photo from Freepik

Passover begins the evening of April 1, 2026 this year and The Vegetarian Resource Group is the publisher of several books that feature vegan Passover recipes. Below we share three recipes with you. In the USA, you can purchase these vegan cookbooks from the VRG Book Catalog here: http://www.vrg.org/catalog

Fresh Tomato Soup (from No Cholesterol Passover Recipes, by Debra Wasserman)

(Serves 4)

1 large onion, chopped

5 small ripe tomatoes, chopped

1-1/2 cups water

½ teaspoon fresh parsley, minced

Pepper and salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes and then cool. Place mixture in a blender cup and blend until creamy. Reheat and serve hot.

Minted Carrots with Chilies (from Vegan Passover Recipes, by Nancy Berkoff)

(Serves 4-5)

1-1/2 cups sliced onions

Vegetable oil spray

1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger

2 Tablespoons seeded and minced fresh chilies or green pepper

1-1/4 pounds carrots (about 3-1/2 cups), peeled and sliced lengthwise 1-inch thick

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Place onions in a large frying pan, spray liberally with vegetable oil, and sauté over medium heat until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and chilies and stir. Allow to cook for 1 minute.

Add carrots and add enough water to just cover. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Add mint, cook for 2 more minutes. Serve hot.

Russian Potato and Mushroom Croquettes (from The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook, by Debra Wasserman)

(Serves 5)

1-1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped

5 cups water

1 onion, peeled and chopped

¼ pound mushrooms

1 teaspoon oil

1 Tablespoon water

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup matzo meal

1 Tablespoon oil

Boil potatoes in 5 cups water until tender. Drain and mash potatoes.

In a separate pan, sauté onion and mushrooms in 1 teaspoon oil and 1 Tablespoon water over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Mix the mashed potatoes, sautéed onion and mushrooms, seasonings, and matzo meal together in a large bowl. Form 10 burgers (croquettes).

Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry croquettes for 8 minutes, flip over and continue frying for another 8 minutes. Serve two croquettes per person.

Don’t forget, you can purchase these vegan cookbooks from the VRG Book Catalog here: http://www.vrg.org/catalog

Braised Lentils and Kale photo by Hannah Kaminsky

Who doesn’t love Italian food? The latest issue of Vegan Journal includes vegan Italian recipes from Donna Spencer. Enjoy preparing Italian Roasted Cauliflower, Tuscan Bread Soup, Pasta with Tomato-Pumpkin Sauce, Braised Lentils and Kale, Rustic Blueberry Crostata, and Garlic Beans and Greens.

Find all these vegan recipes here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2026issue1/2026_issue1_vegano_italiano.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, visit: www.vrg.org/member

MD Vegan Restaurant week runs 10 days this year starting today through March 15^th. Some of the participating restaurants in Baltimore City include Land of Kush, Golden West, Harmony Bakery, Oleum, Slutty Vegan, and Little Havana. Find a complete list of restaurants offering vegan specials here: https://www.mdveganeats.com/

In VRG’s Work with Purpose series, Vegan Journal editor Hannah Kaminsky talks to TheBeHive owner about starting an ethical business. See the video at https://youtu.be/_dMglrK4GrM

Work with Purpose is Vegan Journal’s series on ethical entrepreneurs. This episode features The Behive from Austin, TX and Nashville, TN. Tips for starting a business with values. Vote with your dollar. Treat people well and take care of people in your business. Try stuff. Have humility to change the plan. Ways to make a difference. Order Vegan pepperoni, turkey, taco meat, and more. Vegan is just food. Peanut butter is vegan.

For info on other careers with values, see https://www.vrg.org/links/JobSearch.htm

To join The Vegetarian Resource Group and receive Vegan Journal, go to https://www.vrg.org/member/

In each issue of Vegan Journal, Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, reviews the latest scientific papers related to veggie diets. Recent topics covered include Components of the Portfolio Diet Associated with the Reduced Risk of Death from Heart Disease; What Can Be Done to Add More Vegan Dishes to Hospital Menus?; and Nutrition/Environmental Impact/Cost: Vegan Versus Meat Dishes.

Read the Scientific Updates here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2026issue1/2026_issue1_scientific_update.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, visit: www.vrg.org/member

Seven Sundays Oat Granola Bright Side Triple Berry

Seven Sundays oat granola is crafted with upcycled oat protein, rolled oats, and sorghum flakes, it’s sweetened with dates and maple syrup and only has 2-3 grams of added sugars per serving.

Read the review here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2026issue1/2026_issue1_veggie_bits.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, visit: www.vrg.org/member

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

The books on my cookbook shelf are not pristine. Far from it. Bindings are worn, pages are loose or have fallen out and been tucked back into the book. There are hand-written notes and some food stains on many pages. These are not books for show – they’ve been well-used, and well-loved.

