People always ask me: what do vegetarians eat in Spain?
It's a valid question. Tapas menus are often full of pork and seafood dishes, but vegetarians traveling in Spain need not worry. There are plenty of great vegetarian tapas recipes out there (and even some delicious vegan options!) if you know what to look for.
Trying to decipher a tapas menu—especially if you don't speak Spanish—can be tricky enough. While adding in the extra layer of seeking out vegetarian food may seemingly make it more challenging, that's not necessarily the case.
Many of Spain's best traditional tapas are veggie-friendly, or can easily be adapted as such. After all, this is a land teeming with fresh, colorful produce, hearty legumes, and so much more.
Keep an eye out for these vegetarian tapas the next time you're in Spain—or check out the recipes to make them yourself at home in the meantime!
Vegetarian Tapas 101
Vegetarianism in Spain—and to a lesser extent, veganism—has been on the rise over the past few decades. In 2017, 7.8 percent of adult Spaniards identified as either "flexitarian" (eating a diet low in meat), vegetarian, or vegan. Of those, most are millennials living in larger towns and cities where vegan and vegetarian shops and restaurants are becoming more common.
Despite this, it's worth noting that some bar and restaurant owners in Spain have a loose definition of vegetarianism. It's not uncommon to see sandwiches described as vegetal (which can be understood as relating to vegetables) that sneak tuna or ham in among the veggies. Some older Spaniards may wonder why you don't eat jamón, though this often comes from a place of curiosity more than anything else.
Thankfully, as times change, it's getting easier to find vegan- and vegetarian-friendly eateries in Spain. And of course, many of the traditional dishes Spaniards know and love are meat-free or even entirely plant-based (vegano).
The following vegetarian tapas are all naturally meat-free. Many are also vegan or easily able to be prepared as such, which is indicated alongside each dish.
Top 25 Vegetarian Tapas Recipes
These are the most common Spanish vegetable dishes you'll find in Spain, available on tapas menus throughout the country. All are equally important and delicious as any meat-based dish you'll find!
1. Zanahorias Aliñadas (Marinated Carrots) —Vegan
This has to be one of my favorite vegetarian tapas in all of Spain.
The trick is to parboil the carrots so that they are just tender, but not at all mushy. Then it's just a high-quality extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, garlic, cumin, and other herbs and spices. A day or two in the fridge only adds to their flavor.
Make it: Marinated Carrots Recipe (Zanahorias Aliñadas)
2. Tortilla de Patatas (Spanish Potato Omelet)
This potato omelet is one of the most popular dishes in Spain, and it also happens to be vegetarian!
With olive oil, eggs, potatoes, and onions (an often debated addition), this is a Spanish food that all Spaniards unquestionably know how to make and love to eat. Whether for lunch or dinner, served hot or cold, between bread or with ketchup and mayonnaise—a slice of tortilla is always a safe choice no matter how you enjoy it!
Make it: Best Spanish Omelet Recipe (Tortilla de Patatas)
3. Calamares del Campo (Country Style Fried Vegetables) — Vegan
Don't get scared by the word calamares in the title. This veggie dish gets its name from onions and peppers that are cut into circles (like calamari rings) and then deep-fried.
4. Espárragos con Huevos (Asparagus with Eggs)
This popular Spanish dish is a winning combination of local asparagus and eggs prepared a variety of ways. I personally like it with a poached egg, but it can also be made with a baked egg or even shredded hard-boiled eggs (pictured).
5. Gazpacho (Cold Tomato and Vegetable Soup) — Vegan
Gazpacho is originally from Andalusia, although Spaniards throughout the country enjoy it year-round. (In fact, ask anyone and they'll tell you it's the BEST hangover cure on the market!)
Whether eaten in a bowl as a cold soup or sipped from a glass like vegetable juice, gazpacho is one of the healthiest and most refreshing vegetarian tapas.
