French
Smooth parsnip soup with coconut milk
Parsnips and potatoes blended with coconut milk.
Vegetarian meal plan
Seven vegetarian dishes to choose from, with the shopping to match.
Au Menu helps you choose meals and plan your shopping.
Your vegetarian week
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Shopping for the week
Fruit and vegetables
- spring onions · 30 g
- broccoli · 100 g
- red pepper · 225 g
- garlic · 3 cloves
- onions · 40 g
- green pepper · 75 g
- green beans · 150 g
Dairy and cheese
- egg · 6 pieces
- egg · 3 pieces
Pantry
- sunflower oil · 30 ml
- mung bean sprouts · 75 g
- soy sauce · 25 ml
- sesame oil · 10 ml
- soy sauce · 15 ml
- firm tofu · 200 g
- tomato coulis · 200 g
Au Menu suggests: starter, main, dessert
Vegetarian recipes to build your meals around.
Starter
See all recipes- North African and Middle Eastern
Tomato and coriander soup
Roasted tomato soup with coriander, cumin and lemon.
- Asian
Rice noodle salad with raw vegetables
Rice noodles, carrots and cabbage with peanuts and lime.
- Asian
White radish and miso soup
White radish in a vegetable broth with miso and spring onion.
Main
See all recipes- Asian
Mung bean sprout omelette
Omelette with mung bean sprouts, spring onions and soy sauce.
- Mediterranean
Tagliatelle with mushrooms
Fresh tagliatelle with cream and mushrooms.
- North African and Middle Eastern
Couscous with pan-fried vegetables and mint
Couscous with aubergines, peppers, raisins and mint.
- North African and Middle Eastern
Lentils with cumin and preserved lemon
Lentils simmered with tomato, cumin and preserved lemon.
Dessert
See all recipes- North African and Middle Eastern
Turmeric semolina cake
Turmeric semolina cake topped with pine nuts.
- French
Apple compote with cinnamon
Apples gently cooked with cinnamon and lemon.
- French
Crème brûlée
A gently baked vanilla custard with a thin sugar crust.
- American
Pancakes
Fluffy pancakes. Makes 12 pancakes: one serving is one pancake.
Tips for planning your week
Build a vegetarian meal beyond vegetables
Start with vegetables, add a starchy food to suit your appetite and include a protein source such as lentils, chickpeas, tofu or eggs. Think about the whole meal rather than simply removing the meat from a recipe.
Change the base as well as the dish
A lentil curry, a filled omelette and a chickpea salad offer different flavours and textures. Alternate stews, pan dishes, soups with toast and substantial salads. Cheese can complement some meals without becoming the base of every one.
Plan shopping around a few useful ingredients
Choose vegetables that work in several preparations: grated carrots one evening, tender carrots in a stew another. Keep tinned pulses for busy nights and plan the herbs or spices that will give each meal a different character.
Add flavour without meat or fish
Soften onions, brown mushrooms or tofu, then add herbs and spices at the right stage. Lemon juice or vinegar at the end can lift a pulse dish. Taste before adding more salt or cheese.
Your questions about these meals
What can replace meat in a vegetarian meal?
Try lentils in a sauce, beans in chilli, chickpeas in curry, tofu or eggs, depending on the dish. Choose a replacement for its texture and cooking time as well as its place in the meal.
Do I need to eat soya to cook vegetarian meals?
No. Lentils, chickpeas, beans, eggs and dairy products offer other ways to vary protein sources. Tofu is one option among many.
How can I avoid having pasta every evening?
Alternate rice, potatoes, couscous, buckwheat or bread, and vary the cooking method. A lentil salad and a filled omelette provide two very different starting points.
What is the difference between vegetarian and vegan?
Vegetarian meals exclude meat and fish but may contain eggs or dairy products. Vegan meals exclude all animal ingredients, including honey.
Further reading: Pulses — Manger Bouger (French)