French cuisine, renowned for its sophistication and rich flavors, has long been associated with meat, butter, cream, and eggs. While traditional French food may not immediately strike one as vegan-friendly, it is surprisingly easy to adapt classic recipes using plant-based alternatives. Although accidentally vegan French dishes are not always plentiful, with the baguette being a notable exception, the vegan movement is steadily gaining momentum in France. From the Michelin-starred ONA restaurant to the vegan pastry shops in Lyon and the multitude of vegan options available in Paris (easily discoverable through the Happy Cow app), French veganism is proving its staying power.
This article is your guide to creating delectable French-inspired vegan meals. We'll explore a range of recipes, from appetizers to desserts, showcasing how to recreate classic French flavors using plant-based ingredients.
Appetizers and Starters
Mini French Quiches
These mini French quiches make a delightful starter or side dish. Enjoy them hot or cold, alongside light lunches. This simple recipe is packed with nutrients and flavor and can be prepared quickly.
Vegan Coquilles Saint Jacques
This vegan take on Coquilles Saint Jacques is as rich and creamy as the original. It pairs beautifully with lighter salad options.
French Onion Soup
An improved recipe based on a beloved French classic. Individual bowls are filled with rich onion broth and topped with a floating slice of crusty French bread adorned with melted cheese. Perfect for a starter or light dinner.
Read also: A Guide to the French Diet
Main Courses
Mushroom Bourguignon
Journey to the French countryside and enjoy this romantic flavorful mushroom bourguignon. Sauteed mushrooms are deglazed with robust red wine creating a thick stew. A wonderful meal to enjoy on a crisp night. This vegan Mushroom Bourguignon is pure comfort food. Mushrooms and hearty vegetables cooked in a rich and flavourful red wine gravy.
Recipe:
- Soak 60g dried ceps or porcini in hot water for 2 hours.
- A day ahead, put the drained ceps, 1 roughly chopped red onion, 350g halved button mushrooms, 2 cut celery sticks, 2 peeled and cut carrots, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp each of dried thyme, rosemary, and oregano, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Pour in 75cl full-bodied red wine, stir, and ensure everything is submerged. Cover tightly with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, drain the vegetables (reserve the wine) and pat dry with kitchen towel.
- In a large pot, warm 2 tbsp olive oil on low-medium heat, add half the vegetables, and stir for two minutes, ensuring they do not color. Add the rest of the vegetables, gently stir for two to three minutes at a slightly higher temperature, then add 2 tbsp flour (spelt or brown rice flour) and 2 tbsp tomato puree, and stir gently to coat.
- Add the marinade, bring to a boil, then stir in 250g smoked firm tofu (cut into 2cm cubes).
- Before serving, garnish with 1 handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves and ½ crumbled dried chilli.
Vegan Coq Au Vin
Vegan coq au vin is an extraordinary dish to showcase your cooking skills.
Ratatouille
Ratatouille is one of the few classic French recipes that doesn't require much veganizing.
Ratatouille Tian
Forge the garden for summer produce to fill your baking dish with. This ratatouille tian is a beautiful yet humble dish that will cheer up every dinner table.
Read also: Optimal Nutrition for French Bulldogs
White Bean Cassoulet
A creamy white bean recipe that is perfect for feeding a crowd. This cassoulet is ideal for serving on a cold and wet evening.
Flageolets
This delicious Flageolets recipe is made with French legumes flavored with garlic and herbs.
Nicoise Salad
Treat yourself to a wonderful salad. Loaded with carefully prepared components, this nicoise is a full meal! Including herbed potatoes, french green beans, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, and white beans, this dish is delicious served with a Herbs De Provence dressing.
Side Dishes
Herby French Potato Salad
Herby French Potato Salad is made with potatoes mixed with a tangy dijon vinaigrette and fragrant herbs. A light, herbed-infused vinaigrette makes this French-style potato salad perfect for your next picnic at our luncheon.
Beetroot and Potato Terrine
This vegan terrine is a stunning dish that is made to impress.
Read also: A guide to the French way of eating
Recipe:
Serves 4.
