While France may come low on the list of vegetarian-friendly European countries, there is no need for vegetarians to despair; French cuisine does actually include a number of dishes which are actually suitable for vegetarians but because meat-free diets are not a big thing in l’Hexagone, it probably doesn’t occur to most people to label these dishes as veggie!
Here then are a few regional specialities to look out for – we hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
Flamiche
This wonderfully creamy cheese and leek pie hails from Picardy and Nord-Pas de Calais.
Fondue Savoyarde
Hailing from Savoy, this is one of our favorite dishes; it consists of cheese from the Alps – usually Emmental, Gruyère, Beaufort, or Comté – which is mixed with white wine, and melted in a large pot, into which everyone dips cubes of toasted bread.
Gratin Dauphinois
From Dauphiné in the Rhône-Alpes, this delicious oven-baked dish is made from layers of potatoes, cheese, and cream. The top is usually sprinkled with breadcrumbs, grated cheese, and butter, and toasted until it’s browned.
Salade Niçoise
As its name suggests, this salad, made famous in the US by Julia Child, originated in Nice and the French Riviera. The salad has a bed of crunchy lettuce, with an arrangement of artichoke hearts, hard-boiled egg halves, tomatoes, black olives, red peppers, cucumber, and shallots/red onions on top, and dressed with olive oil or vinaigrette.
Quiche Alsacienne
Possibly the most famous dish to come out of Alsace, the quiche is a pastry case filled with a savory baked egg custard, to which cheese and onion have been added. Not to be confused with Quiche Lorraine, which uses bacon lardons instead.
Ratatouille
No list like this would be complete without the inclusion of this great Provençal vegetable stew. Made from eggplant, zucchini, carrots, tomato, mushroom, red bell pepper, onion, and garlic, this versatile dish works really well as an accompaniment, with fresh crusty bread, as a chunky pasta sauce, or even slathered over baked potatoes.
Raclette
This is our absolute favorite Alpine dish, and probably the easiest to make too. It’s another sharing dish, which consists of everyone cooking their own food on (and under) a raclonette, which is placed in the center of the table. On the top of the raclonette is a griddle, or hot stone, with a heating element beneath it, upon which to cook vegetables. There is space underneath the heating element to place little shovels of cheese in order to melt it. The whole thing is usually served with chunky bread or boiled potatoes. Try it, you’ll love it!
What is your favorite vegetarian food in France?