Vegan Tapas Recipes to Wow Your Next Dinner Party

Hosting a dinner party can be hard. Figuring out what to cook, how many to cook for, who’s got what food allergy… the list goes on. We’re here to help you take the mystery and stress out of prepping your next dinner party menu. The solution?

A Spegan tapas party!

Here us out. Tapas is the ultimate social style of eating. Ditch the formal place setting for a more fluid, social night of mingling with delicious food in-hand. Add some authentic Spegan (Vegan + Spanish) and GF tapas to the mix, and your dinner party will not only be accessible to all your guests, but it will go down in the books as the best darn dinner party your friends have ever been to. Yup - we can guarantee it.

Ready for your inclusive, vegan tapas menu? 

1. Pintxos

The secret to turning any dish into party-friendly finger food? Pintxos. Pintxos aren’t as much of a recipe as they are a style of tapas. Traditionally, a pintxo (also spelled pincho) is a bite-sized tapa from Northern Spain, specifically the Basque country. Pintxos often come in the form of a small piece of bread topped with something yummy (ex: cheese, mushrooms, prosciutto, etc.). The beauty of pintxos is that they are incredibly easy to assemble, and you can literally put anything on top of a piece of bread! We recommend garlic sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes dressed in olive oil, roasted eggplants with balsamic...the list goes on.. Try any of these recipes below as a pintxo - and most importantly - let your imagination fly!

2. Berenjenas con miel (Fried eggplant with honey) (V + GF)

The combination of the salty, crunchy eggplants with the sweet, caramelized honey is sure to make your guests go wild. These are always a crowd favorite - and the best part? They couldn’t be easier and more affordable to make. Just fry your eggplant in olive oil (we recommend you La Española Classic Olive Oil for this) , and drizzle with some dark, high quality honey. For a gluten free version, substitute the regular flour for GF flour or rice flour.

See the full recipe on Basco

3. Patatas Bravas (Potatoes with spice brava sauce) (V + GF)

Patatas bravas is one of Spain’s most popular tapas dishes, and for good reason. Crispy bite sized potatoes smothered in a zesty, creamy sauce are simply irresistible, and won’t break the bank to make for a big crowd. While traditionally the spicy bravas sauce is made with a mayo base, we have an amazing vegan version in our website that is as flavorful (if not more!) than the classic. 

4. Espinacas con Garbanzos (Spinach and Chickpeas) (V+ GF)

Espinacas con Garbanzos hails from the southern Spanish city of Seville. Stroll into any tapas bar in the charming Andalusian city, and you’re sure to see Espinacas con Garbanzos served up right and left. The garbanzos and spinach are traditionally cooked with smoked paprika, tomato sauce, almonds, sherry vinegar and extra virgin olive oil for a protein-rich dish that’s full of flavor.

See the full recipe on Spanish Sabores

5. Pimientos de padron (blistered padron peppers) (V + GF)

A 3 ingredient dish? Yes please! This northern Spanish staple is as simple and delicious as it gets. Just fry padron peppers (you can also substitute for shishito peppers) in a pan with hot olive oil (once again La Española Classic Olive Oil is the variety you are looking for!). Once the skin is shriveled and blackened - they’re done! Yes, it’s actually that easy. Sprinkle some chunky sea salt to top it off, and voila! Perfect to enjoy as finger food. 

See the full recipe on Greedy Gourmet

6. Setas con ajo (Mushrooms with garlic) (V + GF)

All that’s required to make this easy-as-can-be dish spectacular is mushrooms, garlic, white wine and extra virgin olive oil. Just saute the mushrooms in a pan with olive oil and garlic, and then add in the white wine. When the mushrooms are cooked through, throw some sea salt on them and they’re ready to be served! Try serving a spoonful on a small piece of bread pintxo style. 

See the full recipe on The Spruce Eats

...And let your dinner party commence! 

What’s your favorite vegan tapas dish?