Easy Wins Anna Jones Cookbook Review

Easy Wins: The ultimate Sunday Times bestselling vegetarian cookbook

As we continue exploring some of today’s most compelling cookbooks, Easy Wins by acclaimed vegetarian author Anna Jones stands out as a fresh, flavor-packed addition to any home cook’s shelf. With a thoughtful structure built around 12 pantry staples, this beautifully designed book offers 125 creative recipes that bring new energy to everyday meals.

Whether you're already a fan of Anna's previous works or discovering her for the first time, Easy Wins invites you into a kitchen where simplicity and flavor go hand in hand.

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A Pantry-Driven Culinary Journey

The heart of Easy Wins lies in its structure. Anna highlights 12 “hero” ingredients—lemons, olive oil, mustard, garlic, onions, capers, tomatoes, miso, peanuts, chili, vinegar, and tahini. Each chapter opens with a smart introduction that explores the ingredient’s flavor profile, how to use it, and why it matters in cooking.

What follows are bold, approachable recipes like miso rarebit, lemony lentil tray bakes, and peanut-laced curries. The result? A refreshingly grounded cookbook that encourages readers to get the most out of what’s already in their kitchens—no specialty store trips required.

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Clear, Friendly, Foolproof Instructions

Anna writes recipes the way a great teacher talks—warm, confident, and encouraging. Her instructions are clear without being rigid, guiding readers with ease through each step. You’ll find plenty of side notes offering swaps for dietary preferences or flavor twists, making the book suitable for vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians alike.

Each recipe is accompanied by a photograph, offering visual clarity and inspiration. From a styling perspective, Easy Wins is as beautiful as it is functional—a true pleasure to flip through on a cozy Sunday morning.

What makes this cookbook really shine is how well it performs in real kitchens. Testers across blogs and forums rave about the flavor payoff of seemingly simple dishes. Recipes like the eggplant, tamarind & peanut curry or pasta al limone have been described as "surprisingly complex" and "deeply satisfying," even when using only a handful of ingredients.

Even better, these recipes are designed to be flexible. Many dishes offer a base formula that’s easy to riff on with whatever you’ve got in your fridge. It’s not just a book for special occasions—it’s a guide for every day.

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More Than Recipes: A Mini Cooking School

Anna goes beyond just offering instructions—she teaches. The book includes helpful explanations on how to balance flavor (think sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami), how to season with confidence, and even how to stock a smart, modern pantry.

Readers new to vegetarian or plant-forward cooking will especially appreciate these insights, while experienced cooks will find Jones’s take refreshingly practical.

Just as Easy Wins teaches you how to think like a cook—with tips on balancing flavor and building a smarter pantry—it also invites you into a more personal kitchen space. Anna doesn’t just instruct; she connects. Her writing carries a calm, thoughtful presence that goes beyond ingredients and techniques. Through short reflections and encouraging notes, she brings a sense of mindfulness and joy to everyday cooking, making each page feel like a gentle nudge toward confidence and creativity.

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Final Thoughts

In Easy Wins, Anna offers a collection of recipes that are both creatively inspiring and totally doable. With 125 recipes grounded in real-life ingredients, gorgeous visuals, and a strong authorial voice, this is a book that earns its place on the kitchen counter—not just the coffee table.

Whether you're looking to elevate weeknight dinners or refresh your relationship with pantry staples, Easy Wins delivers exactly what it promises: flavorful, feel-good food with minimal fuss.