Eating out
Can traditional Polish food be vegan?
Short answer
Yes. Cabbage-and-mushroom pierogi (no lard), groats, chłodnik on plant yoghurt, potato pancakes without sour cream, oyster-mushroom hunter’s stew, sour rye soup without sausage and egg.
Traps: butter on pierogi, pork crackling, meat stock in borscht, cream in mushrooms, lard in dough. In a milk bar, ask about frying fat and stock.
At home many Polish dishes are easy to make vegan: pickles, pea soup without bacon, plum dumplings and cabbage pasta with egg-free dough. The gap is habit, not ingredients.