Editors Reads Verdict
Ottolenghi makes his celebrated flavour combinations accessible to weeknight cooks without dumbing them down. The best entry point to his cuisine and one of the most dependable cookbooks of the past decade.
What We Loved
- Every recipe is designed for accessibility without sacrificing Ottolenghi's signature boldness
- The SIMPLE categorisation (Short on time, 10 ingredients or fewer, etc.) is genuinely useful
- Exceptional photography that actually shows what dishes should look like
- The flavour combinations are surprising and repeatable — tahini with roasted vegetables, pomegranate with lamb
Minor Drawbacks
- Some ingredients (za'atar, sumac, tahini) require specialist sourcing in some regions
- Not a comprehensive cooking education — pairs better with a technique reference
- A few recipes are more complex than the 'Simple' label suggests
Key Takeaways
- → Simple does not mean boring — complexity of flavour is achievable with minimal technique
- → Roasting vegetables at high heat is the most reliably delicious cooking technique
- → Middle Eastern flavour combinations (tahini, pomegranate, sumac, za'atar) elevate familiar ingredients
- → Acid (lemon, vinegar, yoghurt) is as important as fat in creating balanced dishes
- → The difference between an adequate dish and a memorable one is often one carefully chosen ingredient
| Author | Yotam Ottolenghi |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Ten Speed Press |
| Pages | 320 |
| Published | October 16, 2018 |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Cooking, Mediterranean, Vegetarian |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Best For | Home cooks who want Ottolenghi's bold flavours without spending hours in the kitchen — particularly those already familiar with basic cooking techniques. |
The Gateway to Ottolenghi
Yotam Ottolenghi is arguably the most influential cookbook author of the twenty-first century. His vegetable-forward Middle Eastern-inflected cooking has changed how millions of people think about vegetables, spices, and the possibilities of everyday cooking. His earlier books — Plenty, Jerusalem, Nopi — are celebrated but demanding.
Ottolenghi Simple is his attempt to make his cooking accessible to weeknight reality. The SIMPLE categories — Short on time, Inspired by ten or fewer ingredients, Make ahead, Pantry, Lazier, Easier than you think — provide practical guidance for when and how to use each recipe. The result is the most accessible entry point to his cuisine, and one of the most dependable cookbooks of the past decade.
The Flavour Philosophy
Ottolenghi’s cooking is defined by the combination of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean ingredients — tahini, pomegranate molasses, sumac, za’atar, preserved lemon, fresh herbs in quantities that feel excessive until you taste the result — applied to techniques that are largely simple: roasting, baking, assembling, occasionally frying.
The key insight is that boldness of flavour does not require complexity of technique. Roasting cauliflower at high heat until caramelised, then dressing it with tahini, lemon, and toasted pine nuts is a ten-minute process (after the roasting) that produces a result that tastes like it required professional training.
The Hero Ingredients
A shopping trip oriented around Ottolenghi Simple will introduce most home cooks to ingredients they may not have used before: preserved lemons (acidic, intensely fragrant), tahini (sesame paste, transformative in dressings and sauces), sumac (tart red spice), rose harissa (peppery and fragrant), and Medjool dates. Once these are in the pantry, dozens of the book’s recipes become genuinely quick to prepare.
The Roasting Principle
If there is a single principle that defines the book, it is: roast vegetables at high heat until they are deeply coloured and beginning to caramelise. This applies to cauliflower, carrots, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, aubergine, courgette, and almost everything else. The Maillard reaction and caramelisation that occur at 220°C transform mild vegetables into deeply flavoured ones.
Final Verdict
Ottolenghi Simple is the book that converts people to Ottolenghi’s cooking and makes Middle Eastern flavours accessible to everyday cooking. It deserves its place on every interested home cook’s shelf.
Our rating: 4.7/5 — The most accessible Ottolenghi cookbook and one of the most dependable. Start here if you haven’t cooked his food before.
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