This Vegan Tortilla Espanola (Spanish Potato Omelette) is perfect for tapas night or hot summer days (as it is typically served cold or at room temperature)! And it’s easy to make as well.
Ever since I had this amazing vegan Tortilla Española on my vacation in Madrid a few years ago, I’ve been wanting to make it at home as well. And it turns out, it’s really easy to make and you don’t even need a lot of ingredients.
If you’re unfamiliar with Tortilla Española, it’s often also called Tortilla de Patatas and is in its traditional form a Spanish omelet made with potatoes and eggs. For this vegan version, I’ve used chickpea flour and a very special ingredient, which you’ve seen in many other of my recipes where I use chickpea/garbanzo flour. It’s also one of the 3 secret ingredients that I use in the kitchen all the time.
So what is Tortilla Espanola – a main dish? An appetizer? Well, it can be anything you want it to be! It’s super versatile! In Spain, I’ve had this Spanish Omelette for the main meal together with other tapas, but also in a sandwich.
Traditional Tortilla Espanola doesn’t use cooked potatoes, but the potatoes are fried in olive oil. I sacrifice authenticity for a healthier version. :)
You can eat it warm or cold – it’s delicious either way. I prefer it cold, which makes it also perfect for hot summer days!
How to make Vegan Tortilla Espanola
As always you will find the whole recipe with detailed measurements in the printable recipe box below but I want to give you an overview of the key ingredients and basic steps with step-by-step photos first.
The ingredients
You will need:
- potatoes: waxy potatoes like yukon gold are preferred
- yellow onion: not necessary but it adds flavor, so recommended
- chickpea flour: we’re making a simple chickpea batter for the egg replacement
- kala namak: it’s Himalayan Black salt, it adds an eggy flavor because it’s rich in sulfur and it’s highly recommended for this dish
- olive oil: for the pan
The basic steps
What to serve with Spanish Omelette
You can eat this Tortilla Espanola for breakfast, lunch, dinner, appetizer, or in a sandwich, it’s very versatile. But my favorite way is to have it as part of a tapas spread!
This Spanish Omelette is perfect for tapas evenings! I also served mixed salad, store-bought vegan lemon shrimp (Zeastar brand), olives, garlic mushrooms, yogurt sauce, and sangria.
You can keep it in a container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
More Tapas-Friendly Recipes
- Vegan Onion Rings
- Oven Baked Potato Slices
- Seitan Chicken Nuggets
- Breaded & Fried Cauliflower Nuggets
- Crispy Fried Brussels Sprouts
- Vegan Cheese Sticks
Love it? Rate it!
I hope you enjoy this vegan Tortilla Espanola as much as I do! Let me know if you give it a try!
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Cheers, Bianca
Vegan Tortilla Espanola – Spanish Potato Omelette
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 medium-large potatoes (about 2 1/2 cups chopped potatoes)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 cup besan/chickpea/garbanzo flour sifted
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon kala namak
Instructions
- Peel and cut the potatoes into small cubes. Boil the potatoes in water until medium-done, they don’t have to be super soft. This will take ± 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Cook the chopped onion with a bit of olive oil until translucent and soft. Add them to the potatoes.
- Mix the chickpea flour with the kala namak and add the water. Whisk well until there are no lumps left and the mixture resembles the consistency of eggs.
- Add the cooked potatoes and onions to the mixture. Give it a good mix.
- Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan* and pour in the chickpea flour-potato mixture. Flatten the mixture a bit. Let it cook on medium heat for about 5-8 minutes until it sets on the sides and you'll be able to flip it.
- Flipping works best if you slide the omelette onto a plate with the not-cooked-side up. Then place the pan over the omelette and flip the plate, but be careful because the pan is hot.
- Let it cook on the other side as well for about 5 minutes.
- Then it's done! You can serve this dish warm or cold.
Alocasia
Sunday 9th of July 2023
Can I 1 1/2 x's the recipe for a 10" pan? I think it might be too thin without increasing the amount.
Rob
Monday 3rd of July 2023
Ahh... just delicious. One in the eye for those who say you can't make an omelette without breaking an egg!
Franny
Saturday 1st of July 2023
Oooh Bianca! Thanks so much for posting this recipe. I loved traditional Tortilla Espanola back in my egg-eating days, and am excited to try this vegan version. I cook often with garbanzo flour and kala namak (i.e., mushroom/vegan cheese omelettes and mixed veggie frittata) and agree they are magical ingredients! Gotta go buy a bag of spuds now. I assume gold potatoes are the best choice? Hugs from Franny 💖
Nina
Monday 20th of July 2020
This is SO good! Indistinguishable from the "real" tortilla española and so simple, I'm in love! 😍 Going to become a stable now for sure, thank you!
Kyra
Thursday 5th of May 2016
I haven't heard of tortilla espanola before but anything with potatoes sounds good to me :D I'm intrigued to try this one!
Bianca
Sunday 8th of May 2016
potatoes are life :D I'm seriously depressed whenever I run out of potatoes. I'm obsessed.