Winter Recipes and Comfort Food

A good winter recipe offers everything we crave as the months turn cooler. They must be warming, filling, and rich in flavor. Winter recipes must be able to please a crowd, and offer second servings with ease, straight from the pot that bubbles away on the stovetop or the dish that’s been baking away in the oven.

Winter recipes include hearty stews and casseroles, the ultimate one-pot comfort food that can be quick and easy to make, while others deserve more time and become a delightful day’s cooking. Of course, there are other gorgeous recipes to come out of the kitchen in winter from luxurious desserts to roast veg, meat, and fish.

With the turn of the season, we are excited to return to the kitchen to make warming Spanish main meals, festive Spanish tapas dishes, and decadent winter desserts that have guests demanding a second serving.

Winter Tapas & Festive Dishes

a large tapas serving of Spanish garlic zucchinis

Spanish Garlic Zucchini

Easy vegetarian tapas or side

A small ceramic bowl of Albondigas sits in a rich sofrito sauce waiting to be served

Albondigas

Meatballs in smoky sofrito sauce

A plate of huevos estrellados sits with potatoes eggs and ham

Huevos estrellados

Madrid-style eggs with potatoes

A frying pan holds some chorizo cooked in cider with a fork to one side

Spanish Chorizo Cooked in Cider

Tapas in 20 minutes!

a large empanada gallega is cut into some large slices

Empanada Gallega

Easy empanada recipe | Oven-baked

Pumpkin and caramelized onion Cocas sitting on an oven tray waiting to be baked

Pumpkin and Caramelized Onion Cocas

Vegetarian Recipe!

a small tapas serving of spinach with chickpeas

Spinach with Chickpeas (Vegan recipe)

Espinacas con garbanzos | Vegan

Small earthenware dishes filled with papas arrugadas green mojo and red mojo sauces

Papas Arrugadas

with mojo verde and a spicy mojo picón

a bowl of patatas bravas sits garnished with some fresh parsley

Spicy Patatas Bravas

Easy Spanish tapas recipe | Vegan

Main Meals

a small bowl of Fabada Asturiana is served from a large steaming pot

Fabada Asturiana

Spanish bean stew

A large pan of chicken with peaches cooked in sherry

Chicken with Peaches in Sherry

Simmered with Pedro Ximinez Sherry

a large pan of arroz al horno sits waiting to be served

Arroz al Horno

Spanish Oven-Baked Rice

A large try of oven baked chicken pieces pollo al horno sits waiting to be served

Pollo al Horno

Oven-Baked Chicken with Sherry

a large pot of smoky sweet potato chorizo stew sits beside some fresh bread

Smoky Sweet Potato Chorizo One-Pot

Easy 30-minute recipe

oven baked fish casserole sits on a grey granite kitchen worktop beside some fresh sprigs of parsley

Oven Baked Fish Casserole

with homemade romesco sauce

a large pot of smoky butter bean stew with sweet potato and kale

Smoky Butter Bean Stew

with Sweet Potato and Kale

A grilled chicken rice bowl sits on a table with plenty of herbs and sald toppings

Grilled Chicken Rice Bowl

Healthy | High Protein

a large pan of vegan arroz al horno is topped with roasted red pepper and a whole head of garlic

Vegan Arroz al Horno

Oven-Baked Rice | Vegan

A large pan of Spanish chicken and rice sits garnished with olives and fresh chopped parsley

Spanish Chicken and Rice

One pan arroz con pollo

A large pot of Romesco de Peix also known as Catalan Fish Stew

Romesco de Peix

Catalan Fish Stew | 30-Min recipe

A large white casserole dish sits on a white marble counter with a rich red Mediterranean Eggplant casserole with chickpeas and tomato

Mediterranean Eggplant Casserole

One-Pot Recipe | Vegan | Made in an hour

a large pot of chickpea stew Potaje de Garbanzos sit waiting to be served

Chickpea Stew

Potaje de Garbanzos

2 large whole fish sit on a baking tray with garnishing and some seasoning

Pescado al Horno

Roasted Fish Spanish-Style

A beetroot falafel rice bowl sits with salad and other toppings

Beetroot Falafel Rice Bowl

Healthy | Vegetarian

A frying pan of pisto with eggs with a little chopped parsley to garnish

Spanish Vegetable Pisto

Easy one-pot recipe!

