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Visit Southern Spain

Spanish Recipes from Andalusia

Spain is a top contender with several dishes that would make everyone's top-ten list for food. Travel down to Andalucia in southern Spain, and you will discover a cuisine that uses not only the freshest ingredients but takes Spanish food to the next level.

vegetables

With both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea on its doorstep, you are sure to notice that seafood plays a big part in the Andalucian diet.

With more than 320 days of sunshine, a year dining al fresco is very popular with the Spanish and visitors alike.

Spanish soup recipes like gazpacho are hugely popular, as are fried whitebait and calamari served with a green side salad.

Contrary to most people’s conception, winters in Andalucia can be quite chilly, making warm soups and hearty stews the way to go. No matter what time of the year you decide to visit Spain you are always going to eat delicious fresh food and perhaps come away with a recipe that you will want to try and make at home.

Table of Contents

Spanish Breakfast Recipes

Unlike many parts of the world where people start the day with a hearty breakfast, Spanish breakfast recipes revolve around bread and olive oil. Simply put, Spaniards like toasted bread drizzled with olive oil and a cup of coffee for breakfast. 

While this might sound quite boring, coffee in Spain is a national obsession, and you can liven up the toast with grated tomatoes or a slice of Jamón. 

Tapas Recipes from Spain

Of course, everyone has heard the word “tapa” to describe tasty morsels of food that bars serve to accompany a drink. And while Basque Country is home to pinchos, Andalucia is where you will find the best Spanish tapas recipes.

Whether made from seafood, glorious Jamón, or summertime favorite ensaladilla rusa, tapas in Andalucia are simply the best.

Spanish Soups Recipes

Spanish soups recipes, be they favorites like Spanish lentil soup, Spanish garbanzo bean soup or Spanish garlic soup, can be found all year round in Andalucia. 

While various soups are made from fish and meat, vegetables play a prominent role in the soups found in southern Spain. 

The most famous Andalusian soup has to be gazpacho, a cold tomato-based soup made of raw, blended vegetables. Gazpacho is what to eat in Seville for lunch on a hot summer’s day.

Spanish Chorizo Recipes

Because it makes everything taste better, you will find that chorizo is used in many traditional Spanish recipes. Depending on the type of paprika used, chorizo can either be sweet or spicy.

In Andalucia, recipes for lentil and bean soups add slices of chorizo to give them more flavor and color.

Spanish Lunch Dishes

Lunch in Spain is the biggest meal of the day and is always served at 14:00, followed by a siesta.

Lunch is almost always comprised of traditional Spanish recipes that have become family favorites. 

When looking for a place for lunch, consider a set-price three-course menu del dia (meal of the day).

Dinner Recipes from Spain

Dinner in Spain is like breakfast, a straightforward affair, and more like tapas or snacks than a big meal.

Spanish dinner dishes include things like an omelet or some Jamón and Manchego cheese. 

Deep-fried croquetas with ham or bacalao (salt cod) are also popular choices for Spanish dinner recipes.

Spanish Desserts Recipes

Soft and cheesy, thick and creamy, Spain is a wonderful country to visit for those who have a sweet tooth.

From cinnamon-infused rice pudding to crunchy-topped crema catalana and delicious cakes made from almonds, in Andalucia, you will find a wide range of desserts to select from. 

Spain’s most famous dessert is flan, a wobbly blancmange similar to French creme caramel.

Spanish Rice Recipes

Introduced by the Moors in the 8th century, Spanish rice recipes are much more than paella dishes. In Seville Province, a must-try meal is arroz de pato (rice and duck) made with rice cultivated by the Guadalquivir river. 

Rice dishes and Andalucia are so popular that the local government published a rice-based guide for visitors.

Popular throughout Spain, paella is regarded as the country’s national dish. The ingredient, though, varies, with some replacing the traditional Valencian rabbit and ferradura beans with either chicken or seafood. 

A constant element in all paella recipes is the use of short-grained rice and saffron.

Spanish Chicken Recipes

Because the Spanish all prefer using the freshest ingredients, Spanish chicken recipes are easy to master and a treat to eat. Smoked paprika and tomatoes feature prominently and are often combined with chorizo. 

A popular meal in Andalucia is pollo en pepitoria (chicken in almond sauce) that includes spices from the Middle East like almonds, saffron, and cinnamon.

Spanish Meat Dishes

As you move further away from the coast, you will find that meat replaces fish in the main meal of the day. Be it pork, chicken beef, or wild game, Spanish meat dishes are rustic and delicious. 

One meal you must try while visiting Andalucia is rabo de toro (oxtail stew). This heartwarming dish is a winter favorite served in all traditional Spanish restaurants in Andalusia.

Spanish Fish Dishes

Spanish fish dishes are some of the most popular foods from Southern Spain. No wonder, the Spanish Mediterranean coast is one of the richest in the world!

It will be hard to find a restaurant in Andalusian that’s not serving any type of fish!

Some of the most popular fishes dishes from Spain are fried anchovies (typical food from Malaga), boquerones en vinagre, marinated cazón fish, espetos or tuna from Cadiz.

Spanish Shrimp Recipes

Seafood is a big part of most Spaniards diet and is especially popular when it comes to tapas. Popular Spanish shrimp dishes include tortillitas de camarones (shrimp fritters) and gambas al ajillo (shrimp in garlic), a simple shrimp dish cooked in garlic-infused olive oil.

Even simply grilled as a brochette shrimp dishes are always a popular choice. Or why not a tasty Spanish shrimp soup?

Spanish Salad Recipes

No lunch in Spain would be complete without the addition of a side salad. The most common and the one you will find in all restaurants is ensalada mixta, a simple green salad with cucumber and tomatoes.

Remojón is a type of salad found in Granada that includes oranges and fish. In contrast, Andalucia’s favorite summertime salad is Pipirrana, a combination of diced green peppers, onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers drizzled with olive oil and vinegar.

Spanish Vegetable Recipes

Thanks to the 657 km (408 mi) long, Guadalquivir river Andalucia has an abundance of fresh vegetables. 

Spanish vegetable dishes include soups and stews and even have a standalone favorite called patatas a lo pobre (poor man’s potatoes), a one-pan dish of slowly fried potatoes with onions and green peppers. 

Typical food from Granada includes Spanish eggplant recipes like berenjenas con miel (fried eggplant with honey).

Vegan Spanish Recipes

Because vegetables, beans, and pulses feature so prominently in Spanish food, vegans will have no trouble finding plenty of things to eat. Spain has seen a vast increase in the number of people not eating meat, which has led to a rise in vegetarian and vegan restaurants. 

A great idea of what to eat in Malaga is to try vegan albóndigas (meatless meatballs) cooked in a rich tomato sauce.

Spanish Main Dishes

When it comes to Spanish food recipes, mains are the ones that are most Googled.

Not to be confused with Latin America’s cuisine, Spain’s main meal dishes tend to be either fish, chops, or roasted meats like lamb and chicken. Because it gets sweltering during the summer, fish and salads are a staple of Andalucian food. 

In the winter, that all changes in favor of hearty stews and roasted meats.

Spanish Side Dishes

Arguably the most common side dish in Andalucia is a mixed salad that gets served with every summer meal. Patatas a lo pobre (poor man’s potatoes), french fries, and a variety of fresh steamed vegetables like green beans are also popular Spanish side dishes. 

Other side dishes typical to Andalucia include rice with saffron and a mixture of grilled vegetables like asparagus, eggplant, and red peppers.

All Spanish Recipes from Andalusia