Asian Vegetarian Feast: Tempting Vegetable and Pasta Recipes from the East

Asian Vegetarian Feast: Tempting Vegetable and Pasta Recipes from the East by Ken Hom, the renowned chef and authority on Chinese cuisine, is a classic collection of meatless recipes inspired by the cuisines of China, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and beyond. First published in 1988, the book focuses on building satisfying vegetarian meals from vegetables, noodles, rice, beans, and other staples rather than relying on meat substitutes.

Hom combines traditional Asian flavors with inventive cross-cultural ideas, offering dishes such as Chinese Bitter Melon with Black Bean Sauce, Indonesian Cauliflower Soup, and Pasta with Coriander, Ginger, and Basil Pesto. Throughout, he emphasizes the importance of aromatics, bold sauces, high-heat wok cooking, steaming, and careful technique to create depth and texture in vegetable-based dishes.

The book also includes practical guidance on Asian ingredients, essential equipment, and foundational cooking methods, making it approachable for cooks who may be new to the cuisine. Asian Vegetarian Feast is especially well suited to vegetarians, plant-forward cooks, Asian food enthusiasts, and anyone interested in flavorful vegetable cooking rooted in classic Eastern techniques.