Spanish Dishes are prejudiced to contain meat and wine. Thus, eating out in Spain is thought to be difficult for a vegan. Very few people know that there is a wide range of Spanish Dishes that are truly vegetarian. The history of Spain traces back to battles and invasions that helped their aboriginal adopt many foods items, such as honey, almonds, spices, chocolates, peppers, tomatoes, and vanilla. These ingredients slowly found their ways in the Spanish kitchens, making it richer and tastier. Here are a few vegetarian dishes that can be easily found in bars and restaurants throughout Spain:
Chickpeas with spinach
Delicious and protein-packed, this delicious recipe contains chickpea, spinach, and other seasonal vegetables. It can be served as a soup or you can enjoy it with bread during lunch or dinner. Although low in calories, this dish is very energetic, providing us with proteins of high biological value, healthy fats and a lot of flavors. It also provides us with a good variety of minerals like phosphorus, zinc, and iron). And, it provides a significant amount of fiber, antioxidants, and folic acid.
Vegetarian paella
This dish contains flavourful, puffy rice, steamed together with seasonal vegetables, and further, topped with aromatic spices. It is an ideal recipe for health cautious folks as it helps to maintain a balanced diet without consuming extra calories. It usually contains lots of vegetables, flat beans, and artichokes being the most common ones. These ingredients render a unique flavor to the paella, in addition to supplying us with important vitamins.
Spicy potatoes
Patatasbravas is a popular Spanish vegetarian dish that contains coarsely chopped potatoes covered with spicy willows. They are crispy and topped with a delicious smoky salsa brava and garlic aioli. However, in case a person wants it to be less spicy, then it can be replaced with any pink sauce. The dish can come with many extra toppings, the most popular of which include chorizo, chistorra, baked chicken, and fried fish. So, if you want your meal to be vegetarian, be cautious while placing an order.
Gazpacho
Consisting of fresh tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, olive oil, vinegar, garlic and salt, this cold soup consists of a bowl of chowder that has been left out all day for fermentation. There are many dishes that closely resemble gazpacho and often considered variants thereof, ajoblanco, salmorejo, pipirrana, porraantequerana (closer to a bread soup), cojondongo and Portuguese gazpacho being the most common ones. Being filled with fresh summer flavors, gazpacho is super refreshing.
Bread with tomato
This dish is a toasted bread that is topped with garlic, juicy tomatoes, and extra virgin olive oil. It is best consumed as a favorite mid-morning snack. This crispy and chewy appetizer is thought to be the best way to enjoy summer tomatoes. Although it really goes well with any meal, it accompanies best with grilled vegetables or a big salad.
Eggplant with Honey
This classic Spanish dish combines Fried eggplant and honey. Being rich in fiber, iron potassium, vitamin C, and B6, it has many health benefits. It’s easy to prepare, so if you are longing for a bit of holiday atmosphere at home, Padron peppers is a good choice. It is perfect to enjoy with people over a glass of wine.
It’s true that Spaniards love pork, pork, and tuna, but at the same time, some of the tastiest Spanish Dishes are vegetarian, considering the abundance of sun-ripened seasonal produce that grows in the country. At Gastronomic Spain, we offer you a wide variety of delicious and healthy vegetarian dishes that you will love to try again and again.