- 800ml coconut oil
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and bashed
- 2 small bunches thyme
- Salt and pepper
- 1.2kg golden beetroot, peeled and cut into 3mm-thick slices (ideally with a mandoline)
- 700g waxy potatoes (eg charlotte or ratte), peeled and cut into 3mm-thick slices (ideally with a mandoline)
- 2 tsp cornflour, mixed to a paste with a little coconut oil
Instructions:
- Put the coconut oil in a large pot with the garlic and thyme, then season. Turn the heat to medium, wait until the oil has warmed up and melted to the consistency of water, then gently lower in the beetroot and leave to blanch for four minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate covered with kitchen paper. Repeat with the potatoes, and drain on a second plate covered with kitchen paper.
- Put a layer of beetroot in the base of a terrine dish (or use a 1lb loaf tin) and brush with a little cornflour paste. Put a layer of potato on top, brush with paste, then repeat the layering until the terrine is full.
- Heat the oven to 150C (130C fan)/300F/gas 2. Pour three tablespoons of coconut oil over the top of the terrine, then bake for 50 minutes. It is cooked when a small knife goes in and out without resistance. Rest for at least six hours.
- Serve hot (cover and reheat in a medium oven for 15 minutes), cold, or at room temperature.
Aubergine with Shallot Sauce
Recipe:
Serves 4 as a starter
- 2 aubergines, cut in half lengthways
- Olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
- 5 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped (200g net weight)
- 100g button mushrooms, cut into quarters
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into 2cm dice
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed with the flat of a knife
- 100ml white-wine vinegar
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 120g cooked brown rice
- 2 spring onions, trimmed, washed and roughly chopped
- ½ cucumber, halved, deseeded, cut into small cubes and refrigerated overnight in 3 tsp white-wine vinegar, 3 tsp water and 2 tsp sugar
Instructions:
- Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Prick the aubergine flesh all over with the tip of a small, sharp knife, then grease with plenty of oil.
- Heat a large, flat pan and, when very hot, scatter a pinch of salt on the aubergine flesh and lay the four halves cut side down in the pan. Leave to fry undisturbed for at least a minute, then, once the flesh is very brown, transfer to an oven tray and roast for 10 minutes.
- Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large saute pan on a medium-high flame, then fry the shallots, stirring, until they start to colour - about six minutes. Add the mushrooms, pepper, garlic and a good pinch of salt, and cook, stirring, for two minutes. Add the vinegar, sugar and 200ml water, cover and cook gently until everything is soft - about 10 minutes. Stir in the rice and turn off the heat.
- Put a half-aubergine in the centre of a soup plate. Spoon on some shallot sauce and pour on a little cooking liquor.
Sauces and Dips
Vegan Hollandaise Sauce
This Hollandaise sauce is perfect to pour over your French veg recipes.
Vegan Tapenade
Try Vegan Tapenade, a classic olive spread, perfect for snack boards. This easy Vegan Tapenade is made with traditional olives and capers and is ready in minutes! This dip is perfect smothered over some fresh French baguette and with some salad vegetables.
Vegan Béchamel Sauce
This rich and creamy Vegan Béchamel Sauce is a must-try! A classic French sauce made vegan with only 5 ingredients.
Bread and Pastries
Vegan Brioche
Indulge in traditional French bread with an easy Vegan Brioche. This Vegan Brioche is incredibly fluffy and buttery and made with only 7 simple ingredients.
French Crepes
French crepes are something we’ve probably all enjoyed, both savory and sweet, and this vegan crepe recipe is perfect to avoid any animal-products.
Vegan Eclairs
On the more intricate side of recipe-creating but worth the fuss for these delicious vegan eclairs. A cream-filled and chocolate-dipped eclair doesn't have to be reserved for unique visits to the patisserie. Instead, enjoy this homemade treat using a unique cooking method to expertly create airy cakes with cream-filled goodness.
Vegan Financiers
These vegan financiers are light, sweet, and delicately crumbly-a charming spin on the traditional French almond tea cake.
Galette
Adorn the appetizer table with this easy-to-share and crowd-pleasing galette. Flakey crust rustically hugs in mushroom, spinach, artichoke, and vegan cheese.
Potatoes and Cashew Bechamel Gratin
Potatoes and cashew bechamel sauce take center stage in this oven-baked gratin.
Pain Au Chocolat
Three-ingredient pain au chocolat is ready in less than 30 minutes.
Madeleines
Dating back to the 18th century, madeleines are a classic little French cake with a distinctive shell shape.