Make it: Authentic Gazpacho Recipe
6. Espinacas con Garbanzos (Spinach and Chickpeas) — Vegan
This wonderful combination is one of my favorite vegetarian tapas recipes. I don't make it nearly enough, but it is incredibly easy and super healthy. My secret: adding tomato and almonds so that it gets a truly special flavor.
Make it: Spinach and Chickpeas Recipe
7. Croquetas (Croquettes)
A croquette is hard to define but undeniably good. It's basically a small mish-mash of food fried together in some sort of ball.
Spain is famous for its ham croquettes, which are a wonderfully creamy mix of béchamel sauce and cured ham... but obviously not quite vegetarian! In any case, you can usually find vegetarian croquettes in most restaurants.
Among my meatless favorites:
- Wild mushroom croquettes (croquetas de setas)
- Made with a strong blue cheese (croquetas de cabrales)
- Roquefort cheese and walnut (croquetas de Roquefort y nuez)
- Spinach and pine nuts (croquetas de espinacas y pinones)
Make it: Potato Croquettes Recipe
8. Berenjenas Fritas (Fried Eggplant) — Vegan
Just writing about this dish makes me hungry! It starts with an eggplant, cut super thin and fried until perfectly crispy. Then, it's usually covered in a drizzle of local cane honey (similar to molasses and vegan, unlike regular honey) or served on top of salmorejo, a thick tomato soup.
Make it: Fried Eggplants with Cane Honey
9. Pisto con Huevo (Ratatouille with Fried Egg) — Vegan-Adaptable
Pisto is basically slow-cooked vegetables (onion, pepper, eggplant, and tomato) that break down into a sort of chunky sauce. Spaniards usually fry an egg to their liking and plop it on top.
Visually stunning? No! But delicious, healthy, and vegetarian? Of course!
Vegan adaptation: This dish can easily be adapted for vegans by omitting the egg (order it sin huevo, por favor).
Make it: Traditional Spanish Pisto Recipe
10. Ajo blanco (Chilled Almond Soup) — Vegan
Ajo blanco is another cold soup originating in Andalusia. (Go there in the summer and you'll realize why they have so many cold soups!)
It is a creamy and delicious blend of almonds, bread, olive oil, garlic, salt, and water, usually served with grapes or melon cubes on top.
Make it: Ajo Blanco Recipe
11. Tombet (Mallorcan Ratatouille) — Vegan-Adaptable
If you're a fan of pisto, you'll love tombet (also spelled tumbet). This Mallorcan take on the Spanish classic involves thinly sliced eggplant, red peppers, and potatoes, stacked and roasted to perfection. Top it with a garlicky tomato sauce and you have a veggie delight!
Vegan adaptation: Double-check that the tombet you ordered doesn't come with a topping of eggs or cheese and order sin huevo and/or sin queso in order to make it vegan.
Make it: Mallorcan Tumbet Recipe
12. Salmorejo (Andalusian Chilled Tomato Soup) — Vegan-Adaptable
Something that surprises a lot of visitors to Spain is that gazpacho is usually drunk from a glass, not eaten from a bowl. If the idea of drinking cold tomato soup sounds too weird for you, go for salmorejo!
This Andalusian classic is a summer staple, given that it doesn't need any cook time at all. Just blend together fresh tomatoes with garlic, olive oil, vinegar (optional), and day-old bread for a refreshing vegetarian tapas dish.
It's worth keeping in mind that salmorejo is traditionally garnished with bits of diced hardboiled egg and cured ham. However, you can eliminate either of the above by asking for it sin jamón and sin huevo.
Make it: Antonia's Salmorejo Recipe
13. Setas a la Plancha (Grilled Mushrooms) — Vegan
This is without a doubt my favorite vegetarian tapas recipe. Gigantic wild mushrooms are tossed onto a hot grill and served sizzling in garlicky olive oil and parsley. It's the perfect accompaniment to a glass of bold Rioja red wine!
Make it: Try these champiñones al ajillo for a similar garlic mushroom dish
14. Patatas Bravas (Potatoes in "Bravas" Sauce) — Vegan-Adaptable
Patatas bravas is a dish you'll see on every tapas menu in Spain! Unfortunately, most of the time it's not done well. All too often you get served soggy potatoes with bad ketchup and mayo.
