The Vegetarian Bistro

Vegetarian Bistro cookbook

250 authentic French regional recipes

Vegetarian cookbook review

The French are always surprised, even shocked when they find out I’m a vegetarian, yet eating a variety of delicious French food is not at all difficult in France – provided that you know what to look for and who to talk to. There’s a staggering array of fruits and vegetables available at the weekly – or daily, in cities – marchés, and great cooks put them all to good use.

In The Vegetarian Bistro, Marlena Spieler provides information and anecdotes about eating in different French regions alongside 250 traditional and adapted vegetarian dishes divided into 8 primary chapters:

  1. Hors d’œuvre (Appetizers) – eggplant and cheese pâté, socca (chickpea crêpes), bean and potato purée…
     
  2. Potages et soupes (Soups)leek-zucchini-fennel soup, cumin-scented carrot and tomato soup, garlicky artichoke soup
     
  3. Entrées (First courses)
    – Salads: beet salad, raw cèpe salad, white beans with black olive dressing
    – Vegetables: Provençal cassolette, tomates à la languedocienne, green pea dumplings…
    – Tarts, quiches, pizzas: red pepper-tomato tart, artichoke-shallot quiche, roquefort pizza…
    – Eggs and crêpes: goat cheese-mint omelette, poached eggs in cèpe and truffle sauce, cheese-cumin crêpes…
     
  4. Plats du jour (Main courses) – ratatouille, chickpea and cabbage stew, lentilles au champagne
     
  5. Garnitures (Accompaniments)
    – Pasta, rice, grains: fettucine with roasted mushrooms, pumpkin and zucchini risotto, wheat berries…
    – Potatoes: tartiflette, mashed potatoes with bleu cheese, eggplant and potato gratin…
    – Baked dishes: leek gratin, eggplant tian, onions au gratin…
    – Side dishes: garlicky baked endive, cabbage in walnut oil, red beans à la bourguignonne
     
  6. Fromage (Cheese) – fondue, cheese toasts, brebis with onions…
     
  7. Desserts – pistachio tart, fondant au chocolat, frozen anisette soufflé
     
  8. Fonds de cuisine (Basics) – pâte brisée, galettes (buckwheat crêpes), garlic-mustard vinaigrette…

The Vegetarian Bistro

With wine suggestions, rough-cut pages, and cute drawings sprinkled throughout, The Vegetarian Bistro is a delightful and delicious French vegetarian cookbook.

Buy The Vegetarian Bistro:

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
 

Author’s website: Marlena Spieler