Two of these cookbooks are worthy of special mention because I use them almost every week. They both feature creative vegan recipes that are relatively quick to prepare, don’t use multiple pots or bowls, and include ingredients that are likely to be in the supermarket. They both focus on entrées that are based on beans or soy products or seitan and lots of vegetables. I can count on the recipes to turn out well.

The first is Vegan on the Cheap by Robin Robertson. One feature of this book that makes me smile is the price per serving for the recipes. The book was published in 2010. Sixteen years later, it’s downright quaint to see a recipe for an entrée that costs less than a dollar per serving. While food prices have gone up considerably, these recipes are still inexpensive because of their emphasis on beans, tofu, grains, and pasta, and (relatively) low-cost vegetables. My fondness for this cookbook is actually not its budget nature but the way that it features hearty main dishes that even my non-vegan friends like. I appreciate that it includes a chapter of slow-cooker recipes as well as chapters on soups, salads, pasta, skillet meals, casseroles, sandwiches, foundational recipes, and desserts. Some of my favorite recipes are Korean Cabbage Salad with Tofu, Linguine with Variations on a Pesto, Farfalle with White Beans and Cabbage, Barbecued Black Beans and Tofu Burritos, Smoky Southwestern Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie, Curried Tofu Wraps, Black Bean Soup with Kale and Rice, Three Sisters Spicy Stew, and Moroccan-Inspired Lentil Soup.

My other most-used cookbook is Isa Does It by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Published in 2013, this is the cookbook I’m most likely to go to for inspiration. With chapters including soups, salads, handhelds, pasta, stews and curries, stir-fries, bowls, breakfast, desserts, and Sunday night suppers (fancier dishes that take longer to cook), I can always find something to make. I’ve successfully made double and even triple batches of many recipes when I’ve cooked for a lot of people. My favorite recipes include Harira with Eggplant & Chickpeas, Roasted Potato & Fennel Soup, Kale Salad with Butternut Squash & Lentils, Chicky Tuna Salad Sandwiches, Gardeny Shiitake & Chard Fusilli, Smoky Incan Stew, Curry Peanut Sauce Bowl with Tofu & Kale, Lemon-Blueberry Loaf, Marbled Banana Bread, and Chai-Spiced Snickerdoodles.

These are the cookbooks that I would take with me if I was going away (to a place with a kitchen) for an extended time period. They’re the books I flip through when I am uninspired but still need to make a meal or when I have friends coming for dinner.

Both books appear to be available new and used and can be found at public libraries.

Vegan on the Cheap (ISBN 978-0-470-47224-8) is a 258-page softcover book. It is published by Wiley and retails for $17.99.

Isa Does It (ISBN 978-0-316-22190-0) is a 312-page softcover book. It is published by Little, Brown and Company and retails for $32.

Come meet dietitians from the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group

and Vegetarian Resource Group members. The public is invited. You must preregister.

When: Sunday, October 25, 2026, 6 PM;

Where: Casa Rio on the River Walk

Menu:

Linda’s Ensalada de Colores Appetizer: Mixed Greens with Grapefruit, Orange, Bell Pepper, Avocado, and Red Onion with Lime Vinaigrette.

Plus Buffet:

Guacamole

Refried beans

Mixed Grilled Veggies

Grilled Peppers and Onions

Corn Salsa

Pico de Gallo

Chalupa shells

Wheat Tortillas

Corn Tortillas

Mexican Rice

Lettuce, Tomato

Fruit

Water

Iced Tea

Please prepay $30 ($35 after September 1, 2026) in advance per person at vrg.org/donate. In the Comments, write in names of attendees and that this is for the Vegan Networking dinner. Or call (410) 366-8343 with a credit card. Or mail payment to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203. We look forward to seeing you there. (Restaurant is seven-minute walk from the Convention Center.)

In the latest issue of Vegan Journal, Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, examines a recent study conducted in the Republic of the Marshall Islands that examined the use of a whole-foods, plant-based diet in people with type 2 diabetes. Did you know that more than 11% of the population of the United States has type 2 diabetes, previously known as adult-onset diabetes? People with diabetes in the United States had average medical expenditures that were 2.6 times higher than those without. Worldwide, about 12.5% of adults are estimated to have diabetes.

Read Dr. Mangels review of this study in Vegan Journal here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2026issue1/2026_issue1_plant-based_type2_diabetes.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, visit: www.vrg.org/member

Each issue of Vegan Journal, we review vegan products that we especially like. In the latest issue, we review Wilderness Poets Miso Nooch. Miso Nooch, despite the name, isn’t made from deactivated yeast at all, but 100% chickpea miso flakes.

Read the review here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2026issue1/2026_issue1_veggie_bits.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, visit: www.vrg.org/member