🌱🥔 Grandma Sita puts a vegan twist on a Spanish classic! This delicious Spanish omelette, inspired by the traditional tortilla de patatas, has one clever secret: stale bread. Instead of throwing it away, soak it and blend it with water before adding it to the mixture. This simple trick creates a wonderfully soft, tender texture that is similar to the texture of an egg-based tortilla.
😋 Easy, comforting and delicious hot or cold, this tortilla de patatas is wonderfully versatile. Serve it warm with a fresh salad as a simple main meal, or enjoy it cold in lunchboxes, at picnics, buffets or tapas gatherings.
🧅 With or without onion? The great Spanish debate! There is no single “right” way to make a tortilla de patatas. Onion adds sweetness, moisture and extra depth of flavour, while leaving it out lets the potatoes take centre stage. Grandma Sita says: make it the way you like it — or use that onion you already have in the kitchen!
♻️💚 That is what makes this recipe so special: a few simple ingredients, a clever way to use leftover bread and plenty of room to make it your own. Less waste, more flavour — the Grandma Sita way!
- INGREDIENTS — Small Spanish Omelette
2 large potatoes or 4 small potatoes
¼ onion, or to taste
A generous handful of stale bread
Olive oil (or any vegetable oil), for frying
A pinch of salt, to taste
- METHOD
1. Prepare the potatoes and onion. Peel the potatoes and slice them thinly and evenly, or into half-moons, so they cook evenly. Peel the onion and slice it thinly into half-moons.
2. Season. Place the potatoes and onion in a bowl and season with salt.
3. Cook the potatoes and onion. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the potatoes and onion until tender. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place them in a strainer to drain off any excess oil.
4. Prepare the bread. Place the stale bread in a bowl, cover with water and leave it to soak for a few minutes.
5. Blend the bread. Drain the soaked bread well, then place it in a blender. Add a little water and blend until smooth and liquid, with a consistency similar to beaten eggs.
6. Combine everything. Pour the blended bread mixture over the cooked potatoes and onion. Mix gently until everything is well combined.
7. Cook the tortilla. Heat a small frying pan and add a splash of olive oil. Pour in the mixture and cook until the bottom starts to set.
8. Flip the tortilla. Place a plate slightly larger than the pan over the top and carefully turn the tortilla over. Slide it back into the pan and cook the other side until set and golden.
9. Cook to your liking. Turn the tortilla again if needed until it is cooked through and has a lovely golden colour on both sides.
Grandma Sita’s tip: You can turn it as many times as you like until you reach the texture and doneness you prefer.
10. Serve and enjoy. Serve a slice on its own, with a fresh salad or even in a delicious Spanish omelette sandwich.
👵🏻💚 GRANDMA SITA’S TIPS
- 🥔 Use less oil: Traditional tortilla de patatas often involves cooking the potatoes in plenty of oil. For a lighter and quicker version, boil the potatoes until tender first, then finish them in a frying pan with a little olive oil.
- 🍞 Give stale bread a second life: Don’t throw away bread simply because it has gone dry. Soaking and blending it creates the soft base that makes this tortilla so delicious.
- 🥔 Have leftover potatoes? Use them! Boiled or roasted potatoes from another meal are perfect for this recipe and can save you time in the kitchen.
- 🌱 Make it your own: Got a little leftover courgette, bell pepper or vegan chorizo? Chop it up and add it to the mixture. There are no strict rules in Grandma Sita’s kitchen.
- 🔄 Don’t worry about flipping: Use a plate slightly larger than the frying pan, hold it firmly against the pan and turn confidently. If necessary, you can turn the tortilla more than once.
- 🔪 Let it rest before slicing: A few minutes of resting allows the tortilla to firm up slightly, making it easier to cut and serve neatly.
- ❄️ Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 2–3 days. Serve cold or gently reheat in a frying pan or oven.
📗DID YOU KNOW?
The tortilla de patatas is one of Spain’s best-known dishes, but there is no single recipe that everyone follows. Families have their own preferences — with or without onion, thicker or thinner, and cooked to different levels of doneness.
🥔🧅 The onion debate is part of the fun! Some people love the sweetness and moisture that onion brings, while others prefer a tortilla made with potatoes alone. Grandma Sita says there is room for both!
🌱 Plant-based versions offer another way to reinterpret this Spanish classic, replacing eggs while keeping the comforting combination of potatoes, onion and a beautifully golden finish.
♻️ A LITTLE FOOD-WASTE FACT
🥔🍞 Potatoes and bread are two everyday foods that can easily be forgotten at home. Potatoes may sit in the cupboard until they start to spoil, while bread is often thrown away as soon as it becomes stale.
♻️ But stale doesn’t mean useless! In this recipe, leftover bread becomes an important ingredient, while cooked potatoes can also be rescued and turned into something completely new. A little planning and creativity can transform ingredients that might otherwise be wasted into a delicious meal.
♻️💚 GIVE YOUR LEFTOVERS A SECOND LIFE
A few potatoes, a little onion and some stale bread can become a delicious plant-based Spanish omelette that the whole family can enjoy. Cook with what you have, give leftovers a second chance and waste less — the Grandma Sita way!