That's not patatas bravas.
When done well, patatas bravas are crispy, with a bravas sauce full of spice and umami and fresh garlic alioli. Make sure to research where the good ones are before you order them!
Vegan adaptation: Order your bravas without the garlic mayonnaise (many bars already serve them this way) by specifying "sin alioli, por favor."
Make it: Best Patatas Bravas Recipe
15. Tomates Aliñados (Fresh Tomato Salad) — Vegan
It might sound simple, but this dish is hard to beat. During the warmer months, bars throughout Spain serve this classic dish of sliced fresh tomatoes drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and oregano. Eat it and enjoy!
16. Pimientos de Padrón (Padrón Peppers) — Vegan
In the north of Spain, a humble pepper reigns supreme.
Pimientos de Padrón are small, bittersweet green peppers. But be careful! One in a hundred is super spicy, making every dish a game of Russian roulette.
The peppers are deep-fried in olive oil and served hot and whole with big flakes of rock salt. Try them and you'll see why it's one of the best vegetarian tapas recipes around!
Make it: Best Padrón Peppers Recipe
17. Paella de Verduras (Vegetable Paella) — Vegan
Thinking you couldn't try the most Spanish dish of all? Think again!
While traditional paella uses rabbit and chicken (not seafood!), vegetarians go for a paella de verduras. You'll find it cooked with peppers, onions, artichokes, beans, and anything else in season.
Make it: Easy Spanish Vegetable Paella Recipe
18. Calçots con Salsa Romesco (Spring Onions with Romesco Sauce) — Vegan
Visit Catalonia in winter and you'll see locals gobbling up (very early) spring onions like they were...well, like they were anything other than onions!
Calçots are a type of local onion grown specially to be extra sweet and fleshy, perfect for a barbecue. Enjoy them whole alongside plenty of nutty romesco sauce. You can use any sweet onion if you're not in Catalonia!
Make it: Authentic & Easy Romesco Sauce Recipe
19. Mel i mató (Cheese and Honey)
On the subject of Catalan vegetarian dishes, you can't go wrong with mel i mató. Fresh, unsalted cheese (normally cow or sheep milk) is drizzled with local honey and... that's it! This is one of the earliest recorded recipes in Spanish cooking, first appearing in a cookbook in the 15th century.
20. Fruta Fresca (Fresh Fruit) — Vegan
Okay, so this isn't only Spanish and you're probably asking yourself why I would include it. Well, here in Spain many restaurants have fresh fruit on their printed menu as a dessert option. Depending on the season I've seen mandarin oranges, watermelon, green melon, peach slices, strawberries and cream, and grapes.
You might think you'd prefer a slice of cake until you try the fruit! I'm always shocked at how delicious seasonal fruit is here. It (almost) deserves to be called a dessert!
21. Lentil Salad — Vegan
Lentil soup with chorizo is a staple of the Spanish diet, but refreshing (and plant-based!) lentil salad has quickly become one of the most popular vegetarian recipes in Spain. Fresh, bright vegetables, perfectly cooked lentils, and a zesty dressing bursting with Spanish flavors make this an easy and healthy option everyone will love.
Make it: Lentil Salad Recipe
22. Winter Salad with Orange & Pomegranate — Vegan-Adaptable
Based on a traditional red cabbage salad served in Madrid around the holidays, this winter salad is always a winner. It uses easy-to-find seasonal products and an orange vinaigrette to tie it all together.
Vegan adaptation: Simply omit the Manchego cheese and replace with your favorite vegan cheese if you like!
Make it: Winter Salad Recipe
23. Sauteed Spinach with Pine Nuts & Raisins — Vegan
This tasty vegetarian tapas recipe from Catalonia is proof that when done right, spinach can be one of the most incredible things you'll ever eat. Local products like golden raisins and toasted pine nuts really take this dish to the next level.
