"…vital for our planet and our plates… making incredible, delicious meals from beans, greens, and lentils—three of the foods that I grew up eating and find so much comfort in."

—CHEF JOSÉ ANDRÉS, founder of World Central Kitchen and New York Times bestselling author

Inside the Book

Beans, Greens & Lentils

A Plant-Based Cookbook of Protein-Rich & Nutritious Recipes

More than a cookbook—it's a front-row seat to centuries of culinary wisdom, elevated for the modern kitchen. Chef Hari Pulapaka weaves his upbringing in Mumbai, classical culinary training, and decades of professional cooking into a tapestry of bold flavors, cultural heritage, and nourishing meals that span the globe.

From hearty beans and globally inspired lentil dishes to green-forward mains and crave-worthy whole-food desserts, every recipe is approachable, flexible, and rooted in tradition. Plant-based cooking that is bold, comforting, elegant, and joyful—without gimmicks, restriction, or compromise.

Buy the Book: Beans, Greens & Lentils

Flavor-Building Foundation

A thoughtful grounding in tools, pantry essentials, and meal planning so every cook can succeed from the first recipe.

Globally Inspired Recipes

Dishes centered on beans, leafy greens, and lentils drawn from culinary traditions across cultures and continents.

Everyday Practicality

Practical guidance for daily cooking with no specialty equipment required—accessible for beginners and experienced cooks alike.

Food, Culture & Community

Personal reflections and contributions from respected culinary voices committed to sustainability and cultural integrity.

"Beans, greens and lentils have nourished people across cultures for centuries. This book places them back where they belong: at the center of deeply satisfying, flavor-forward meals."

—CHEF HARI PULAPAKA, PhD

The Book

Three Ingredients. Endless Possibilities.

Each chapter of Beans, Greens & Lentils is a world unto itself: a new ingredient category, a new cultural tradition, and a new way of cooking that nourishes body, community, and planet.

Beans

From chickpeas to black beans, lentil cousins to heirloom varieties—hearty, protein-rich foundations for globally inspired, deeply satisfying meals.

Greens

Kale, spinach, collard greens, and more—green-forward mains that celebrate the bold flavors and nutritional power of leafy vegetables.

Lentils

Red, green, black, and French—lentils elevated from humble staple to the heart of globally inspired, flavor-rich dishes that satisfy and sustain.

Whole-Food Desserts

Crave-worthy sweets rooted in real, whole ingredients—proving that plant-based indulgence requires zero compromise on flavor or satisfaction.

Pantry & Planning

A thoughtful foundation covering flavor-building techniques, essential tools, pantry staples, and practical meal planning for everyday success.

Culture & Community

Personal reflections connecting food, memory, and belonging—honoring the traditions that have made these ingredients beloved across generations.

Sustainability

Recipes and values rooted in environmental responsibility—celebrating the ingredients that are among the most affordable and planet-friendly foods in the world.

The Cookbook

The Most Nourishing Plant-Based Cookbook You'll Ever Cook From

Beans. Greens. Lentils. Reimagined.

Beans, Greens & Lentils: a globally inspired plant-based cookbook that elevates three humble staples to the heart of affordable, deeply nourishing meals. Chef Hari Pulapaka draws on his upbringing in Mumbai, classical culinary training, and more than two decades of professional cooking to show how plant-based cooking can be bold, comforting, elegant, and joyful—without gimmicks, restriction, or compromise.

The book is rooted in tradition but built for the modern kitchen. Whether you're an experienced cook or just beginning to explore plant-forward meals, every recipe is approachable and flexible. No specialty equipment required. No compromises on flavor.

What's Inside

3

Star ingredients: beans, greens & lentils

100%

Plant-based, protein-rich recipes

Global

Cultures and culinary traditions represented

0

Specialty equipment required

4x

James Beard Best Chef semifinalist author

2

Books published with Penguin Random House

© Hari Pulapaka / Beans, Greens & Lentils (Hatherleigh Press / Penguin Random House)

Why It's Special

A Cookbook That Rewrites What Plant-Based Cooking Can Be

Most plant-based cookbooks celebrate novelty or restriction. Beans, Greens & Lentils does something far more rare and much more real. It celebrates the world's most ancient, affordable, and nourishing ingredients—and treats them with the reverence of a master chef and the warmth of a home cook.

Rooted in Tradition

Drawing on Chef Hari's upbringing in Mumbai and culinary traditions from across cultures, these recipes honor the ingredients' deep global heritage—nothing is invented, everything is authentic.

Bold, Unapologetic Flavor

Plant-based cooking without compromise. Every dish is flavor-forward, deeply satisfying, and elegantly conceived—proving that humble ingredients are the foundation of extraordinary food.

A Vision for a Better Plate & Planet

Beans, greens, and lentils are among the most sustainable foods on earth. This cookbook makes the case that eating well for yourself and eating well for the planet are the same delicious thing.

About the Author

Meet Chef Hari Pulapaka, PhD

Hari Pulapaka, Ph.D., CEC, AAC, WCMC is a four-time James Beard Best Chef semifinalist, American Academy of Chefs inductee, Worldchefs Certified Master Chef, and former tenured mathematics professor at Stetson University. Originally from Mumbai, he earned his Ph.D. from the University of Florida before graduating top of his culinary class in 2004.

A seven-time guest chef at the historic James Beard House, Hari serves as Senior Culinary Director at 4Roots Farm in Orlando. A recognized leader in food-waste reduction and sustainable gastronomy, he was named a GRIST 50 Fixer and advises the Zero Food Waste Coalition and Food Tank. Through his Global Cooking School, he leads mindful, globally inspired culinary programming and education.

4x James Beard Semifinalist

American Academy of Chefs inductee & Worldchefs Certified Master Chef

PhD & Former Professor

University of Florida & Stetson University — where math met culinary art

Sustainability Leader

GRIST 50 Fixer, Zero Food Waste Coalition advisor, and Food Tank contributor

Cookbook Author

Has published Dreaming in Spice and co-authored The Heart Healthy Plant-Based Cookbook

"The recipes in this book are infused with pleasure and community, not only because Chef Pulapaka knows these factors are important to a healthy life, but because he lives these values: they are the very essence of how he cooks, eats, and shares food."

—From the Foreword by ELLIE KRIEGER, RDN


Ellie Krieger is an American registered dietitian and nutritionist celebrated for making nutritious eating both accessible and delicious. Host of Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger on Food Network, author of seven cookbooks, and a weekly columnist for The Washington Post, she is the recipient of two James Beard Foundation awards and an IACP award. She holds a B.Sc. in clinical nutrition from Cornell University and an M.S. in nutrition education from Teachers College Columbia University.

Featured Recipes from Culinary Icons

Throughout this book is a generous offering from professional colleagues and friends whose work has deeply influenced how we think about food—its origins, its impact, and its potential. These chefs and advocates bring decades of experience and distinct culinary perspectives to the table. Each contribution reflects not just technical skill, but a shared commitment to nourishment, sustainability, and cultural integrity.

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Follow the Journey

Chef Hari shares culinary stories, recipe inspiration, and reflections on sustainable cooking and global food culture across his social channels. He cooks the way he teaches—with deep curiosity, bold flavor, and an unwavering respect for tradition.

Author Newsletter: First access to recipes, events, and announcements

Speaking & Demonstrations: Sustainability, plant-based cooking, and culinary education

Media & Press: Interview requests and review copies welcome

"In the end, beans, greens, and lentils cooked with care—and shared generously—are one of the simplest ways we take care of one another."

—CHEF HARI PULAPAKA, PhD