Happy pub-day to  I Love Trader Joe’s: Plant Based Cookbook! In this updated entry to the series, discover a variety of vegetarian and vegan dishes whipped up with the low-budget, easy-to-acquire ingredients from everyone’s favorite grocery store–Trader Joe’s®! Packed with simple instructions and newly updated vegan versions of recipes, the I Love Trader Joe’s Plant-Based Cookbook takes the guesswork out of cooking no matter who’s at your table.

In honor of the release, we’re giving you the ultimate meal-plan! Designed for veteran vegetarians, fresh vegans, and curious carnivores alike, this handy cookbook comes with easy-to-follow recipes for delicious, animal-free dishes, including this delicious “Souper Easy Mushroom Soup” and “Best Cheesecake.”

Souper Easy Mushroom Soup

This recipe is an ode to one of my favorite shows—Party Down. It’s HYSTERICAL. This soup recipe is dedicated to the most endearing and pathetic character on the show, Ron, played by the ever-brilliant Ken Marino. His only dream in life is to run a Souper Crackers restaurant. Serve this soup with, of course, crackers. For an extra-rich flavor, use a combination of crimini and portobello mushrooms, and go with wild rice or brown rice as a grain. They taste souper!

Serves: 4 to 5 | Vegan

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
1 tablespoon Trader Joe’s Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
4 to 5 cups chopped mushrooms
2 tablespoons unbleached all- purpose flour
3 cups water, divided 1 cup cooked grain

Directions: 
1. In a medium stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat.

2. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften and becomes fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms begin to soften and release juices, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Then, add the flour and ½ cup of the water and whisk until the mixture begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Incorporate the remaining 2½ cups water and cook until heated through and the mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes. Using an immersion blender or a countertop blender, process ½ cup of the soup until creamy.

3. Return to pot and mix to combine. Add the grain and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Best Cheesecake

When you put the word “best” in the title of a recipe, you better be ready to deliver. This cheesecake is unbelievable; it’s creamy, melt-in-your-mouth velvety and not too sweet, and has just enough crust. It definitely deserves the title. It’s perfect as is, but it’s still fun to dress it up with fresh fruit, or try the simple variation below.

Makes: 8 to 10 slices

Ingredients:
For the Crust:
1 cup crushed Trader Joe’s Honey Graham Crackers
3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 tablespoon Trader Joe’s Organic Evaporated Cane Juice Sugar

For the Cake:
16 ounces cream cheese 1 cup sour cream
1 cup Trader Joe’s Organic Evaporated Cane Juice Sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 4 eggs, separated

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. To make the crust: Combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar in a bowl and mix well, until it has the consistency of sand. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the walls of an ungreased 8- or 9-inch springform pan.

3. To make the cake: In the bowl of a food processor or blender, process the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla, and the egg yolks to combine. In a second medium bowl, using a handheld mixer, whip the egg whites until they make stiff peaks. Gently pulse to add the egg whites to the cheesecake mixture.

4. Pour the batter over the crust. Bake until the top of the cake is lightly browned and the edges are set (the center will still be a little jiggly), 50 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of the pan.

5. Let the cake cool on a wire rack, then cover and chill completely in the fridge for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, before serving.

Make it Gluten-Free: TJ’s makes gluten-free gingersnaps—swap them out for the graham crackers and you have a gluten-free crust!

The I Love Trader Joe’s Plant-Based Cookbook is out now! Get your copy and happy cooking!