You Say Tomato and I Say Tomate: 13 Vegetarian Tapas You Should Be Eating in Spain

I hear it all the time. “It must be impossible to be vegetarian in Spain!”.

And sure, this country loves pork more than most people love anything. Locals hang legs of ham from their ceilings like they’re gearing up for a long winter, or like you might hang paintings or photos of loved ones.

So yeah, looking at your average tapas bar’s menu, you might start thinking there’s not much here for veggies.

But you’d be wrong!

Spain loves veggies. Some of the most famous national dishes are vegetarian, from the most rustic plates to Michelin meals and more.

And once you start to look a bit closer, you’ll notice that veggies are all around you. So what should you be looking for?

No matter where you are in Spain, these vegetarian tapas dishes are sure to satisfy your cravings for something green!

13 Vegetarian Tapas Dishes That Will Make You Shout Olé-ttuce

Tortilla

Does it get more classic than this? Spain’s golden potato omelette is a source of national pride (it’s the reason for the yellow part of the flag).

Don’t be fooled into thinking that the tortilla española is anything like the Mexican version. Spanish tortilla is the beautiful mix of potato, egg, olive oil, and according to some, sweet caramelised onion. There are as many recipes as there are Spanish grandmothers who make them!

And if you’re looking to get fancy, there’s even a Michelin version you can try.

Pisto

Pisto manchego: think ratatouille, but with a Spanish rat in charge of the cartoon chef. From the central region of La Mancha, this is warmth and love in a bowl.

Take tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, onions, and zucchini, stew ’em all together and add a fried egg on top for effect. Just don’t forget the paprika! Get some bread on the side and get ready for a vegetarian flavour bomb!

Pimientos de Padrón

Every now and then, you start missing green food. Vegetarian tapas might not be too hard to find in Spain, but they tend to be more russet-toned. So when the green mood hits, I go and binge on Padrón peppers.

Pimientos de Padrón are vivid green peppers from the north of Spain. One in fifty is crazy spicy, but the rest are sweet and seductively bitter. And they’re the simplest thing ever to prepare!

Just fry them up with good olive oil and chunky salt flakes, and you’ve got one of the tastiest treats in town.

Gazpacho

I live in Seville, so I might be biased. But I reckon that the best food in Spain comes from the South! Here you’ll find the heaviest use of spice, and the least restraint in big, bold flavours!

And don’t think that this just applies to meat dishes. Here, vegetarian tapas are just as delicious as their porky cousins, and just as famous! Without a doubt, the jewel in the vegetarian cuisine of southern Spain is gazpacho.

This cold soup of raw, blended vegetables is surprisingly delicious, in spite of its simplicity! The classic gazpacho mixes tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic, cucumber, olive oil and vinegar to tasty perfection.

You’ll usually find it served in a glass, not a bowl. It’s like the Spanish version of V8 juice, and so refreshing on a hot summer’s day.

Espinacas con Garbanzos

Espinacas con garbanzos is hands down my favourite veggie dish to eat in Seville. It’s a simple but delicious stew of spinach and chickpeas, and one of Spain’s most iconic vegetarian tapas!

The first spinach and chickpea stew was brought to Spain by the Moors. Their Arabic culture loved veggies as much meat, and we can see their influence in the popularity of chickpea, spinach, and asparagus dishes all over Spain today! Spiced with fragrant cumin, it tastes completely unique, southern, and delicious.

You can get my authentic espinacas con garbanzos recipe right here!

Patatas Bravas

So this one is tricky.

When it’s good, patatas bravas is one of the best things you can do for your tongue. It’s smoky, spicy, garlicky, and has all of the flavours of a barbecue without the meat.

But!

Patatas bravas is usually pretty bad. Very few tapas bars seem to be able to do a good one, and you’re going to end up with soggy spuds and bad ketchup.

But when it’s good… it’s great! And how do you know you’ve found a good one? Oh, you’ll know. If it’s delicious and life-changing, like you never knew potatoes with sauce could taste so good, then it’s a good one.

And if you’re not willing to risk ordering at a bar, why not make it yourself? Get a great recipe right here.

