Vegetarian Tapas Recipes

Vegetarian tapas recipes alone can easily meet your appetizer needs or provide your whole tapas party menu. Though Spaniards love ham, sausage, and salt cod, they also revel in nuts, veggies, and cheeses.

Tapas are traditional Spanish bar food. Long ago, a wine glass arrived on the table with a tapa, or cover, to protect the wine. Now the word means any appetizer served on a small plate, to accompany your wine, beer, or sangria. Usually ordered a few plates at a time, each offers 3 to 4 people a nibble.

The fun of tapas lies in the variety; but it can be easy to fill up more quickly than you realize, especially with the salty stand-bys. For a party at home, make 6 to 10 selections, with enough for seconds on some.

My Favorite Vegetarian Tapas Recipes

Spanish Cheese Plate
Manchego cheese, cabrales, and mahon are the easiest to find in US stores. If they prove elusive, try a small wedge of a mild Romano, a creamy French chevre or blue, and a Dutch Gouda.

Roasted Garlic spread alone on bread, or paired with other tapas.

Roasted Almonds
A small bowl of lightly salted pre-roasted almonds will do. But if you can, find them raw and then oil, salt, and roast them yourself.

Almond Gazpacho
A creamy, cold soup with a touch of garlic. Savory and addictive.

Tosta
Similar to canapes, crostini, or bruschetta. Start with good, fresh bread thinly sliced and toast lightly in the oven at 275-300 degrees. Then top with:

• Goat or cream cheese with tapenade (olive paste) or strips of roasted red peppers
• Roasted Garlic
• Manchego cheese, or gruyere, with roasted red peppers
• Cooked asparagus spears with manchego or fontina cheese, lightly toasted.
• Aioli with fresh tomato slices, or marinated artichoke hearts, or roasted red pepper strips.

Catalan Spinach
A very simple medley of spinach, raisins, and pine nuts.

Olives
Buy an assortment of unpitted, marinated olives. (Usually near the deli, or in jars.) Kalamatas and manzanillas are favorites; but experiment with what you can find. Rinse off any excess marinade, microwave (10 seconds!) or saute very briefly to warm them. Place in a small pretty dish, 8 - 12 at a time. Refresh dish periodically.

What are your favorites?