Sole Meunière
If you've got sole fillets and flat-leaf parsley, you're most of the way to this French vegetarian: about 55 minutes of cooking across 6 steps. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and pan. At easy difficulty across 6 steps, it's a good one for a busy evening. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (2)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Pat the sole fillets thoroughly dry, season both sides with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour and shake off every loose grain so the coating is thin.
- Heat the oil with a knob of the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat until foaming, then lay in the fillets.
- Fry for about 2 to 3 minutes until golden underneath, turn carefully and cook a further 1 to 2 minutes until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily, then transfer to warm plates.
- Wipe the pan, add the remaining butter and cook over medium heat, swirling, for 2 to 3 minutes until it turns nut-brown and smells nutty.
- Take the pan off the heat, squeeze in the lemon juice to stop the browning and stir through the chopped parsley.
- Spoon the browned butter over the fish and serve at once with extra lemon wedges.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Pan
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Lemon
- lime · 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
What to serve with Sole Meunière
- Baguette Vegan
- Clafoutis Dessert
- Croissants Dessert
- Crème Brûlée Dessert
Tips & common questions
How long does Sole Meunière take to make?
About 55 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 7 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Sole Meunière vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Sole Meunière is an original French recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: 700g Dover sole "à la meuniere" - English's of Brighton 2025-07-29.jpg (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.