If you’ve ever been to Paris, or simply seen pictures of the iconic city, you’ll likely be familiar with the French capital’s café culture. Parisian cafés are for socializing, relaxing, people-watching, and enjoying coffee and good food, but they are also an important part of the city’s culture and history. French revolutionaries met in cafés in the 17th century, and they were a favorite haunt of the French feminist activist and philosopher Simone de Beauvoir. And on top of all of this, Parisian cafés were also the birthplace of the iconic French sandwich, the croque monsieur.
Croque monsieurs, which are hot sandwiches filled with cheese and meat, similar to American grilled cheese, were first served in French cafes in the early 1900s. The name translates loosely to “gentleman crunch,” likely because the dish was seen as a refined, elegant snack, filled with simple, high-quality ingredients. A similar sandwich labeled the croque madame, made with egg, was introduced in the 1960s and both remain popular today, in France and around the world.
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What’s the difference between croque monsieur and croque madame?
Croque monsieur and croque madame are similar, but their ingredients differ slightly. The former is made with ingredients like béchamel sauce, gruyere or Emmental cheese, and ham, while the latter is the same, but features a poached or fried egg. According to Taste of Toulouse, this version was named in the 1960s, but it was likely eaten across France much earlier than that.
While croque monsieur and croque madame are the most famous versions of this creamy, cheesy French sandwich, they’re not alone. There’s also croque norvegien, for example, which is often made with smoked salmon, and the croque auvergnat, which is made with French blue cheese.
Land and Monkeys
Can you make croque monsieur and croque madame vegan?
Both croque monsieur and croque madame can easily be served vegetarian (just ask for no ham), and in some places in Paris, you can find vegan versions, too—at least of the original croque monsieur. If you’re in the French city, head to Land & Monkey’s Boulangerie, for example, where you can order a version made with country bread, vegan butter, vegan bechamel, vegan cheese, and vegan ham from the popular plant-based meat brand La Vie. It’s also easy to make vegan croque monsieur from scratch, find some of our favorite recipes below.
5 ways to make delicious vegan croque monsieur and croque madame
If you want to make any of these recipes into a croque madame with vegan egg, simply top the recipes with vegan tofu egg, vegan Just Egg, or any other of your favorite plant-based alternatives. Find our guide to vegan eggs here.
Butch Home Ec
1 Vegan Croque Madame
This tasty plant-based recipe from Moore Rhys’ Butch Home Ec combines tofu, sweet potato, turmeric, Dijon mustard, vegan cheese, and vegan deli slices to make a nourishing, hearty, and comforting plant-based version of the traditional French sandwich. It’s the perfect lunchtime treat—just make sure you make enough, as it’s guaranteed to be hit with all of your loved ones, too.
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Bosh!
2 Croque Monsieur Waffles
This dish from Bosh combines traditional French croque monsieur with an all-American favorite: waffles. The result is a super tasty breakfast recipe that you will want to make again and again. “Made with mushrooms and really good vegan bacon, there’s no reason why this shouldn’t be your go-to Sunday brunch vibe,” notes Bosh.
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Zucker & Jagdwurst
3 Vegan Croque Monsieur
This tasty concoction from Zucker & Jagdwurst combines a vegan béchamel (for that deliciously creamy texture), vegan cheese, and vegan ham slices. However, if you’re not into vegan meat products, you can also opt for sliced tofu or eggplant. “Feel free to go with whatever kind of ham substitute you like the best,” notes the recipe blog.
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Foodaliciously
4 Vegan Croque Monsieur With Smoky Eggplant
Eggplant fans will also enjoy this vegan croque monsieur recipe from Foodaliciously, which is made with smoky eggplant slices instead of ham. “We sliced it super thinly and let it roast with smoked paprika and celery salt while preparing the bechamel,” notes the blog. “These smoky slices are so full of flavor you won’t feel you’re missing anything; we promise!”
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Another Vegan Food Blog
5 Vegan Croque Monsieur Pizza
In another delicious fusion recipe, this dish from Another Vegan Food Blog took the iconic French favorite and combined it with an Italian crowd-pleaser: pizza, of course. Bechamel sauce? On a pizza? It’s “amazing,” says recipe developer Erin.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.
