In this article, we are NOT talking about vegan restaurants. When I lived in Spain (2013-2014 and again from 2015-2018), it was becoming increasingly vegan-friendly and this trend has continued to pick up steam! There is a vegan restaurant in pretty much every major city in Spain – and some cities, like Madrid, have become a true vegan mecca!
But what if you’re doing the Camino de Santiago, eating with non-vegan friends, or otherwise in a tiny town with no vegan restaurants? How can you eat vegan in Spain no matter where you are? Here we will show you some go-to options for a tasty meal. Many traditional dishes in Spain are accidentally vegan or can be easily modified. You’ll get to try typical Spanish food and be kind to animals at the same time!
Language Note:
If you’re language nerds like us, read on: some of the Spanish in this guide is colloquial to Spain and might be considered rude in other places! For example, you might have learned in Spanish class to say “Me gustaría…” or use the formal “Usted” for everything, but in Spain people are much more relaxed! Most of the time you can just say what you want and add “por favor” to the end, and it will be more than polite enough. If you’re asking if they have a menu item, I’d use the vosotros form: “¿Tenéis…?
One last tricky thing in restaurants: “menu” or “menu del día” will refer to a fixed lunch menu where you will be given a few options for an appetizer, a few options for an entree, and possibly dessert, all for a fixed price. If you want the full menu, you’ll need to ask for “la carta.”
As always, it’s completely possible that some restaurant could try some tomfoolery and put meat/animal products in a dish that should be and is usually vegan. I’m so sorry if this happens, and if you order a dish that is brought out with meat in it, you can try saying one of these things:
- Shorter conversation: Lo siento, pero no como carne (huevo, leche, queso). “Sorry, but I don’t eat meat (egg, milk, cheese).
- Longer conversation: Lo siento, pero no como ningún producto de origen animal. ¿Podrías traerlo de vuelta sin carne? (sin queso, sin huevo…?) “Sorry, but I don’t eat anything of animal origin. Could you bring it back without meat? (without cheese, without egg…).
Typical Vegan Spanish Dishes and Tapas
These foods might originally be from a specific region of Spain, but you can find them pretty much anywhere. Eating vegan in Spain is a piece of vegan cake!
Pisto: A sauteed mix of zucchini, peppers, and onion with a tomato base. This dish looks super saucy and is often served with a fried egg on top – just say “Sin huevo, por favor,” to get only the vegetables. In Mallorca you might see a similar dish, which is called “Tumbet” and often has eggplant as well.
Verduras a la plancha or Paradilla de verduras: Not the most exciting of options, but this could be delicious if the vegetables are fresh. This is just an assortment of grilled vegetables. We’ve been in tiny villages in Spain where this was the only option, so it’s a good one to know about just in case.
Berenjena frita: Fried eggplant! If this dish is labeled “Berenjenas con miel,” avoid it as it contains honey (miel). However, this delicious dish is usually served as “Berenjenas con miel de caña,” – absolutely try it, as miel de caña means molasses. Traditionally this recipe is made with no animal ingredients, but you can check with the restaurant to make sure the “rebozado” or the batter, doesn’t contain egg.
Paella de verduras: The most authentic paella is definitely in the Comunidad Valenciana, but you can get this dish anywhere in Spain. Just make sure they are not cooking it with non-vegan broth. You can ask, “¿Se hace con caldo de verduras?” – “Is it made with vegetable broth?”
Patatas Bravas: Fried potatoes with a “spicy” tomato sauce (spice level varies based on the restaurant but is usually pretty mild). Some restaurants serve their patatas bravas with a creamy sauce made with mayonnaise or aioli, so order this “sin mayonesa” or “sin alioli” to avoid the animal products. You’ll probably have more luck ordering this in Madrid or the north of Spain – in Andalucía it seemed like all of the patatas bravas were served with a mayonnaise sauce, but we’ve always been able to order this dish vegan in Madrid.
Pan con tomate y aceite: A really good breakfast you can see all over Spain, but especially in Andalucia. This is just toast with pureed or sliced tomato. If you have a preference you can ask or specify “tomate triturado” (pureed tomato) or “en rodajas” (sliced) – triturado is life though. Served with salt and olive oil, this is a delicious breakfast option, especially if the bread is good (which it usually is in Spain). Another breakfast choice would be “tostadas con mermelada,” or toast with jelly.
