klutzy and impatient in the kitchen! (Plus, now I really want to try some jackfruit -- and I'm pretty sure it's not available in this entire little town where I live!)
I did receive an e-book copy of BUT I COULD NEVER GO VEGAN for review purposes. But, the sheer gorgeousness of book means that I will definitely be purchasing the paperback for my own collection -- and I recommend the same for anyone who loves good food (vegan or not!)
February 5, 2015
This might be a great start to working towards becoming vegan or working vegan meals into your everyday meals. This is a great starting point for people that don't know where to start (like me). My weakness is cheese so having an entire section on cheese substitutes with many different types of "cheese." Some of the ingredients seem to be more expensive but when you already have some of them on hand it will save time in the long run. There are tons of wonderful recipes that I am looking forward to trying. There are some simple recipes as well as more complicated recipes that hopefully down the line I will be able to try. Overall this was a great cookbook that I am looking forward to slowly implement vegan recipes into my cooking/meals.
I received this advanced copy from The Experiment through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
I received this advanced copy from The Experiment through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
January 10, 2020
Eh. I am transitioning to vegan but most of the recipes are too complicated or not plant based enough for my taste. I appreciate cheese and ground beef alternatives but this book is primarily that route rather than more “pure” recipes. I like about a half dozen recipes so this isn’t my favorite vegan cookbook
September 26, 2016
Seriously, everyone she read this just for the bbq roasted cauliflower recipe alone. Oh. My. Gosh. I've made it three times now and no longer need the recipe, so I guess I can return it to the library...
August 27, 2019
No, I could never go Vegan if I was relying on this cook-book to convince me! I was a little disturbed at the idea of 'canned green chillis' (why?) but not as much as 'liquid smoke'. Recipes seemed to require a lot of work. Not my cup of tea.
November 19, 2019
I eat vegetarian and was looking forward to reading this book. However, I didn't like the fact that the author tries to make vegetarian food look like meat. That is not what I am seeking.
I looked through the recipes and only found a few that I would ever attempt.
I looked through the recipes and only found a few that I would ever attempt.
Read
December 2, 2015another great cookbook for vegans. lots of flavorful recipes that are easy to follow and enjoyed by my entire family.
June 15, 2020
I try to incorporate vegetarian meals into my diet weekly, but she has failed to convince me to go vegan. The layout of the book is cute; each chapter is a series of recipes that addresses a common reason people say they could “never go vegan”. So e examples are “I could never give up cheese” “it’s all rabbit food” and “I would miss pizza”. While the concept is good, nothing that I made blew me away. I like the idea of a healthier lifestyle with more veggies and grains and less meat, but I also love good food. Some of the things I made were tempeh bacon (ok but could never replace real bacon, and my family hated it), seitan and peanut satay seitan (also just ok but the family hated it), and maple bean cornbread casserole (this one I loved but everyone else in my family disliked). I think the author’s taste run towards the more vinegary/acidic than mine in general. I also rolled my eyes when she mentioned why she has given up eggs. She said they saw how the chickens were treated and could never eat eggs again. Obviously factory farms are terrible but she could just easily shell out for the $7 eggs that come from a free-range local organic farm and solve that problem without giving up eggs. It would also support the people who are trying hard to things the right way. The problem is t the meat, it’s the way people will buy cheaper over the more expensive ethically sourced items every time. There are plenty of issues with the underpaid vegetable farmers and migrant workers too.
January 7, 2022
I picked this up because I meant to begin shifting to more of a vegan diet after the new year after watching a film called "Forks Over Knives."
Well, that will be delayed as my wife & I began a Whole 30 diet with the month beginning January 5.
This book is a great place to start taking those steps to veganism. The front matter discusses vegan staples many readers may not be familiar with. Paging through the recipes, there are lots of good ideas for vegan dinners. The friendly writing style makes me believe that it won't be that hard. If it comes to anything, considering the time factor and cleaning up after my Great Pyrenees, I'll be better for it.
Well, that will be delayed as my wife & I began a Whole 30 diet with the month beginning January 5.
This book is a great place to start taking those steps to veganism. The front matter discusses vegan staples many readers may not be familiar with. Paging through the recipes, there are lots of good ideas for vegan dinners. The friendly writing style makes me believe that it won't be that hard. If it comes to anything, considering the time factor and cleaning up after my Great Pyrenees, I'll be better for it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews