Traditional French Vegetarian Recipes

When you think of French cooking, you probably think of steak frites, frog legs, or broiled chickens. You also probably think of a cuisine that does not typically offer many choices when it comes to vegetarian-friendly fare. However, with these French vegetarian recipes, you'll be dreaming of traveling to Paris and enjoying a gourmet meal at a local French bistro.

One type of food that has dozens of variations of French vegetarian recipes is the crepe. While you might think of a crepe as being served only for dessert, you can actually make delicious savory crepes as your main course. Crepes are easy to make, especially if you have a crepe pan or an omelet pan. Otherwise, a small skillet will work, too. All crepes start out with similar recipes. Mix together some flour, baking powder, and salt, and then beat in some eggs, milk, and water. Add a small amount to a hot skillet that you have sprayed with a little bit of cooking spray, and quickly swirl the pan around so the batter spreads out thinly across the whole pan. After the bottom turns brown-less than a minute-flip the crepe and cook the other side. You can make a bunch of these at one time and just stack them on a plate until you are ready to build your dinner crepes.

When it comes to filling your crepes, the sky is the limit. There are a huge number of great vegetables that you can steam or roast and place inside of your crepe. Try green beans, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, cauliflower, and asparagus in your crepe. You can even scramble some eggs or sprinkle with cheddar or Swiss cheese before you roll up the crepe. After you've rolled up your crepes, you shouldn't be afraid to try out a variety of toppings that go with your crepe fillings. Try a fresh pesto and walnut sauce, some melted cheese, or even a sauce made of roasted red peppers. If you want to warm up your crepe, place in a baking pan and bake for just a few minutes.

Another kind of French vegetarian recipes that you can try is French onion soup. Traditionally, French onion soup is made with a beef broth that vegetarians are unable to enjoy. However, you can create your own vegetarian French onion soup that is just as good as the original. Sauté some thinly-sliced onions and salt in some butter at the bottom of a Dutch oven until the onions are soft. Then, add some mustard and thyme, cover, and simmer for at least half an hour. Remove the lid and add some vegetable stock, soy sauce, white wine, and pepper. Let this simmer for another ten minutes to allow the flavors a chance to combine.

Finally, spoon the soup into oven-proof individual serving bowls. Top with a slice of stale or toasted French bread and grated gruyere cheese. Place the bowls of soup on a baking tray, and then place this in the oven under the broiler. Broil the bowls of soup for a few minutes or until the cheese starts to turn brown. If you are serving this dish to guests, they won't even know that the French onion soup is vegetarian unless you tell them because this dish is just as rich and savory as the real thing.

by

Werner Wichmann from http://www.easyrecipesvegetarian.com who looks for recipes that removes all the frustration out of Vegetarian and animal-free cooking.