Vegeterians and Spain do not go together, or so the popular conception goes. Everyone has heard of the vegetarian who ordered a vegetarian dish in Spain and got something with ham in it. True or not, if you are a veggie or vegan peregrino, do not need to worry. You will be able to find excellent vegetarian dishes along the Camino de Santiago. 

We are giving you some examples or ideas of Spanish vegetarian food you might come across on the way. You will be able to choose among a great range of salads, from ‘ensalada mixta’ to a tomato-cheese-walnut salad, or taste the popular ‘tortilla de patata’.

But if you are a more demanding veggie peregrino, there are more options for you… What about a thick piece of grilled bread smothered with a warm tomato and onion mixture, covered with thick slices of grilled fresh vegetables of red and green pepper, zucchini, and eggplant, also drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing? Or how about shell-shaped pasta flavored with tomato sauce, ricotta cheese, and arugula, and sprinkled with freshly grated parmesan cheese? It could be another option…

Don’t they look just delicioso? They are some of the vegetarian dishes you could eat in Spain as you walk along the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. And there are more dishes, like seasoned asparagus topped with melted brie cheese, …

Well, to say the true, you will find these dishes in some restaurants, because the most meals along the Camino, especially the ‘cenas’ (dinners), are served in what is called a Menú de Peregrino, a Pilgrim’s Menu. An inexpensive three-course meal, where you get choices for each course. The first course is usually some sort of appetizer, salad, soup, or pasta. The second course is the main dish, and the third course, ‘postres’ (dessert). Some places also offered wine and/or water with the meal. Most of those second-course choices usually are some sort of meat, beef, lamb, chicken, or an assortment of seafood. But you can ask to pick two items from the first course, and some restaurants will allow your changes.

In case you walk the Camino and start to struggle to find suitable things to eat, read the advise of Sil, a veggie prilgrim who walked the Camino more than twice: “I am a vegetarian and have walked a number of the Camino routes. Sometimes it is difficult to find vegetarian food in restaurants and cafe-bars, but I always managed to find salad ingredients, nuts and fruit, tinned or bottled vegetables at supermecados, You can buy boxes of soup or cup-of-soup. I travel with a spiral immersian heater and a camp cup and make my own soups, vegetarian pasta dishes etc. Instant lentils, rice, 2-minute noodles with vegetables – these all make a nourishing meal. I don’t usually eat eggs but in Spain I found the Spanish tortilla good for ‘carbo’ loading and protein and easily available. You might have to increase the volume of food, particularly protein and eat more cheese, eggs and legumes”. And after all, taste the best dessert: la ‘tarta de Santiago’!  Buen provecho and buen camino!!