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Delia's Vegetarian Collection
In response to her millions of followers, Delia Smith has amassed her best-ever vegetarian recipes in one volume. Here are 250 delectable recipes for all occasions, including Tunisian Eggplant Salad, Soba Noodles with Soy and Citrus Dressing, Wild Mushroom Stroganoff, Oven-Roasted Ratatouille, Mozzarella strudel with Parmesan and Pecans, Lemon Pasta with Herbs and Cracked Pepper, and Apricot Hazelnut Meringue. Beautifully illustrated with 200 color photos, and presented in Delia’s friendly, inimitable style, this is a book that all cooks will want to own.
264 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2002
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About the author
Delia Smith
120 books34 followersDelia Smith CBE is an English cook and television presenter, known for teaching basic cookery skills in a no-nonsense style. She is the UK's best-selling cookery author, with more than 21 million copies sold.
Smith is also famous for her role as joint majority shareholder at Norwich City F.C. Her partner in the shareholding is her husband, Michael Wynn-Jones. Her role at the club has attracted varying media attention, from positive when she "saved" the club from bankruptcy, to negative, when making a controversial on-pitch announcement in 2005.
Already an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), Smith was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours, "in recognition of ... [her] contribution to television cookery and recipe writing".
Smith is also famous for her role as joint majority shareholder at Norwich City F.C. Her partner in the shareholding is her husband, Michael Wynn-Jones. Her role at the club has attracted varying media attention, from positive when she "saved" the club from bankruptcy, to negative, when making a controversial on-pitch announcement in 2005.
Already an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), Smith was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours, "in recognition of ... [her] contribution to television cookery and recipe writing".
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 7, 2023
I've used this book a lot over the years, there are some favourites that I keep going back to, and have just reread and found some more that are very good and will go back to/become regular dishes I cook. Tried the Thai Green Curry recipe this evening, it was great, and better than other recipes for this dish I have tried over the years. This one was easy to make and have made extra to freeze in portions of sauce so I can cook vegetables in it for a ready meal.
There are some great above and beyond tips here, such as with the Thai Curry, chopping the lemon grass and soaking it in lime juice for some time before blending it, this made such a difference to the taste, I feel that lemon grass bought in the UK is so dried up, soaking it first helps to rehydrate and release some flavour.
There are a lot of nice photos but it doesn't necessarily show the end product which is really helpful in a cookery book. There is a section at the end which has some nice biscuit, cake and dessert recipes in, I've tried many of them and they all worked well. I would rather have a vegetarian cookery book not include cakes and biscuits though as they are nearly always vegetarian so it seems a bit pointless, I would rather see them in a book of just cakes and biscuits but that's a personal preference.
We really love a recipe in this book called Not Pork Pies, I don't know why they are called that because they are nothing like pork pies but they are delicious. Their main ingredient is puy lentils, they also have sage, mace, sun blush tomatoes and quite a few other ingredients. Delia uses egg to bind these but I don't use it and it works fine. The pastry is quite involved, I often just make some shortcrust pastry with a teaspoon of mustard in. Delia does seem to make recipes overly complicated sometimes, once I've tried them I often find corners I can cut, or ingredients like egg that are fine left out.
There are some good recipes in here, despite some odd comments she has made about vegetarians and vegans Delia really knows how to cook!
There are some great above and beyond tips here, such as with the Thai Curry, chopping the lemon grass and soaking it in lime juice for some time before blending it, this made such a difference to the taste, I feel that lemon grass bought in the UK is so dried up, soaking it first helps to rehydrate and release some flavour.
There are a lot of nice photos but it doesn't necessarily show the end product which is really helpful in a cookery book. There is a section at the end which has some nice biscuit, cake and dessert recipes in, I've tried many of them and they all worked well. I would rather have a vegetarian cookery book not include cakes and biscuits though as they are nearly always vegetarian so it seems a bit pointless, I would rather see them in a book of just cakes and biscuits but that's a personal preference.
We really love a recipe in this book called Not Pork Pies, I don't know why they are called that because they are nothing like pork pies but they are delicious. Their main ingredient is puy lentils, they also have sage, mace, sun blush tomatoes and quite a few other ingredients. Delia uses egg to bind these but I don't use it and it works fine. The pastry is quite involved, I often just make some shortcrust pastry with a teaspoon of mustard in. Delia does seem to make recipes overly complicated sometimes, once I've tried them I often find corners I can cut, or ingredients like egg that are fine left out.
There are some good recipes in here, despite some odd comments she has made about vegetarians and vegans Delia really knows how to cook!