a large baked sweet potato sits on a white plate with plenty of Mediterranean inspired toppings

Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes

Easy Vegetarian Recipe

A Mediterranean rice bbowl sits with lots of salad toppings

Mediterranean Rice Bowl

Healthy | Vegan | Easy

Soups and Stews

a large pot of smoky butter bean stew with sweet potato and kale

Smoky Butter Bean Stew

with Sweet Potato and Kale

a small bowl of Fabada Asturiana is served from a large steaming pot

Fabada Asturiana

Spanish bean stew

A large black pan sits on a rustic wooden board and is filled with chicken and chorizo stew

Chicken and Chorizo Stew

Easy one-pot recipe

A pot of Mediterranean fish stew Zarzuela de Mariscos with mussels and fish in a broth

Mediterranean Seafood Stew

(Zarzuela de Mariscos)

A large bowl of Mediterranean Lentil and Spinach stew

Lentil and Spinach Stew

Mediterranean vegan recipe

A large red pot filled with Spanish Seafood Stew brimming with mussels prawns and fish

Spanish Seafood Stew

Suquet de pescado/Suquet de Peix

A white bowl contains pumpkin soup topped with some chorizo

Spicy Pumpkin soup

with paprika and chorizo

A large pot of Romesco de Peix also known as Catalan Fish Stew

Romesco de Peix

Catalan Fish Stew | 30-Min recipe

A steaming bowl of garlic soup sits in a black bowl beside a few slices of golden toasted bread

Spanish Garlic Soup

Sopa de Ajo

Winter One-Pot Recipes

a large pan of vegan arroz al horno is topped with roasted red pepper and a whole head of garlic

Vegan Arroz al Horno

Oven-Baked Rice | Vegan

a large pot of smoky butter bean stew with sweet potato and kale

Smoky Butter Bean Stew

with Sweet Potato and Kale

a large pan of arroz al horno sits waiting to be served

Arroz al Horno

Spanish Oven-Baked Rice

oven baked fish casserole sits on a grey granite kitchen worktop beside some fresh sprigs of parsley

Oven Baked Fish Casserole

with homemade romesco sauce

a small bowl of Fabada Asturiana is served from a large steaming pot

Fabada Asturiana

Spanish bean stew

A large bowl of Mediterranean Lentil and Spinach stew

Lentil and Spinach Stew

Mediterranean vegan recipe

A large pan of chicken with peaches cooked in sherry

Chicken with Peaches in Sherry

Simmered with Pedro Ximinez Sherry

A large pan of paella Valenciana sit garnished with green beans chicken and pieces or stewed rabbit

Paella Valenciana

Traditional | Valencian Paella

A alrge paella pan is filled with fideua negra and topped with bright red baby squid and some cilantro

Fideua Squid ink Pasta

Fideua Negra with allioli

An orchard paella is cooking in a traditional paella pan

Orchard Paella

Paella huertana | Vegetarian Option

plated squid ink pasta with baby octopus

30-minute Squid Ink pasta

Spaghetti-based black ink pasta recipe

A large red pot filled with Spanish Seafood Stew brimming with mussels prawns and fish

Spanish Seafood Stew

Suquet de pescado/Suquet de Peix

A large black pan sits on a rustic wooden board and is filled with chicken and chorizo stew

Chicken and Chorizo Stew

Easy one-pot recipe

A large white casserole dish sits on a white marble counter with a rich red Mediterranean Eggplant casserole with chickpeas and tomato

Mediterranean Eggplant Casserole

One-Pot Recipe | Vegan | Made in an hour

Spanish seafood pie sits in an earthenware dish

Spanish Fish & Seafood Pie

Ready in 1 hour

Winter 30-Minute Meals

oven baked fish casserole sits on a grey granite kitchen worktop beside some fresh sprigs of parsley

Oven Baked Fish Casserole

with homemade romesco sauce

plated squid ink pasta with baby octopus

30-minute Squid Ink pasta

Spaghetti-based black ink pasta recipe

a small bowl of padron peppers sprinkled with some salt

Padron Peppers

5-minute recipe | Vegan Tapas

A frying pan holds some chorizo cooked in cider with a fork to one side

Spanish Chorizo Cooked in Cider

Tapas in 20 minutes!

