Five Delicious Spanish-Inspired Dishes

If you’ve ever tucked into traditional Spanish cuisine, either in your hometown or while on holiday in Spain, you’ll know it’s bursting with fresh, wholesome Mediterranean flavours and ingredients. These include olive oil, legumes, fish and seafood, sausages, and locally grown veg.

Try your hand at whipping up Spanish dishes with the following five tantalising recipes, which are sure to transport you to the sunny streets of Spain. ¡Buen provecho!

Tortilla Española

We’re starting this list off with a rather simple but delicious Spanish dish: tortilla Española, or Spanish omelette. This fuss-free dish consists of eggs, potatoes and olive oil – that’s all!

Of course, you can always add in extra ingredients to take this dish to the next level. Onions, spinach, courgettes, chorizo and ham are just a few such ingredients.

In this recipe, potatoes are slowly fried in olive oil for about 30 minutes, then mixed with beaten egg and cooked for a little longer. Mould it into a cushion-like shape, wait for it to cool and enjoy!

Patatas Bravas

Tapas, or small savoury appetisers, are a staple of Spanish cuisine, particularly in bars. One of the more well-known tapas is patatas bravas, which features crispy fried potatoes smothered in a spicy tomato sauce and drizzled heartily with creamy aioli.

This recipe walks you through whipping up perfectly spiced patatas bravas. The tomato sauce is filled with the rich flavours of garlic, chilli and rosemary and garnished with fresh parsley and aioli. It’s the perfect recipe for using up your leftover potatoes.

Gazpacho

Cool down with a refreshing bowl of gazpacho, a chilled tomato soup enjoyed across Spain, particularly in the warm summer months. Ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and onions are blended together for a vibrant and healthy dish that can be served in either a bowl or a glass.

Gazpacho is easy to whip up, and so tasty especially paired with crusty bread, so we won’t blame you for making this every day!

Paella

There are countless types of paella to be had in Spain, but the most traditional consists of rice, tomatoes, chicken or rabbit, two types of beans and plenty of saffron to give it that iconic yellow colouring. All of the ingredients come together to create an aromatic and flavourful gastronomical experience like no other.

Make your own Spanish paella with this recipe. The combination of chicken and prawn makes for a healthy dose of protein to this dish. Picture below: serving suggestion.

Gambas Al Ajillo

We’re rounding this list off with another tapa recipe. Gambas al ajillo is an aromatic garlic prawn dish often found in tapas bars across Spain. Making this dish couldn’t be simpler, and yet the results are just so delicious.

For gambas al ajillo, all you really need are prawns, sliced garlic, green chilli and olive oil. Want to take it a step further? Add in some parsley and make a sauce for the side, like Spanish Romesco sauce.

The best part of this dish, though? Dunking chunks of bread in the garlicky sauce that’s left over when the prawns are all gone.

Until next time…