The Spanish summer can be intense, and finding ways to stay energized and in good spirits—despite a reduced appetite—is key. One of the best ways to cope with the heat is to adapt your diet to the climate. Today, we’re sharing 20 traditional Spanish summer dishes for you to enjoy, whether you're here on holiday during the hottest months or living in Spain year-round.
All the titles are clickable and will take you to a description of how to prepare each dish—a fun way to practice your Spanish, too! Good luck!
A classic Andalusian dish that can be drunk from a glass as a refreshing drink or eaten with a spoon. Main ingredients include ripe tomatoes, garlic, green pepper, onion, olive oil, and white wine vinegar. When served in a bowl, it’s often topped with chopped boiled egg, bits of cured Spanish ham, and croutons.
This Catalan salad is made with desalted cod, ripe tomatoes, onion, black olives, sometimes red pepper, olive oil, and salt.
A traditional salad from Extremadura made with grilled tomatoes and peppers, onion, egg, garlic, parsley, olive oil, vinegar, and salt.
A dish from Galicia made with cooked and sliced octopus (not squid), sliced boiled potatoes, coarse salt, paprika, and olive oil.
A cold soup popular in Andalusia, Extremadura, and La Mancha. It's made with breadcrumbs, almonds, garlic, water, olive oil, vinegar, and salt.
Originating in Córdoba and eaten throughout Andalusia, salmorejo is a thicker, more filling version of gazpacho, served with a spoon. Ingredients include ripe tomatoes, bread, garlic, olive oil, and salt.
Spain's answer to ratatouille, this dish is popular throughout the country and can be eaten warm or cold. The original ingredients include tomatoes, green and red peppers, and zucchini.
This dish features black rice, colored with squid ink. Other ingredients include squid (sepia or calamar), shrimp, onion, tomato, garlic, green pepper, fish broth, white wine, and olive oil.
A typical dish from Asturias made with baby squid, onion, garlic, cayenne pepper, green pepper, white wine, olive oil, rum, bay leaf, parsley, and salt.
A hearty salad from Aragón with potatoes, onion, lettuce, tomato, breadcrumbs, crumbled desalted cod, tuna, boiled egg, green and black olives, cooked white beans, vinegar, and olive oil.
Similar to the above, but with boiled potatoes as the star ingredient. Also includes onion, tomatoes, green and red peppers, boiled egg, tuna, olive oil, and lemon juice.
Also known as Ensalada Malagueña, this salad from Málaga features desalted cod, orange, onion, black olives, and olive oil.
A fresh salad made with cooked chickpeas, tuna, tomato, onion, cucumber, and olive oil.
A simple Catalan dish made with roasted vegetables. The name comes from escalivar, meaning "to roast over an open flame" in Catalan. Traditional ingredients include eggplant, red pepper, onion, garlic, and olive oil.
A flavorful but simple dish from Murcia, made with preserved whole tomatoes, onion, boiled egg, tuna, black olives, and olive oil.
A traditional salad from Jaén. The word pipirrana is derived from the Arabic pipirrán, meaning pepper. It's seen as a cross between a salad and gazpacho, with finely chopped ingredients: green pepper, tomato, onion, cucumber, olive oil, salt, and vinegar.
A classic Mediterranean seafood and vegetable salad. Ingredients include crab, shrimp, egg, spring onion, green and red pepper, mussels, fresh parsley, olive oil, vinegar, and bay leaf. When made with octopus, it’s called Salpicón de Pulpo Canario.
The perfect summer drink—refreshing, vitamin-packed, and easy to make. Just mix lemons, sugar, water, and ice.
A traditional summer drink from Valencia made from chufas (tiger nuts), water, and sugar. There’s also a rice version known as horchata de arroz.
Photo credit: Miguel Perfectti
Inspiration: www.expansion.com
Introducing this stunning fully renovated home, just 25 meters from the beach, located in one of the most exclusive areas…
Modern & Bright Apartment Just a Short Walk from the Beach – Torrequebrada, Benalmádena
Located in the sought-after…
Beautiful penthouse with 2 west facing terraces in Torrequebrada. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, one of them ensuite. 2 very…