Before I went to Spain you know I had to do some research as to what authentic Spanish dishes I had to try and I kept hearing about Tortillas Espanola - and to my surprise it was not the corn tortilla I was expecting and it was actually similar to a quiche except the heavy cream. I used soaked mung beans and chickpea flour to create that eggy texture that Tortilla Espanola has along with softly cooked potatoes and onions for texture and a touch of truffle oil. This is kind of a combination of 2 vegan versions I tried in one of my last few nights in Madrid before returning home and it was *amazing*.
There are endless variations of Tortilla Española, some very simple and some are more adventurous - you guys know I just love playin around with flavors and textures so I kinda had to marry all my favorite things and cover it with my favorite plant based parmesan cheese from the brand Violife. So next time you are hungry just remember you can eat tortilla de Espanola for breakfast, lunch or dinner as they do in Spain. Just remember that you are probably going to want to have a siesta
What you will need:
Sharp Chef Knife
1 Large Sauté Pan
Cutting Board
Mandolin
8’’ Spring Form Pan
Parchment Paper
High Speed Blender
Tortilla Espanola
yields 6 - 8 servings / prep and cook time is about 1 hour
Ingredients - “Egg” Batter
1 cup - soaked / split yellow mung beans
1/2 cup - chickpea flour
1 1/2 cup - plant-based milk ( I used oat )
2 tbsp - truffle oil
2 tbsp - soy sauce
1 tsp - black salt
1 tsp - salt
3 tbsp - nutritional yeast
1 1/4 tsp - baking powder
1 tsp - tapioca starch
1/2 tsp - turmeric
1/2 tsp - garlic powder
1/2 tsp - onion powder
1/4 tsp - paprika
1/4 tsp - black pepper
Veggies / Add Ins
700g - Yukon gold potatoes ( sliced thin )
300g - yellow onions ( sliced thin )
Instructions
Step 1 - Make the batter
There is nothing worse than going to make something and realizing you don’t have the stuff ! Take this moment to gather everything.
In the blender, add all of the ingredients for the “egg batter” and blend really well and set to the side.
Step 2 - Slice potatoes with mandolin
If you dont have a mandolin you could do this step with a sharp chef knife, simply slice all the potatoes into thin slices. Once the potatoes have been sliced you can let them soak in water to release the extra starch and then dry them well in a strainer or even better lay them over a sheet tray with paper towel. Next slice the yellow onion and set that to the side.
Step 3 - Cook down the potatoes + onions
In a large saute pan, warm it up along with enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. You wanna do this on medium, not high heat as the “traditional’ way to cook this is to cook it low n slow rather than to maybe deep fry the sliced potatoes. The goal is to have it all looking nice and golden, cooking the potatoes and onions all at the same time. Once this is all looking nice and golden, season with salt and pepper to taste. Then set to the side to cool a bit before for the next step.
Step 3 - Bake the tortilla
Grab a 8 inch spring form pan and grease the edges with olive oil and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper to ensure we don’t loose any of the tortilla when removing later. For the bottom cover the parchment paper a bit with some of the sauteed potatoes and onions and then pour over about half of the “egg batter”. Add in the rest of the potatoes and onions and then cover with the remaining “egg mixture”. With a spoon mix around the potato and onion mixture to make sure its nicely distributed and that the potatoes are all covered. Set this on a baking tray lined with a parchment paper just in case something were to spill, there will be less mess. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes and then let it rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting into.
Step 4 - Serving + Plating
Tortilla de Espanola is commonly served with a piece of fresh bread and is sometimes garnished with herbs and cheese. I served this one with fresh sourdough sprinkled with my favorite plant-based parmesan cheese from Violife brand and some chopped parsley.
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3