A large bowl of Mediterranean Lentil and Spinach stew

Lentil and Spinach Stew

Mediterranean vegan recipe

A large pot of Romesco de Peix also known as Catalan Fish Stew

Romesco de Peix

Catalan Fish Stew | 30-Min recipe

A large pan of chicken with peaches cooked in sherry

Chicken with Peaches in Sherry

Simmered with Pedro Ximinez Sherry

Winter Vegetarian Dishes

A large pan of vegetarian meatballs sits garnished with cherry tomatoes and thin slices of red onion

Spanish- Style Vegetarian Meatballs

in a smoky sofrito sauce

A large white casserole dish sits on a white marble counter with a rich red Mediterranean Eggplant casserole with chickpeas and tomato

Mediterranean Eggplant Casserole

One-Pot Recipe | Vegan | Made in an hour

a large baked sweet potato sits on a white plate with plenty of Mediterranean inspired toppings

Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes

Easy Vegetarian Recipe

A large bowl of Mediterranean Lentil and Spinach stew

Lentil and Spinach Stew

Mediterranean vegan recipe

A beetroot falafel rice bowl sits with salad and other toppings

Beetroot Falafel Rice Bowl

Healthy | Vegetarian

A bowl of garlic soup sits on a tabletop beside some slices of toasted bread and a silver spoon

Spanish Garlic Soup (Vegetarian recipe)

Winter Vegan Dishes

a large pan of vegan arroz al horno is topped with roasted red pepper and a whole head of garlic

Vegan Arroz al Horno

Oven-Baked Rice | Vegan

a large pot of chickpea stew Potaje de Garbanzos sit waiting to be served

Chickpea Stew (Vegan)

Potaje de Garbanzos

An Earthenware dish of Poor Mans Potatoes sits on a kitchen counter with a chopping board and some bread beside it

Poor Man's Potatoes (Vegan)

Easy one-pot recipe

An orchard paella is cooking in a traditional paella pan

Orchard Paella

Paella huertana | Vegetarian Option

a large pot of smoky butter bean stew with sweet potato and kale

Smoky Butter Bean Stew

with Sweet Potato and Kale

a bowl of patatas bravas sits garnished with some fresh parsley

Spicy Patatas Bravas

Easy Spanish tapas recipe | Vegan

Pumpkin and caramelized onion Cocas sitting on an oven tray waiting to be baked

Pumpkin and Caramelized Onion Cocas

Vegetarian Recipe!

a large tapas serving of Spanish garlic zucchinis

Spanish Garlic Zucchini

Easy vegetarian tapas or side

A large bowl of Mediterranean Lentil and Spinach stew

Lentil and Spinach Stew

Mediterranean vegan recipe

What’s in season during winter?

Leafy greens high in fiber and lots of root veg are the stars of the winter season. Winter fruits are an eclectic bunch, led by a healthy array of citrus fruits. Let’s look at the winter produce available;

Fruits

Pomegranates
Blood Oranges
Lemons
Oranges
Grapefruits
Clementines
Kumquats
Persimmon
Cranberries

Vegetables

Beets
Pumpkin
Squash
Potatoes
Sweet Potato & Yams
Brussels Sprouts
Turnips
Leeks
Parsnips
Onions
Kale
Fennel

Stay healthy!

The Mediterranean Diet

It’s no secret that the Mediterranean diet is healthy. It has been proven in numerous studies from all corners of the world, it aids weight loss, reduces the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as a growing list of other health benefits.

Find out what’s most exciting about the diet and create some incredibly tasty and simple Spanish recipes.

Learn More about the Mediterranean Diet