7 Clean Cookbooks We Love

Dinner: Changing the Game

By Melissa Clark

In Dinner: Changing the Game, New York Times columnist Melissa Clark helps you figure out your next meal without falling back on your same-old options. With more than 200 recipes and ingredient ideas, this book will help reboot your dinner repertoire by challenging you with new food pairings. While home cooks know that the secret to a well-executed meal always begins with a well-stocked pantry, Clark’s staples are a definite departure down your grocer’s international-foods aisle or into ethnic markets for ingredients such as Za’atar, sambal oelek and harissa. Exotic to some, these ingredients are surprisingly easy to find and bring new life to foods from the humble egg to recipes like Spicy Roasted Shrimp. (Clarkson Potter, $35)

Clean Soups

By Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson

In Clean Soups, author Rebecca Katz shares her love of soup-making, which she gleaned from watching simmering pots in her mother’s and grandmother’s kitchens. While homemade soup can seem like a daunting affair, Katz helps you build your tool kit with a rundown on everything you need from pantry essentials to equipment. Whether it’s her blended soups such as Avocado Citrus or the healing Hot-and-Sour Shiitake Mushroom, Katz’s recipes sing with flavor by using complementary seasoning blends and whole, clean ingredients. Plus, her “Common Elements” chart deconstructs soups, inspiring you to stir a pot tonight. (Ten Speed Press, $22)

Good Clean Food

By Lily Kunin

After suffering with migraines throughout her high school years followed by being plagued with vertigo in college, Good Clean Food author Lily Kunin has since gone gluten-free and hasn’t looked back. Divided into chapters including Restore, Nourish and Savor, her plant-based recipes showcase foods that will help revitalize the body. For example, Restore features a Gingery Carrot Soup while Nourish is dedicated to comfort foods, such as Sesame Noodle Bowls with Pan-Fried Tofu. As Kunin explains, her food philosophy is about enjoying one of life’s great pleasures by getting creative with your meals and tuning into what your body wants. (Abrams, $25)

Harvest: 180 Recipes Through the Seasons

Photography & Illustrations By Emilie Guelpa

Combining watercolor illustrations with inspiring food photography, Harvest is as fitting on your coffee table as it is on your bookshelf. Featuring recipes from the Hardie Grant archives, illustrator and photographer Emilie Guelpa takes a clean pictorial approach to fresh fare. Seasonal produce are the stars of more-involved recipes such as Tandoori Beef Skewers with Salsa and Mint Yoghurt, while additional mini recipes shine a spotlight on a variety of produce picks. Home cooks with an artistic bent will find an abundance of what they hunger for throughout its pages. (Hardie Grant Books, $20)

An American Girl in London

By Marissa Hermer

While reality television star Marissa Hermer’s Southern California upbringing meant that clean eating was a way of life, her love affair with food really took off when she moved to New York City and discovered its vibrant food culture. She now lives with her husband in London, where she runs her own restaurant. In An American Girl in London, Hermer takes some of her recipe inspiration from her brood of mini food critics – her three children. From Kitchen Sink Frittatas to Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti, each recipe is super healthy yet kid-friendly. Plus, her simple yet totally helpful tips are a resourceful guide for every home cook.
(Rodale, $27.50)

The First Mess Cookbook

By Laura Wright

Author and food blogger Laura Wright delves into the simplicity of plant-based meals in The First Mess Cookbook. With both brand new and revisited blog recipes she has prepared for herself as well as guests who have gathered around her own dinner table, this vegan cookbook’s chapters include Mornings and Breakfasts, and Salads and Dressings. It also has a chapter of Hearty Mains and Big Plates that will satisfy even the non-vegans around your table. Recipes are suited to all levels of cooks, with tips on ingredients and methods throughout. Each recipe also includes dietary restriction symbols, making it super easy to decipher which ones are best for you and your guests. (Avery, $30)

Whole New You

By Tia Mowry

Drawing on her own health issues, the co-star of ’90s sitcom Sister, Sister and culinary star of the Cooking Channel’s Tia Mowry at Home offers up a cookbook that’s a wellness guide and menu planner all in one. After eliminating sugar and processed foods from her diet, Mowry discovered the health and healing powers of food. With a selection of more than 100 recipes, including “Buttermilk” Fried Chicken and Crispy Collard Chips, Whole New You features some of Mowry’s childhood favorites reimagined using the best clean ingredients. Practical resources include advice for making healthy meal plans and how-tos for eating healthy on the go. (Ballantine, $20)