April 3, 2008
Tonight (4/4/08) I made the Stir-fried Tofu with Oyster Mushrooms. This is a delicious, quick and incredibly easy meal, and I substituted a pack of mixed dried porcini, oyster and shitake mushrooms (from Asda) for fresh oyster mushrooms. I soaked them in boiling water with some tamari sauce. Lovely! The combo of the mushrooms, pak choi, spring onion, ginger, and hoi sin sauce was really flavoursome and this beats a take-away any day.
This is one of Delia's greats, complete with beautiful photographs - have made quite a few of the other recipes including Spiced Chickpea Cakes with Red Onion and Coriander Salad - really tasty! Other good ones include Vegetarian Pad Thai Noodles (lovely and fresh), Roasted Tomato Soup with a Puree of Basil and Olive Croutons (gorgeous and warming) - and for parties - Caramelised Balsamic and Red Onion Tarts with Goat's Cheese - something special.
This is one of Delia's greats, complete with beautiful photographs - have made quite a few of the other recipes including Spiced Chickpea Cakes with Red Onion and Coriander Salad - really tasty! Other good ones include Vegetarian Pad Thai Noodles (lovely and fresh), Roasted Tomato Soup with a Puree of Basil and Olive Croutons (gorgeous and warming) - and for parties - Caramelised Balsamic and Red Onion Tarts with Goat's Cheese - something special.
September 17, 2014
Unfortunately this was less a vegetarian cook book than a book of vegetable recipes.
Most of these dishes seemed more like they were designed to be side dishes rather than a main course. The recipes seemed to mostly be various gratins and souffles, neither of which give me the ooh-ahs.
A disappointing book.
Most of these dishes seemed more like they were designed to be side dishes rather than a main course. The recipes seemed to mostly be various gratins and souffles, neither of which give me the ooh-ahs.
A disappointing book.
August 10, 2014
This was a thoughtful gift several years ago which I had never really read. It has taken me a while as coffee table format cookbooks don't make the best bedtime reading. As I am trying to prune possessions, and as I have a history of disasters with Delia Smith recipes (yes, really), I had imagined I would read it and then donate it to a charity shop sharpish. However, I think it may have earned a space on a permanent shelf.
Initially I wasn't overwhelmed - I find it a bit naff to find recipes clearly written for imperial measures and then converted into odd metric. Delia is clearly not very veggie savvy - not only are there a lot of cheese and egg recipes (although there's a list at the back of vegan recipes) but a lot of the cheeses she suggests using are not vegetarian! She also refers to 'vegetarian gelatine' in recipes which I find rather odd and in the method she shortens it further to just 'gelatine' - this makes me wonder if she's really made the recipes with agar agar or whatever or is just assuming you can...
I did like the way she tells you up front in many recipes what kind of dish you'll need (I think there were some odd omissions here) The method is written in quite a chatty style, as if she was talking you through it. I am not an expert on Delia Smith (owing to the failures) but her style was recognisable. A lot of toasting nuts, a fondness for passion fruit... but it did all sound very nice. The photographs were beautiful but I always wonder why there are photos of ingredients when not every recipe is depicted. I feel prepared to risk more disasters....
Initially I wasn't overwhelmed - I find it a bit naff to find recipes clearly written for imperial measures and then converted into odd metric. Delia is clearly not very veggie savvy - not only are there a lot of cheese and egg recipes (although there's a list at the back of vegan recipes) but a lot of the cheeses she suggests using are not vegetarian! She also refers to 'vegetarian gelatine' in recipes which I find rather odd and in the method she shortens it further to just 'gelatine' - this makes me wonder if she's really made the recipes with agar agar or whatever or is just assuming you can...
I did like the way she tells you up front in many recipes what kind of dish you'll need (I think there were some odd omissions here) The method is written in quite a chatty style, as if she was talking you through it. I am not an expert on Delia Smith (owing to the failures) but her style was recognisable. A lot of toasting nuts, a fondness for passion fruit... but it did all sound very nice. The photographs were beautiful but I always wonder why there are photos of ingredients when not every recipe is depicted. I feel prepared to risk more disasters....
May 16, 2011
What can I say?
It's Delian, so the recipes work well.
She's not very innovative, and the book is probably a bit dated now, but I still refer back to it once in a while.
It's Delian, so the recipes work well.
She's not very innovative, and the book is probably a bit dated now, but I still refer back to it once in a while.
September 17, 2011
a great vegetarian classic that is generally reliable for good food.
May 31, 2012
One of THE best recepies for vegetarians
November 2, 2014
easy to follow, always works
February 6, 2014
Just brilliant if you like vegetarian food!
May 25, 2025
The pumpkin and cheese bread is out of this world .Tasty by far and easy to make .Mrs Scagell
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews