It’s World Vegetarian Day! This is really exciting news for us, because not one, not two, but THREE Turnaround marketing team members are veggie. There are hundreds of reasons to back on animal products, but we are not here to preach at you. We do, however, firmly believe that everyone should have at least a handful of delicious, hearty vegetarian meals in their cookery repertoire. So if you’re planning on celebrating today with a meatless meal, challenging yourself to eat more veggies or considering going veggie all together, we have plenty of great vegetarian cookbooks to help you along!

First published in 1930, The Duke’s Table (Melville House – 9781612191393 – £30) is quite simply a massive compendium of vegetarian recipes from Italy and around the world. The brainchild of Enrico Alliata, the Duke of Salaparuta, the book contains over 1000 recipes and is uitable for all levels of culinary ability.

Veggie Londoners will be familiar with the Heddon Street buffet restaurant, which lets you pay for your food based on the weight of your plate. Tibits at Home: Stylish Vegetarian Cuisine (Hiltl – 9783038007340 – £25) is the out-by-popular-demand cookbook from the Frei brothers, who brought the Tibits concept over from Switzerland. The cookbook is split into four sections according to the seasons, with 50 recipes in total. 80% of the recipes are vegan, and many cater to those on gluten-free and nut-free diets.

New Internationalist are the world’s leading independent publisher of magazines and books on politics, global justice and equality. As the UN continues to advocate vegetarian diets as being better for the planet as well as the communities that are most likely to go hungry, it’s no wonder this publisher offers so many excellent cookbooks for those looking to eat less meat. A few of our favourites are below:

• The Adventurous Vegetarian (9781780261607 – £20). Working with many vegetarian groups and societies, author Jane Hughes has brought together favourite meals and fascinating stories from Belgium to China, Cuba to Palestine.
• The Small Planet Vegetarian Cookbook (9781780260785 – £20). This cookbook presents some of the best non-meat dishes from all over the world presented in a mezze style.
• Vegan Love Story (9781780262635 – £27). Two families share their expertise and passion for innovative, vegetarian and vegan cuisine, focusing on Hiltl, the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world in Zurich, and Tibits, the award-winning restaurant chain in London and Switzerland. This successful partnership presents 80 recipes with influences from all over the world , beautiful photography and information about some of the key ingredients in vegan cuisine.
• The Global Vegetarian Kitchen(9781906523381 – £20) is an environmentally sound cookbook shows readers how to grow their own food – whether they are the owners of a window box, a garden or an allotment. Alongside recipes which can be made from outdoor spaces are dishes which feature foods from around the world. With an emphasis on simplicity and versatility, it is easy to start local and think seasonal when sourcing ingredients.

Is lacto-ovo a little too easy for you? Try one of our vegan cookbooks!

Mango & Mint (PM Press – 9781604863239 – £12.99) follows the philosophy of delicious vegan cuisine, primarily Arabic, Indian and North African. Nicky Garratt – UK Subs guitarist and vegetarian cook – has included recipes ideal for family dining and entertaining.

Hot Damn and Hell Yeah (Microcosm – 9781621069898 – £7.99) is one that I personally use in my kitchen (but … I often throw some cheese into the mix). The priority is placed on taste and providing delicious vegan incarnations of typical Southwestern food rather than prioritising health and nutrition value at the expense of flavour. With custom illustrations of skeletal characters in the old Southwest, Hot Damn is the vegan cookbook you didn’t know you loved!

Finally, This Ain’t No Picnic (Microcosm – 9780977055753 – 14.99) is the first cookbook to feature creative and delicious vegan recipes that match the quality and presentation of a five-star restaurant whilst never straying from self-parody and humour about punk rock culture and history.

Has all this talk of vegetarian food made you feel a little bit anti-veggie? To each their own, I suppose! We actually have a book here that might suit you anyway! Contravening popular opinion, Lierre Keith argues that agriculture is a relentless assault against the planet in The Vegetarian Myth (PM Press – 9781604860801 – £14.99). In service to annual grains, humans have devastated prairies and forests, driven countless species extinct, altered the climate, and destroyed the topsoil – the basis of growth and life itself.

What’s your take on World Vegetarian Day? Do you like to go meat-free from time to time, or are you a staunch carnivore? Either way, we’d love to hear your thoughts! Comment below or tweet us @TurnaroundUK.