Say hello to the classic Spanish tortilla made healthy! This traditional Spanish recipe is super simple, cheap, filling and delicious! It's made with potatoes, eggs, onion and a pinch of salt.
Spanish tortilla or "tortilla de patatas", or simply "tortilla" is one of the most classic Spanish dishes. Anywhere you go in Spain you can find this dish and everybody loves it. And for a good reason!!
Tortilla is a delicious dish to cook for an easy family meal, have it with a side of salad, share at a dinner party or to have as a "pincho", which is bread with the tortilla on top. Make the pincho even better with this Spanish tomato bread!
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How to make Spanish tortilla healthy
As a good Spaniard I absolutely love tortilla, but what I don't love so much is how unhealthy it can be if prepared the traditional way. So here I am, creating a healthier version to nourish and enjoy!
Tortilla is usually made with fried potatoes, but this healthy version is made with boiled potatoes instead. Fried potatoes are less healthy than boiled potatoes, plus the process of frying itself can be a big mess. Aka splashback and benchtop full of oil splashes.
In my opinion, tortilla is ALWAYS better with onion (there's divided opinions in Spain about this! haha). Again, the onion is usually fried with the potatoes, but this recipe uses poached onion with little olive oil instead.
The rest of the process involves mixing the potatoes and onion with beaten eggs, and cooking the mix in a greased pan.
A meal with prebiotics? Yes please!
When cooked potatoes are cooled down, they have resistant starch, which is a type of prebiotic that feeds the good bacteria in your gut. So if you let the tortilla cool down, you will enjoy this amazing benefit as a bonus! You can read more about the topic here.
P.S. My favourite way to eat tortilla has always been cold (even before knowing about this amazing health fact!). In my opinion, it tastes better. The joy of leftovers!
Why you will LOVE this Spanish tortilla recipe
There are countless reasons to love tortilla, but these are my top 5 favourites:
It's super easy to make, filling and delicious
Incredibly cheap meal: potatoes, eggs and onions are all super cheap ingredients!
Ideal for sharing, meal prep or to enjoy at a dinner party
Healthy & vegetarian
It will take you to the flavours of Spain
TOP tips to make the best tortilla
Be patient and poach the onion until is nicely brown. It will develop a sweet flavour that is amazing!
Use organic eggs, they are still super affordable and you will get more nutrients and flavour.
Another tip from my dear grandma, is that it's best to beat the eggs with a spoon to don't generate foam.
Boil the potatoes in water with salt. If you don't add salt the flavour will be quite plain.
Use a non-stick pan. Otherwise you won't be able to flip it and end up with a mess (yep, I've experienced it in the past).
Cook the tortilla on medium heat, if you set the heat to high, you will burn the outside without cooking the inside. You want the outside to be slightly brown only, like in the photos.
The cooking time shown in the recipe is for eggs medium done. If you like the eggs quite runny, decrease the cooking time by 1 minute. If you prefer the eggs well done, increase the cooking time by 2 minutes.
More Spanish recipes you will love!
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SPANISH TORTILLA MADE HEALTHY
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main course
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Say hello to the classic Spanish tortilla made healthy! This traditional Spanish recipe is super simple, cheap, filling and delicious!
Ingredients
5 medium potatoes
1 large onion thinly diced
8 organic eggs
Pinch of salt to taste
Olive oil for cooking
Instructions
- Bring water to boil in a medium size pot with a pinch of salt (approx. ¼ teaspoon). Once the water is boiling, add the potatoes and boil them for 35 minutes or until you can easily insert a knife.
- In the meantime, add a drizzle of olive oil to a non-stick pan on low heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt, and poach for 25 minutes or until nicely brown.
- Once the potatoes are ready, take them out of the water, and let them cool down a bit until you can easily peel them. Peel and thinly slice them.
- Add the eggs with a pinch of salt to a large mixing bowl, and beat them with a spoon. Don't beat them too hard, as you don't want to create foam. Add the onion and combine. Add the potatoes and combine well all the ingredients.
- Grease the non-stick pan and set the heat to medium. Add the mix to the pan and cook for 4 minutes. With the help of a spatula, shape the edges of the mix slightly towards the middle.
- Now comes the time to flip the tortilla (see video for visual reference). Use a big enough plate (that covers the entire surface of the tortilla mix) and place it on top. Put the palm of your hand on the middle of the plate, and flip the pan upside down. Your hand will end up underneath the pan, and the tortilla mix facing up. Gently place the pan back in the stove, and slide the mix back to the pan. Cook for another 4 minutes.
- Transfer the tortilla back to the plate and enjoy!
Notes
- Cook the tortilla on medium heat, if you set the heat to high, you will burn the outside without cooking the inside!
- 4 minutes will result in medium cook eggs. If you like the eggs quite runny, decrease the cooking time by 1 minute. If you prefer the eggs well done, increase the cooking time by 2 minutes.
- Enjoy with a side of greens or as a "pincho" with this Spanish tomato bread
Heidi says
I had this with my family for breakfast it was delicious and filling thank you Ali for sharing the recipe
Kate says
This tortilla make for a great savory and healthy breakfast - perfect served with some fresh tomatos!
Haley says
This is the best tortilla I’ve had! Love that it’s a bit healthier too with boiled potatoes instead of fried. Thanks for sharing Ali!
John says
I love this recipe because I love tortilla but I don't like to eat fried foods. It's very easy and tasty.
Lea says
Wow! I never thought I could eat a healthy tortilla de patata, but this one is so good 😍
Anna says
Such a great idea not only to go healthier but also to reduce the ‘frying mess’ and cooling it in the fridge will create some healthy resistant starch 😉
Helen says
What an idea !! When I try to go healthy with this recipe I usually steam the potatoes, but this seems way easier so I’ll definitely try it!
Joseba says
Siempre había cocinado esta tortilla con patatas fritas, pero he seguido tus consejos y la he hecho con patatas cocidas. Me ha sorprendido lo fácil que ha resultado y me ha encantado el sabor. A partir de ahora siempre la haré así.
alicia gonzalez tome says
que bien Joseba! Me alegro que te haya gustado la tortilla con papa cocida 🙂
Cristina Alaber Miras says
Loved this recipe! So easy and yummy! xx