Spain For Vegetarians !
Spain has a reputation as not being a great place for vegetarians. Perhaps the images of bullfights and restaurants lined with rows of Serrano ham hanging from the ceiling don't bode too well for vegetarian travellers. Personally I have never had any problems finding vegetarian food in Spain. Admittedly I do eat eggs and dairy products and a vegan would be more limited when eating in restaurants, but there is no need to go hungry. If you know a little about Spanish food you should have no trouble finding something to eat without compromising your principles.
Common Spanish dishes suitable for vegetarians
Sometimes a little knowledge can go a long way. Here are some typical Spanish dishes that are suitable for vegetarians and are commonly found on menues throughout Spain:
English | Spanish |
---|---|
Olives (watch out sometimes they have the pip removed and are filled with anchovies) | Aceitunas |
Green Salad (Vegan) | Ensalada verde |
Greek Salad | Ensalada griega |
Boiled potatoes and greens (Vegan) | Hervido de patatas con acelgas |
Spinach with pine-nuts and raisins (Vegan) | Espinacas con pasas y piñones |
Spinach with chickpeas (Vegan) | Espinacas con garbanzos (Espinacas a la Andaluza) |
Green beans with potatoes (Vegan) (sometimes contains onion - add olive oil to taste | Judias tiernas con patatas |
Spanish Omelette | Tortilla de patatas |
Plain Omelette | Tortilla francesa |
Cheese Omelette | Tortilla francesa con queso |
Scrambled eggs | Huevos revueltos |
Scrambled eggs with mushrooms | Revuelto de champiñones (setas) |
Scrambled eggs with Asparagus | Revuelto de espárragos (trigueros) |
Scrambled eggs with potatoes | Huevos estrellados / huevos rotos |
Boiled rice with tomatoe sauce and a fried egg on top | Arroz a la cubana |
Asparagus with mayonnaise ( Note- fresh asparagus is refered to as "trigueros" and is normally cooked "a la plancha") | Espárragos con mayonesa |
Cooked mixed vegetables (Vegan) | Menestra de verduras / Verduras a la plancha |
Ratatouille | Pisto (*warning - although this dish can be vegetarian some recipes use chicken stock) |
Ratatouille with fried egg(s) | Pisto con huevos |
Cooked Aubergine,Onions and peppers with olive oil (served cold) (Vegan) | Escalivada |
Fried Aubergine with Honey (Tapa) | Berenjenas fritas con miel |
Fried potatoes with spicy sauce (Tapa) | Patatas bravas |
Fried potatoes with garlic sauce (Tapa) | Patatas alioli |
Fried salted small green peppers (Vegan)(Tapa) | Pimientos del padrón |
Spinach and pine-nut cannelloni | Canelones de espinacas y piñones |
Cold tomato/vegetable soup (Vegan) | Gazpacho |
Sliced artichoke fried in batter | Chips de alcachofas |
Whole roast artichoke (Vegan) | Alcachofas asadas |
Vegetable paella (*warning unless you're in a vegetarian restaurant this will be made with meat stock*) | Paella vegetal (Paella de verduras) |
Cheese baguette | Bocadillo de queso |
Omelette baguette | Bocadillo de tortilla |
Bread with pulped tomato and olive oil (Vegan) | Pan con tomate |
Vegetarian "False Friends"
I think the main danger for vegetarians in Spain is the fact that tuna, ham and bacon in small quantities are not considered to be meat ! This can lead to some nasty surprises. Common ones to avoid are:
Spanish | English |
---|---|
Bocadillo vegetal | This in theory would be a vegetable sandwich but in practice normally contains Tuna |
Setas salteadas | Fried mushrooms. Normally contains bacon |
Guisado de lentejas | Lentil stew. Commonly contains bacon or chorizo |
You should also be aware that soups are normally made with meat stock and croissants and other pastries are usually made with lard (manteca) rather than butter (mantequilla)
Useful Spanish phrases for vegetarians
English | Spanish |
---|---|
I am vegetarian | Soy vegetariano |
Are there any dishes which don't contain meat | ¿Hay algún plato que no lleve carne? |
Could I have an omelette with salad please ? | ¿Me podrían hacer una tortilla francesa y una ensalada verde, por favor? |
The last phrase is like the vegetarian equivalent of a “get out of jail free card" Spanish restaurants are generally pretty flexible and even if theres nothing on the menu you can eat they can normally rustle you up something. In fact I've been to restaurants with nothing for vegetarians on the menu and ended up eating better than my meat eating friends !
Vegetarian Restaurants in Spain
Thankfully vegetarian food is growing in popularity in Spain and there are vegetarian restaurants in most large cities. The following are some vegetarian restaurants we have eaten at and recommend in towns mentioned elsewhere in this website.
- Arc Iris - C/ Roger de Flor 216, Barcelona - Web
- L'Hortet - C/ Pintor Fortuny 32, Barcelona - Web
- More Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants in Barcelona
- Amaltea - C/ Diputacion 164, Barcelona - Web
- Restaurante Raices - C/ Pablo Picasso 30, Granada - Web
- Restaurante A Tulla * - Rua Entreruas 1, Santiago de Compostela - Web
- Restaurante Habanita * - C/ Golfo 3, Seville - Web
- Restaurante Fuxion * - C/ Santa Angela de la Cruz 37, Seville
- Chilimosa - C/ Peso 6, Tarifa - Web
- Eco Centre - C/San Sebastian 6, Tarifa - Web
- Madre Tierra - Bajada de la Triperia 2, Toledo - Web
- La Lluna - C/ San Ramon 23, Valencia - Web
- Restaurante/Coqueria La Cucafera * - C/ Canyelles 3, Vic - Web
* Please note that the restaurants marked with an asterisk aren’t purely vegetarian restaurants but have a good selection of vegetarian dishes on their menu.