Make it: Spinach with Pine Nuts & Raisins Recipe
24. Goat Cheese & Caramelized Onion Pintxos
In this case, we've got a vegetarian pintxos recipe rather than a vegetarian tapas recipe! This tasty bite comes from the Basque Country and is as simple as it sounds: just crusty bread topped with soft goat cheese and sweet caramelized onions.
Make it: Goat Cheese & Caramelized Onion Pintxos
25. Patatas Alioli (Potatoes with Garlic Mayonnaise)
Last but not least is one of the absolute best vegetarian tapas recipes to enjoy on a sweltering summer day. You could think of patatas alioli as a sort of Spanish potato salad: perfectly boiled potatoes smothered in a garlicky alioli mayo and garnished with fresh parsley. So easy—yet so delicious!
Make it: Patatas Alioli Recipe
Helpful Vegetarian Vocabulary
Use these handy words and phrases to help you order vegetarian and vegan dishes in Spain and explain your dietary needs.
- Soy vegano/a: I am vegan.
- Soy vegetariano/a: I am vegetarian.
- No como ni carne, ni pescado, ni huevos, ni productos lacteos. I don’t eat meat, fish, eggs or dairy products.
- No puedo comer… I can’t eat…
- Carne: Meat
- Cerdo: Pork
- Jamón: Ham
- Pollo: Chicken
- Pescado: Fish
- Atún: Tuna
- Mariscos: Seafood
- Leche: Milk
- Queso: Cheese
- Mantequilla: Butter
- Nata: Cream
- Huevo: Egg
- Miel: Honey
Vegetarian City Guides
Use these guides to eat like a local throughout Spain—no meat necessary!
- Vegetarian Guide to Madrid
- Top 10 Vegetarian Tapas in Madrid
- Complete Vegan & Vegetarian Guide to Barcelona
- 10 Delicious Vegetarian Tapas in Seville
- Vegetarian Guide to San Sebastian
- Where to Eat Vegetarian Tapas in Valencia
- The Complete Vegetarian Guide to Malaga
- 5 Vegetarian Restaurants in Santiago de Compostela
Vegetarian Tapas FAQs
Tapas in Spain can vary widely depending on where you are. Some common favorites include fried croquettes, cold soups like gazpacho and salmorejo, garlic shrimp, or simply a plate of cured meats and cheeses.
Spain is starting to take vegetarianism more and more seriously. Many traditional dishes are already vegetarian or even vegan, and most bars and restaurants are able to adapt dishes to be veggie-friendly if asked.
Larger Spanish cities like Madrid and Barcelona will have more specifically vegan and vegetarian restaurants and shops than smaller towns. However, you can find good traditional vegetarian Spanish food at most bars and restaurants around the country if you know what to look for.
In recent years, Spain has become one of the most vegetarian countries in the world. Approximately 3.8 million Spaniards follow a vegetarian or mostly vegetarian diet.
Most vegetarians in Spain follow an ovo-lacto-vegetarian diet, but veganism is on the rise. Many traditional Spanish dishes, like gazpacho and spinach and chickpea stew, are vegan; others, like pisto, can easily be made vegan by omitting animal products such as egg. As long as you communicate your needs, many bar and restaurant employees will be happy to ensure you get plant-based food.
Update Notice: This post was originally published on January 9, 2012 and was republished with new text and photos on March 21, 2021.
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Erin
Thanks for the post!! I am not vegetarian and I love Spanish food, but I have to say it is quite hard to get enough vitamins and fibers in. It’s so much meat and fish and cheese and bread and deep-fried stuff. So I look for vegetarian restaurants when my body screams. Thanks again.
Suzanne Simard
Pimientos del Padron. And Patatas Bravas!! Or simply fresh crusty bread dipped in lovely Spanish olive oil. Thanks for your post, I enjoyed it. Just back from Spain and missing it immensely ...