Champiñones al ajillo: Mushrooms sauteed in olive oil with garlic. Simple and delicious.
Aceitunas: Olives. A super common tapa and always a go-to – if you like olives, of course. Spanish olives are heavenly.
Polvorones, mantecados, turrón, mazapán: If you are in Spain around Christmas, you must try some traditional Spanish Christmas desserts! Mantecados (and Polvorones, which are a type of Mantecado) are traditionally made with lard. HOWEVER, you can often find these vegan in supermarkets. Look for “Mantecado de Aceite de Oliva” – La Muralla or DOR brand. You can also find various flavors from the brand Flor de Antequera that will say “Grasa Vegetal” on the front. For more information about Christmas desserts that are vegan, check out one of our favorite websites – they have a complete list.
Regional Specialties:
Catalonia
Escalivada: A dish that traditionally includes grilled or roasted peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and onions. This dish is seasoned with olive oil, garlic, and salt. Usually this dish is vegan as-is. Enjoy!
Calçots: We actually tried this dish in Andorra – you can find it all over Andorra and Catalonia when in season. Calçots look similar to green onions and are usually grilled and eaten by peeling the layers off with your hands! A fun regional specialty to try if you happen to be here in the late winter or early spring. They’re usually served with Romesco sauce, which in its traditional form is also vegan.
Andalusia
Gazpacho: Ah, gazpacho! This is probably one of the Spanish dishes with the most international recognition. Usually typical Andalusian gazpacho is made with tomatoes, Italian pepper, cucumber, and garlic, although some more creative versions can have other ingredients as well (We’ve tried gazpacho with watermelon and with apple; both are delicious). You can really order this dish almost anywhere in Spain, but it’s originally from Andalucia and is usually delicious in this region, especially in the hot Andalucian summer!
Vegan Note: While this is more often the case with Salmorejo (below), sometimes restaurants serve this with pieces of ham on top. To be sure, you can say “sin jamón ni huevo” (without ham or eggs) when you order this dish. You can also ask, “¿Lleva jamón o huevo?” (Does it have ham or eggs?) and if the server says sí, you can answer with, “Pónmelo/traémelo sin jamón, por favor” (Give it to me /bring it to me without ham, please).
Salmorejo: Think of Salmorejo as a thicker, heartier gazpacho, thanks to the addition of day-old bread. We love Salmorejo, but be careful as this one is more often served with eggs or ham on top. Look on the menu description for huevos or jamón, and follow the language instructions above to order this dish completely vegan.
Ajoblanco: Another delicious cold soup, this one usually has day-old bread, garlic, and almonds. This soup is thick, creamy, and white-colored, hence the name ajo (garlic) blanco (white). Like the other two cold soups, sometimes this is served with ham on top (though thankfully less often than the other two!), so just check before you order!
Espinaca con garbanzos: Literally “Spinach with garbanzos,” this dish is hot and hearty! If you like cooked spinach, this one is for you! Sometimes we’ve eaten this dish at a restaurant and it’s come out of the kitchen with suspiciously meaty-looking bits. However, on closer inspection, you’ll discover that these are just pieces of garlic, so no worries! We love ordering this dish especially if we’re in Andalucia during the winter.
Galicia
Pimientos de padrón: This dish is really fun to eat! Pimientos de padrón are a kind of pepper typical in Galicia. Most of these peppers taste similar to a small green pepper, but some are actually spicy! It’s like the Russian roulette of peppers. Honestly, we’ve ordered this dish several times and only gotten a couple of spicy ones, but the uncertainty of it all is what makes it fun!
Canary Islands
Papas arrugás/papas arrugadas: Literally “wrinkled potatoes.” This dish usually consists of potatoes served with mojo rojo, a semi-spicy chili-garlic sauce. The potatoes are boiled in salt water and then left to dry a little until they have a delicious salty crust. A chef would have to be doing something crazy for this one to have meat in it, so order as-is!
We hope you enjoyed this guide showing that restaurant food in Spain can be vegan friendly. Tell us about your experience eating out as a vegan in Spain, or let us know if there’s anything we missed. Happy eating!