„Vegan! Das Goldene von GU“

By:
GU-Verlag

9.4 / 10

Who wrote it?

The German publisher “Gräfe und Unzer” publishes books on various topics under the GU brand, and does so very successfully. In the „Das Goldene“ series, comprehensive collections of recipes on various topics have been published for over 10 years and in 2020 the title “Vegan!” was finally allowed to join the series.

And what is it about?

Proven recipes suitable for everyday use and tips, tricks, and know-how about vegan cuisine.

What does it look like?

Glossy golden like all the books in the series, in a format slightly smaller than A4 (US letter) and thanks to 400 pages it is a real tome. The recipes are all illustrated with food photos which are consistently appetizing, but unobtrusively styled. The stringent layout is also maximally clear, so you can find your way around very well despite the volume.

What can I expect?

On the back cover, the book lures you with “over 300 recipe highlights”, however, when I tried to count all the recipes, I only came up with 252. I’m not sure if I trust myself, because you really have to flip through the entire 400-page book to count. Maybe I’ll have the leisure to check again sometime….

The recipes are divided into the following chapters:

„Vegan Basics“
„Breakfast ideas“
„To go and in between“
„One-Pot-soul food“
„Main dishes for every day“
„Vegan kitchen classics“
„Sweet stirred and baked“

Each chapter begins with a small kitchen practice part, where thematically appropriate information and tips are prepared. Here especially new vegans or vegan sympathizers can probably learn something new.

Can I do that?

Each recipe has information on preparation time and calories or macronutrients, but none on difficulty. My experience during the test cooking, however, was that all recipes were rather easy and sure to succeed, so I did not miss this information.

What do I need?

In the down-to-earth recipes, especially the (semi-)ready-made products used here and there have challenged my pantry. I can still keep up with vegan curry pastes in all colors, but I don’t have ready-made wild garlic or lemongrass paste in the house and I’m not sure I could find a store that carries the products right away. But such “exotic” ingredients are absolutely not the rule.

The recipes tested so far have not required any special kitchen equipment. You can manage well with the usual basic equipment and blender/food processor. Occasionally, however, you’ll need something more special, such as nut milk bags to make nut milk / cream, etc.

Substitute products?

…are used here and there, but at the same time there are also recipes for making vegan yogurt, vegetable cream, sausages and cheese yourself. In my estimation, the recipes as a whole are therefore likely to actually be appealing to the substitute product opponents.

Who needs it?

I am inclined to say that this book will be of use to everyone fluent in German, regardless of personal dietary preferences. The Vegan! edition from the „Das Goldene“ series simply offers so many and so wide-ranging recipes that there is something for every taste, without exception. It’s actually all the same whether one eats a vegan diet, just wants to cook vegan from time to time, or would like to feed a fellow vegan. Even after many years of being a vegan, I still made some really exciting culinary discoveries. While the basic recipes and kitchen classics might cater to new vegans. Thanks to the nutritional information for each recipe, even people trying to lose or put on weight will find a recipe to reach their goal. The health aspect while not being the main focus doesn’t come short either.

The price of 20 € is also an absolute killer argument, but I still managed to save 50% when buying used, so checking for second-hand offers can be worthwhile.

Oh yes, and does it taste good?

Testing has drawn me back to the One Pot Soul Food chapter over and over again and I am beyond thrilled with the recipes tested here. That’s why I can’t withhold the “kale-coconut-soup” from you. Some of the other chapters haven’t yet been as thoroughly tested because of this, but I’m really curious to further taste test.

Hint: By the way, you can find some more recipes in the product photos on Amazon ?

You can find all the recipes tested and my recipe reviews on Instagram under the hashtag #VCRvegandasgoldenevongu.

Recipe tips to get cooking:

Baguette with tofu and kohlrabi cream
Kale-coconut-soup with a nutty topping (find the recipe here)
Green curry with pineapple

Conclusion

As already mentioned, this might yet rise to become another favorite. Basically, the only thing I’m missing is the personal touch that a publishers book with no specific author naturally lacks. Apart from this point, I am convinced that everyone can find exciting recipes here and that the book will enrich not only a vegan's cookbook collections. Substitute products are not overused, many recipes do without exotic ingredients or absurd kitchen equipment and it’s also easy on the wallet at the price of only €20. Clear purchase recommendation (if you know German)!