Lauren Aloise
Yum and yum! So many options really! Come back soon 🙂
Mexzihcan
I was in Barcelona several months ago and had a hard time finding plant-based options in restaurants (other than in the few specifically vegan outlets). Most of the vegetarian options contained cheese, mayonnaise, or eggs (or all three!) and went very heavily on the oil. Almost every salad or "vegetable" dish had eggs or tuna in it. Even tapas were difficult to find, other than bread with tomato, sauteed mushrooms with garlic (which I love), and olives. I did have asparagus (without the egg) and deep-fried eggplant with a sweet-and-sour sauce that was heavenly. Vegetable paellas were available almost everywhere, but I sensed a great disdain in the waiters for anyone ordering paella without meat or seafood, and I think the chefs must have felt the same, because none of those paellas were very tasty or well made, which was a disappointment. Despite the lack of restaurant choices, I was amazed at the lush and plentiful fresh produce (and nuts and dried fruits, etc.) in the markets. At least I could make my own incredible salads, and the variety of fruit was astounding!
Valarie Griep
I just returned from Barcelona last week and am a vegetarian. I looked up vegetarian restaurants before I left and marked them on a map. There were at least a couple dozen of them all over town! Then wherever we were at lunch time, we'd find the closest place and eat. They were universal tasty and pleasant! We had a small kitchen in our apartment for 2 weeks so I could eat in for breakfast and dinner if the veggie options hadn't panned out. We were two blocks from the Boqueria market and bought anything we needed there. It was amazingly fresh, cheap, and tons of variety of veg, fruits, nuts, dried fruit and more! We found it very easy to eat meatless there.
Ashwin
Hi,
I am glad I came across your blog, am planning a trip to Spain and wondering how the food scene will be(am a vegetarian). This page came as a relief, I do have a question, are these tapas dishes commonly available in most places in Andalucia?
Lauren Aloise
Hi Ashwin,
In many tapas bars across Andalusia you'll find these tapas. But make sure you also explain that you are a vegetarian, and point out that you don't eat ham or tuna (or any other fish). Sometimes people don't realize that. Good luck!
Declan
Ah regarding tortilla, if you fry one big potato and one onion in lots of oil gently for c 20 mins, then drain off the excess oil, add S&P to the potato onion mix, 2 eggs and mix gently.
Then make a filling of any of the following and mix together on a flat plate ready to slide:
i) 70g serrano ham and 70g hard cheese
ii) 70g spinach, 15g toasted pine nuts, 70g mild blue or goats cheese
iii) 70g prawns, 1 mild chilli chopped, 30g chopped parlsey
With some of the reserved decanted oil (1 tbspn) bring to heat and in a small, narrow frying pan (6-8 wide), pour half the potato mix in to hot oil, all the filling and the remaining potato mix. With an fish slice, press down into the frying pan. Turn heat to medium. Fry 3.5 mins. Take off heat. Place big plate on top. With big dish cloth/ tea towel, turn pan up side down. the contents will be lieing on the place. Add a spoon more oil to pan back on heat, slide tortilla into pan. Cook 3 more mins.
Top with extra chopped parsley, woof it down. This dish is espec nice as its not overcooked and the filling can gently release its aromas rather than being turned to cardboard through overcooking/ dehydration. How long each side of the tortilla is done is a matter of experience of your cooker, the thickness of the tortilla. The white of the eggs should be cooked though. If the yellow is a little runny so much the better.
I hope you enjoy it. I did.
Declan
I had a lovely version of a veg berenjas (sp?) aubergine in Meson don Felipe, by Waterloo station in London. Really it was just a lightly battered long slice of aubergine, with lime juice and salt. But God it was divine. Mercifully a whole plate of them were provided, nom, nom.
In Seville, the first I visited, by sheer random chance I had rabo de toro. Bulls tail in a rich deep sauce. It was cheap, plentiful, rich and for a starving visitor perfect. The meat just fell away from the bone with no gristly bits. I've tried doing it at home, but it wasn't as good.
Watch out for the fee tapas. A favourite one to surprise the visitor is "callos", which might be taken to be the attitude of the waiter, when you find it actually means tripe. Bleurgh.
