Explore our curated list of some of the most influential and must-read Mediterranean plant-forward cookbooks that raise the profile of vegetables and provide tested culinary strategies for serving them in their most delicious forms. The list includes cookbooks in English only, authored by both chefs and cookbook authors. While some of these cookbooks include recipes focusing on animal proteins, they also include many fabulous plant-forward dishes that made these books part of our essential collection.

  1. Basque Country: A Culinary Journey Through a Food Lovers Paradise by Marti Buckley

  2. Tapas: The Little Dishes of Spain by Penelope Casas

  3. The Turkish Cookbook by Musa Dagdeviren

  4. The Georgian Feast: The Vibrant Culture and Savory Food of the Republic of Georgia by Darra Goldstein

  5. Mediterranean Fresh: A Compendium of One Plate Salad Meals and Mix-and-Match Dressings by Joyce Goldstein

  6. The New Mediterranean Jewish Table: Old World Recipes for the Modern Home by Joyce Goldstein

  7. Pasta, Pane, Vino: Deep Travels through Italy’s Food Culture by Matt Goulding

  8. The Middle Eastern Vegetarian Cookbook by Salma Hage

  9. Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan

  10. Virgin Territory, Exploring the World of Olive Oil by Nancy Harmon Jenkins

  11. The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook: A Delicious Alternative for Lifelong Health by Nancy Harmon Jenkins

  12. Feast: Food of the Islamic World by Anissa Helou

  13. The Palestinian Table by Reem Kassis

  14. The Greek Vegetarian: More Than 100 Recipes Inspired by the Traditional Dishes and Flavors of Greece by Diane Kochilas

  15. Ikaria: Lessons on Food, Life, and Longevity from the Greek Island Where People Forgot to Die by Diane Kochilas

  16. My Greek Table by Diane Kochilas

  17. Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts by Aglaia Kremezi

  18. Mediterranean Hot and Spicy: Healthy, Fast, and Zesty Recipes from Southern Italy, Greece, Spain, the Middle East, and North Africa by Aglaia Kremezi

  19. The Jewish Cookbook by Leah Koenig

  20. The Greek Diet by Maria Loi

  21. The Foods of Southern Italy by Carlo Middione

  22. Almonds, Anchovies, and Pancetta: A Vegetarian Cookbook, Kind Of by Cal Peternell

  23. Catalan Food: Culture and Flavors from the Mediterranean by Daniel Olivella

  24. Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

  25. The Food of Spain by Claudia Roden

  26. Anatolia: Adventures in Turkish Eating by Somer Sivrioglu and David Dale

  27. Zahav by Michael Solomonov

  28. Soframiz: Vibrant Middle Eastern Recipes from Sofra Bakery and Café by Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick

  29. Mediterranean Greens and Grains by Paula Wolfert

  30. Couscous and other Good Foods from Morocco by Paula Wolfert