If you’ve been following me on my Insta stories (or my blog), then you’ll know that I’ve been busy trying and sharing breakfast recipes from across the globe, and somehow I had yet to post the British classic that is a Full English breakfast (or, in this case, a vegetarian full English breakfast!). Now, I’m not about to claim that everyone in the UK is eating this daily, but I would be surprised to find out that any brit hadn’t had a traditional English breakfast at least once (or a dozen) times in their life! And, after sharing recipes for other hearty breakfast dishes like Mexican huevos rancheros, Indonesian coconut milk rice (nasi uduk) with fried tempeh, and a sweet potato egg breakfast hash – this was due! Whether you’re enjoying this as a classic “hangover cure”, eating it in a cafe, making it for dinner (breakfast for dinner is the best, right?!), or just making it for breakfast (also great of course!), once you’ve made it once you’ll want it time and time again. Best of all, while a Full English may conjure images of bacon, sausages, and black pudding, you can make an equally delicious and satisfying full breakfast with no meat at all. Don’t believe me? Keep reading for the ultimate vegetarian English breakfast! And all cooked in a single pan in under 30 minutes!
What is a full English breakfast?
A full English breakfast (also called a “Full English”, “Full Monty” breakfast, or a “Fry up”) is “the” ultimate British fry-up. While there are several regional variants, it typically includes sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes, easy toast (and/or fried bread), baked beans, eggs (fried, scrambled, or poached), hash browns (sometimes), and then a selection of meat, including bacon, sausages, and black pudding. The result is a hearty, wholly satisfying meal and the perfect way to start the day. In fact, this traditional English breakfast is so popular here in the UK that many pubs/cafes offer the dish all day as an “all-day breakfast” – usually swapping out the hashbrowns for chunky fries for more of a lunch treat. We’re sticking to most of the classics for this version yet omitting all meat, for a hearty cooked vegetarian breakfast. While there are lots of individual elements to a British fry up, I’ve simplified this recipe as much as possible. So much so that this recipe is for a one-pan vegetarian English breakfast. Just follow my “timing” for when to add the various ingredients, and you’ll end up with a delicious cooked vegetarian breakfast and no massive pile of dishes! Are you interested in checking out more eggy breakfast recipes? You might like Turkish menemen (tomato scrambled eggs), French baked eggs, Middle Eastern shakshuka, or Italian eggs in purgatory!
The full breakfast ingredients
Mushrooms: traditionally, regular Full English breakfast uses regular mushrooms (cremini/button). However, for this vegetarian full English breakfast, I thought I’d bump up the flavor by using a variety of mushrooms – portobello, shiitake, and royal/king oyster mushrooms. You can also buy packs of mixed mushrooms. Baked beans: I used homemade baked beans – which can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge or freezer. If you want to use tinned beans, no problem, just make sure they’re British baked beans (not BBQ!). You can elevate their flavor with a dollop of mustard and a little vinegar. Tomato/es: for this version, I used an heirloom tomato. However, you can use a regular large tomato or even cherry tomatoes (on the vine). Eggs: you can use 1 or 2 eggs per portion. I use large organic eggs. Bread: regular white bread is often used for a traditional English breakfast. However, feel free to use other, heartier, bread slices too – like this no-knead Dutch oven bread. Butter: I used butter to cook the various ingredients for more flavor. However, you could use neutral cooking oil if preferred, but butter is highly recommended. Use dairy-free butter for a vegan full English breakfast. Herbs: I used dried rosemary to sprinkle over the sauteed mushrooms. Feel free to swap this out with another dried herb or fresh herbs like chives or parsley. Salt & Pepper.
Optional add-ins
Potatoes: there are several ways to introduce potatoes into a full English breakfast. The most common is probably with hash browns. You could also add crispy pan-fried potatoes. Garlic: specifically for the sauteed mushrooms, garlic is a simple and flavorful addition. If you don’t want to deal with peeling and mincing it fresh, I recommend making garlic paste to store in the fridge/freezer. Garlic powder would also work in a pinch. Protein: a traditional Full English breakfast contains bacon, sausages, and black pudding. You can substitute this with “bacon” marinated tofu or tempeh or storebought meat alternatives (though those are highly processed). Halloumi: alternatively, instead of directly replacing the meat, you could use thin slices of halloumi. However, I’ve found that I prefer to use a griddle pan when making halloumi, so an extra pan may be needed (on the plus side, the tomato would also cook well on the griddle pan). Other eggs: while a fried egg is traditional, not everyone is a fan of the yolk. Feel free to make scrambled eggs, instead. Vegan full English breakfast: use dairy-free butter to cook and scrambled tofu in place of the egg. Otherwise, this recipe is vegan. Condiments: you can’t have a traditional English breakfast without condiments – ketchup (I use homemade ketchup!) and brown sauce are most common. Tea: while not on the plate (obviously), a Full English breakfast just wouldn’t be the same without a “cuppa.” I recommend English breakfast tea or Earl Grey. Otherwise, a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice is the perfect accompaniment to this easy vegetarian breakfast.