But other than that Spain has some of classiest and cheapest food in all of Europe. And what I like is that the waiters don't ponce around you, interrupt your conversation with a prolonged attention demanding of the dish when they put it down or try to work tips. Its all very work man like, but high quality. You get this in France too but you have to go away from central areas. I once had oeufs en meurette at a worker's cafe on the edge of the town centre in Beaune and it was marvelllous, 2 eggs cooked in red wine and herbs. A slab of bread and butter. And of course a glass of red wine.
Suchet
I have also found Spain offers a brilliant choice of food for tourists and residents - its an amazing hot pot of food culture which I always love exploring.
One of my favourite places for vegetarian food have been Barcelona.
In fact I was so impressed with Spain and it's growing vegetarian food culture that I created a website for my hobby:
http://vegetarian-restaurants-spain.eu.pn
check it out if you are a visiting vegetarian to Spain - you can search it by area and food type.
KC
I am vegetarian and tend to cook at home, but I enjoy inventing in the kitchen and saving money so it isn't so bad. I sometimes make a vegetable paella and in the winter make lentils with lots of veggies as well as garbanzos with spinach. I LOVE tortilla de patatas and had croquetas de espinacas y piñones last night!
I have not seen the carrot dish, calamares del campo, or fried eggplant at a restaurant; I'll have to try them when I do! I live 30km NE of Barcelona, where we call them Patatas Bravas (not Papas) and Catalan embutidos are much more common than cold soups.
I tend to go to ecological stores to find things like quinoa, tofu, seitan, tempeh, and other specialty items. You can sometimes get stuffed grape leaves, hummus, and felafel at the abundant Turkish restaurants here. Apart from that, eating at restaurants can sometimes be frustrating. I found this especially true in the region of Asturias/León where we have family. Note: if you go to a restaurant and order un bocadillo vegetal it will likely have tuna. If you go to a friend's house, they will likely make seafood as they Spanish concept of vegetarian only includes the exclusion of red meat.
If you want to order the menu of the day, there is usually never a second plate without meat. However, if you walk the street and look at the menu options beforehand and notice that one has two vegetarian options for the first entree, many restaurants will let you order two from the listing of first plates. (Maybe it is just me, though, but I often find the first plate to be smaller than the second so two firsts may/may not be as filling.)
There is one vegetarian restaurant in my city. For 11€ you can eat two plates, dessert, wine, and bread so I tend to go once every five or six weeks. (Poor teacher!) I saw the mentioning of calçots...I have tried them and like them alright. They are thick green onions (like the wild ones that used to grow in my yard back in the states.) You could also add escalivada (bell pepper dish), fresh olives, and Pa amb tomàquet (bread with tomato.)
By the way, I gave a link to your blog in a recent post of mine.
http://transatlanticdinnertable.blogspot.com.es/2012/03/my-body-is-medicine-cabinet.html
Hadas
Hi my name is Hadas,I am a vegan, planning a trip to Madrid by the end of December . . I What is the name of the vegetarian restaurant you are talking about? or where it is?! Thanks!
Lauren Aloise
Hi! Check this out for some great options: https://madridfoodtour.com/complete-vegan-and-vegetarian-guide-to-madrid/
Sophia
Thanks for this post! We are vegetarian and headed to Spain. Nice to have a handful of menu items that we can try that are also authentic! Thank you, thank you!
Lauren Aloise
You will love any of these! Where are you headed? Have fun!!!
Erik R.
I had a vegan cousin of mine visit me once in Spain, and he had decided that, rather than starve, he was going to have to eat some eggs/tortilla. As far as I know, there are no Spanish vegans, and very, very few vegetarians in general (I only know one).
Lauren Aloise
There are definitely less vegetarians here than in the US! But I've had quite a few vegetarian friends both in Madrid and Seville-- challenging, but not impossible for them! Vegan is another story... But here in Madrid there seem to be a good number of vegetarian buffets (although I haven't tried one yet!)
Chica Andaluza
Great post and I am going to pass it on to a few veggie pals - they do get so little choice but dishes like this make up for it!