Tombet

Tombet is kinda like the Mallorcan take on pisto. But just like the people on the island of Mallorca, it’s different in all the right ways.

Here you’ve got layers of thinly sliced potatoes, eggplants, and red bell peppers. They’ve been seductively stacked, and then topped with a taste-bomb of a sauce made of tomatoes fried with garlic.

There’s so much flavour here that you’ll be convinced it’s packed with meat! It’s hard to find outside of Mallorca, but served at almost every tapas bar on the island.

Salmorejo

Visit Andalucía in summer and you’re sure to fall in love with one dish: salmorejo.

It’s not just that it’s delicious (which it definitely is), it’s also the perfect antidote for the sweltering heat of southern Spain. Much like its skinnier brother, gazpacho, salmorejo is a cold tomato soup. But while gazpacho is served as a drink, salmorejo is much creamier.

But don’t be tricked into thinking that means it’s full of cream! The richness of salmorejo comes from emulsifying olive oil with garlic and breadcrumbs. This way, it can be eaten solo as a thick soup or served as a sauce for meat and seafood!

The classic recipe comes from Cordoba, with tomato playing the starring role. There are fewer ingredients here than in gazpacho, so it’s one of the simplest vegetarian tapas in Spain! You’ll also find modern recipes using anything from avocado to fresh fruit and berries.

Setas a la Plancha

Spain has a secret passion for mushrooms.

Actually, it’s not that secret at all. Anywhere you go in the country, you’ll find mushrooms on the menu. They’re the perfect pairing to Spain’s big red wines like Rioja and Ribera del Duero!

My favourite way to eat Spanish mushrooms is pretty simple. Just chuck them on the grill with plenty of olive oil and a dangerous amount of garlic! If you’re looking for a vegetarian tapas dish that packs a punch, then setas a la plancha are for you.

Tomate Aliñado

It might sound too simple to be good, but I love tomate aliñado. It’s crazy easy to make. So easy that you’re left wondering, what’s the secret ingredient? What aren’t I seeing, how could it be so good?

But really, it’s just two things. Take tomatoes, add olive oil. Maybe add some salt and oregano leaves. And really, that’s it!

These tomatoes are insanely delicious, and for me they represent everything great about Spanish cooking. Take incredible ingredients and let them speak for themselves!

Berenjenas con Miel

It’s time to go back to the Moors. It’s hard to ignore them, especially when we’re talking about Spanish vegetarian food. Moorish culture brought so many ingredients to Spain that we couldn’t go without.

Apart from chickpeas and spinach, we thank the Moors for spice, stone fruit, and sugar cane!

And it’s sugar cane that makes this next dish what it is.

Eggplant with honey comes from Cordoba, the capital city of Moorish Andalucia. It also doesn’t have any honey!

Instead, chefs take slices of eggplant, crumb them in flour and deep fry them in olive oil. Then they drizzle them in miel de caña or “sugar cane honey”; dark, sticky molasses made from cane sugar.

It’s sweet, rich, and deep-fried. What more could you ask for?

Croquetas

The best bar snacks ever invented are in Spain. They’re called croquetas, and you’ll find them in every corner of the country.

Croquettes come in many forms: stuffed with different types of pork, seafood, and more. And those are all delicious! But don’t look past some of the vegetarian croquetas on offer. Filled with delicious things like mushrooms, cheese, or veggie stews, these bad boys are seriously tasty.

Ajoblanco

Ajoblanco is the slightly less popular brother of gazpacho.

This simple soup dates back to the time of the Roman empire. Crushing garlic, stale bread, and almonds in a bowl, Roman centurions combined these staple rations with olive oil to make an emulsified paste that was full of calories, simple to make, and tastier than the sum of its parts.

Today, ajoblanco hasn’t changed much! It’s still a nutty and garlicky soup, and you’ll usually eat it along with fresh grapes.

Read More

Are you making a foodie bucket list for Spain? Don’t forget the sweet stuff! Get my list of the best Spanish desserts and get your saliva flowing.

Have I forgotten your favourite Spanish vegetarian food? Maybe there’s one veggie tapas dish you think deserves a place on this list. Let me know in the comments!