How to make a vegetarian full English breakfast?
Step 1: Cook the mushrooms
First, clean and slice the mushrooms. I use a paper towel to gently rub any dirt from the mushrooms. To chop, it’s up to you whether you want them whole, halves, or in slices. Since pan-fried mushrooms will release a lot of water to begin, I like to start by cooking them alone. First, add the mushrooms to a large dry pan/skillet (no oil) and cook over medium heat for several minutes until a lot of the excess moisture has been released. Then, add the butter and season the mushrooms with some rosemary (or herb of your choice), salt, and pepper. Stir and fry for a further 30 seconds.
Step 2: Add the tomato/es
Move the mushrooms to one side of the pan. Then add the tomato to the pan and allow it to fry gently. This will continue to cook and soften while you prepare the remainder of the dish. I did this with the whole tomato; however, it’s custom to slice the tomato in half, so you can fry both sides. You can also use cherry tomatoes and fry them whole.
Step 3: Add the remaining ingredients
Add a little additional butter (or oil) to the pan, if needed, and then add the bread to an empty part of the pan (alternatively, you can butter both sides of the bread first before adding to the pan). Fry gently for a couple of minutes until golden brown and crisp on the bottom, then flip over. After flipping the bread, add the egg (or eggs) to the pan. If it travels around the pan a lot, just use a spatula to push it away from the other ingredients until the bottom begins to set. Then allow it to gently fry to your preferred level. If you prefer the yolk to be cooked, you can flip the egg over for 20-30 seconds in the end. Meanwhile, to heat the baked beans, you can either add them to the pan at the same time as the egg (to allow a couple of minutes to heat) or heat them in a separate saucepan. Make sure to gently move around the mushrooms occasionally during the process to make sure they aren’t burning at the bottom. If your tomato is halved, make sure to flip it over after the bottom becomes browned and “wrinkly.” Finally, sprinkle any additional salt and pepper over the ingredients in the pan and then serve while warm. You can serve it directly in the skillet (set on a heat-proof mat on the table) or first transfer it to a plate.
How to store?
Make ahead: in general, a British fry-up is best when prepared fresh, and most of the elements taste best when freshly cooked. However, if using homemade baked beans, these can be prepared in advance. You can also prepare sauteed mushrooms 3-4 days in advance and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. You can add both to the skillet to reheat (and in the case of the mushrooms, crisp up slightly again). Store: Once prepared, it’s best to enjoy this vegetarian full English breakfast immediately!
Recipe tips
Use a very large skillet/pan: the key to making a vegetarian full English breakfast without it turning into a nightmare of dirty dishes is to try and cook as much of it as possible (if not all!) in a single skillet. Make sure that it’s non-stick (or well-seasoned cast-iron). For the best sauteed mushrooms: follow the tips that I’ve included in this sauteed mushrooms post for the best results every time! Bake the tomatoes: instead of pan-frying the tomatoes, you could bake them to wonderfully tender, caramelized perfection (and save some skillet space). Then, pop them in just before starting the remainder of the dish, and they should be ready just in time! For a lighter vegetarian English breakfast: you can slightly lighten up this (already fairly light) English breakfast by making toast instead of fried bread. You can also minimize the butter usage to just the sauteed mushrooms and use minimal oil (or low-cal cooking spray) for the remainder of the dish. To make it gluten-free: simply use gluten-free bread. Otherwise, this recipe is already naturally gluten-free.
More International breakfast recipes
Swiss bircher muesli Korean vegetable pancakes (buchimgae/pajeon) French toast (Brioche perdu) Brazilian cheese bread ‘puffs’ Asian breakfast fried rice Danish aebleskiver pancakes New York bagels with cream cheese Homemade Corned Beef Hash
If you try this one-pan vegetarian English breakfast recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