Sablés
A French shortbread, named for its crumbly, sandy texture. These delicate biscuits are made by a process of rubbing cold butter into flour and sugar, or alternatively place the ingredients in a food processor for a faster preparation time.
Vegan Puff Pastry Delights
What’s France known for if not for its deliciously flaky, buttery pastries? We use a pre-made vegan puff pastry which makes bringing the French delicacies into the comfort of your own home the easiest it’s ever been.
Pithivier
Pithivier is a pie-type dish, made with puff pastry, named after the French town in which it originated from which can either be sweet or savoury. Another plant-based pithivier recipe, this time brimming with sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes. However, Jus-Rol is often a safe bet in the supermarkets.
Tomato Tart
Recipe:
Serves 4
For the dough:
- 350g unbleached white flour
- 20g fresh yeast (or a 7g sachet fast-action dry yeast), mixed with a little warm water)
- 1 pinch table salt
- 80g soya milk
- 80g vegan butter - I use Vitalite
- 100ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 80g vegan yoghurt
For the topping:
- 60g dijon mustard
- 400g large tomatoes, cut into ½cm-thick slices
- 2 sprigs thyme, picked
- 2 big pinches mustard seeds
- Ground black pepper
- Olive oil, for drizzling
Instructions:
- Make the dough at least four hours ahead of time. In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, salt, soya milk, butter, oil and yoghurt. Use your hand (or an electric mixer, but don’t overwork it). When the dough comes together, wrap it in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for at least four hours.
- Heat the oven to 230C (220C fan)/465F/gas 9. Roll and spread out the dough (use your hands) like a pizza, so it’s very thin and almost at breaking point. Spread mustard over it, then lay the tomatoes on top in slightly overlapping slices, and sprinkle with thyme, mustard seeds and pepper.
- Drizzle over a little olive oil and bake for 10 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the tomatoes have collapsed slightly but still hold their shape - watch it carefully, to make sure the pastry doesn’t burn.
Desserts
Vegan Crème Brûlée
This vegan crème brûlée is just as divine as its dairy-packed counterpart. Using the back of your spoon, expertly crack through the sugar coating and reveal the creamy center. This creme brulee is the perfect dessert for a special occasion. Made with quality ingredients, it will satisfy your sweet tooth craving with elegance! This Vegan Crème Brûlée is sure to satisfy your sweet cravings!
Vegan Chocolate Ganache Tart
A smooth vegan chocolate ganache nestled inside a buttery hazelnut crust.
Lemon Mille-Feuille
With layers of crisp puff pastry which sandwiches a delicious cream filling, lemon mille-feuille is a French pastry adorned with fresh berries on its top.
Vegan Strawberry Tart
This Vegan Strawberry Tart is inspired by the French Tarte aux Fraises!
Chocolate Souffle Cake
Serve a generous slice of this ultra-satisfying chocolate souffle cake. Made with only five ingredients, this treat is airy, sweet, and bursting with cocoa. Whip together a decadent chocolate mousse that's packed with protein.
Apple Tart
Inspired by French market pastries from her childhood, Sophie created this beautiful vegan apple tart recipe. Soft caramelized apples nestled in a flaky buttery crust, baked upside down until golden. This caramel-coated apple tart is a glorious dessert with coffee or tea. Loaded with fruit slices and perfectly sweet, it's the ideal treat to feature apples in.
Tarte Tatin
The tarte tatin pastries are flipped upside down upon serving to reveal their caramelized tops.
Bread Pudding
Bread pudding is a decadent dessert incorporating rich cream, sugar, and bread. This upgraded recipe swaps out day-old bread for buttery croissants and berries.
Coffee Macaroons
Macaroons are a celebrated French cookie, and these coffee ones taste just as great as the classic! Using aquafaba to create the airy meringue, this gluten-free macaron is sweet and perfectly addictive.
Parfait
Parfait, meaning "perfect" in French, is the best way to describe this leisurely morning breakfast. Layers of almond yogurt, berry compote, juicy mango, and granola elegantly dress up a clear glass jar - so delicious!
Soups
Vegan French Onion Soup
This easy Vegan French Onion Soup is made with caramelized onions, earthy herbs, and dairy free cheese.
Fresh Tomato Basil Soup
Fresh Tomato Basil Soup that is ready in just 20 minutes.
Vegan Cream of Asparagus Soup
This Vegan Cream of Asparagus Soup is light, creamy, and simple to make.