Lauren Aloise
Thanks Tanya! I think there are definitely a lot of good veggie options out there-- you just have to do your homework and know where to go!
Ashlee D.
Great ideas!! Sometimes I'm at a loss when vegetarian friends ask me what they should eat in Spain, and these are definitely tasty alternatives!! I used to live in Galicia and there they use a lot more fish, but jamón is still omnipresent!
Lauren Aloise
Jamón is always omnipresent! (But I love it...)
Cassandra
PS. Have you ever tried calçots? I really want to try them!
Lauren Aloise
What are colcots? I must know!!!
Lola
You must try them! My husband and i had them about 20 years ago in Masia Bou http://masiabou.com/cas/calcotada.php and we still talk about them.
Lauren Aloise
They sound delicious! I remember seeing them on Discovering Spain. I've actually tried them before-- but in Mexico! They're really good. I'll have to try them here now too!
Danny
Calçots are seasonal. Usually around February or March and don't grow in Mexico.
Lauren Aloise
Exactly! (Though I'm not sure I understand your comment's context?) Love calçots though!
Cassandra
I'm glad you've showcased veggie options, especially since I'd never heard of some of these before. Calamares del campo cracked me up, and I too have put the carrot dish on the recipe bucket list.
While eggplant always tempts, my other Spanish veggie favs are grilled setas, salmorejo, and marinated olives.
Mo
I think this is a great country for being a veggie in (though I´m not) and your options are fab! The berenjena, honey and salmorejo tip is at this very moment driving me crazy and I´ll be doing that thing you do with carrots very soon. I think it figures - a country where nobody produces or eats a variety of vegetables (Scotland, to my chagrin) pales into comparison with a country like Spain where vegetables are plentiful, varied and cooked with imagination. Well done, you!
cat
Notables to add: queso teta con membrillo, pimientos de piquillo rellenos de queso or PAPAS BRAVAS.
Lauren Aloise
Mmm, I love all three of those Cat! The other day I bought some membrillo and it was gone within a week. So good! And that also made me think of fried pimientos de padrón, also amazing! Spain is so much more veggie than I thought...!
Ami
Lauren, do u get indian veg food there ?
Lauren Aloise
Yes-- lots of Indian restaurants in Madrid!
Kaley [Y Mucho Más]
Do they say "papas" in Andalucia or something?
German
They say "papas" in the Canary islands
Kaley [Y Mucho Más]
I love how calamares del campo contain no calamares.
Vegetarian is hard, but can you imagine being vegan? No eggs/milk/butter? I don't know how they'd survive in Spain, unless they just never went out.
Lauren Aloise
I know! I love meat so I can't even imagine being a vegetarian! But I love everything I mentioned in this article and try not to eat meat every day. Vegans have their work cut out for them when trying to eat out... but I've heard it is doable!
carmela
yes, it has def been difficult finding veggie options at restaurants here, so i usually dont dine out. but thanks for letting me know about some more options. i def want to try out the Berenjenas Fritas and Espinacas con Garbanzos
Lauren Aloise
You must try them both! They are delicious!!! (And easy to make at home too!)
TheWorldOrBust
It's true, Spaniards love their ham. I was always perplexed how it would be sanitary to be able to eat those salted hanging pig's legs from every local restaurant as they have dangled there for years, oh well when in Rome I guess. I used to live in Barcelona and wasn't to impressed with the food in general, but gazpacho is one of my favorite foods! Great post and awesome pics!
Lauren Aloise
That's cured meat for you! I honestly think that unless you spend the big bucks, the larger cities of Spain actually have the worst food. At least that's been my experience so far. In Andalusia I ate better than ever in my life, went out to eat 4+ times a week, and spent virtually the same as I would have cooking at home... crazy!!!
karim woolfolk
great article we thought we were crazy that most of the food we had was terrible. especially the extremely funky seafood. but now im going vegan. any help here? cook and baker here thank you!
Lauren Aloise
I hope to be publishing more Spanish inspired vegetarian (and vegan!) recipes soon. For now, see: https://spanishsabores.com/vegetarian/