The Green Barbecue Cookbook by Martin Nordin – Hardback Cookbook

The Green Barbecue Cookbook is a hardback of vegetarian recipes cooked over fire, written by Malmö-based cook and photographer Martin Nordin, and it shows you how to grill, smoke and ember-roast vegetables until they're the main event. It covers direct heat, indirect heat, cooking straight in the coals and the wood-fired oven, with buns, sides and condiments to finish.

Fire-cooked veg with real swagger

Most barbecue books treat vegetables as an afterthought. Martin Nordin built a following on Instagram for his veggie burgers, and this book carries that same obsession onto the coals. Every recipe is meat-free, and every one is built around what fire does to vegetables: char, smoke, sweetness and crunch.

What's inside

It's split into seven chapters by method: Barbecue Straight on the Grill, Indirect Heat, Straight into the Fire, Vegetables on Charcoal, Wood-fired Oven, Smoked and Soured, and Buns, Sides and Condiments. Up front there's a guide to the structure of a burger and tips on making the job easier, with handy pantry staples at the back.

Standouts include Grilled Cauliflower with Gremolata, a Pea Burger with cream cheese and king oyster crisps, and Sriracha-marinated Broccoli with shiitake and shiso broth. The wood-fired oven chapter brings pizzas like asparagus with pimientos de Padrón, and there's a Quinoa and Sweet Potato Burger plus cocktails such as a Smoky Pineapple Sour.

Who it's for

Barbecue cooks with vegetarians at the table, flexitarians, and anyone who wants their sides to stop playing second fiddle. If you've got a kettle, kamado or fire pit and like a bit of technique, you'll use this a lot.

About Martin Nordin

Martin Nordin lives in Malmö, Sweden, and works in advertising and communication. He has a strong eye for both food and photography, and his passion for perfecting the veggie burger earned him a loyal Instagram following. His earlier book, Green Burgers, has been translated into six languages.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

Darryl's orders: give the veg the same respect you'd give a brisket. Nordin's book proves charcoal can make a cauliflower steak the hero of the table, and that gremolata-topped cauliflower is the page the Smuggler keeps going back to. Buy it and watch the meat-eaters sneak seconds. Pair it with How to Grill Vegetables for more technique, and Live Fire for global flavour off the grill. A shake of Misty Gully Ultimate Veggie Seasoning before the coals never hurts.

Questions answered

Who wrote The Green Barbecue Cookbook?

It was written by Martin Nordin, a Malmö-based cook and photographer who is also the author of Green Burgers.

What's inside The Green Barbecue Cookbook?

Seven chapters of vegetarian fire cooking, from direct grilling and indirect heat to ember cooking, wood-fired pizza, smoking, buns, sides and condiments.

Is The Green Barbecue Cookbook good for beginners?

Yes. Recipes are organised by cooking method, so beginners can start with simple direct grilling and work up to smoking and wood-fired oven cooking.

Is The Green Barbecue Cookbook a hardback, and how many pages?

Yes. It's a 240-page hardback published by Hardie Grant London in 2022.

Is The Green Barbecue Cookbook fully vegetarian?

Yes. It's a meat-free barbecue book, though some recipes use dairy and eggs, so it isn't strictly vegan.