Andalucia and the vegetarian traveler in 2018

Based on a lengthy 2016 trip to Spain (but not including Andalucía), I would warn your niece always to ask about the contents of food items rather than making assumptions. I found that ham often showed in vegetable side dishes, where it is used for flavoring. Printed restaurant menus seemed to mention ham when it was present.

You'd think buying prepared mixed salads and sandwiches at cafes would be safe, but ham can be lurking under the top layer of ingredients where you do not see it.

There are often good deals at lunchtime if you choose the menu del dia, but the descriptions of those menus--often written on a chalkboard sitting on the sidewalk--tend to be very brief and without the detail often found on printed menus. So extra care is needed there.

You can eat vegetarian in Andalucia, but your niece will need to do some research and ask questions about ingredients. Here is a useful site that might help: http://www.andalucia.com/gastronomy/being-vegetarian-in-spain.htm.

thanks, it looks like we will do more research and to find set places to go to that we know have vegetarian Paella instead of just winging it like we normally do

Ham is king in Spain and is used in a lot of dishes however it is easy to eat vegetarian, my advice is to ask about the ingredients in any particular dish where there may be a chance that it contains meat. Spanish cuisine features plenty of vegetable dishes plus there are enough Italian restaurants that would cater for vegetarians. Does she eat fish and seafood?

In the past 4 years I've spent about 6 weeks in Andalucia and never had a problem getting really good vegetarian food. One of my favorites is salmorejo, a cold tomato-based soup somewhat like gazpacho. It is traditionally garnished with diced ham, I always ask for it without and that's how it always arrives. Ham (jamon) is often used as a garnish, so even when ordering a vegetable dish, I specify "no ham." I avoid hot soups (who knows what goes into the broth), but cooked vegetables are usually not a problem, since olive oil is preferred in cooking. In Spain vegetable dishes are very popular, on every menu. And the cheeses are sooo good. Does she eat any fish or seafood. That is very prevalent in Andalucia.

I meant to add a couple of things. I found that often the menu del dia often had a veggie option. And don't look too hard for paella, it's not much of a "thing" in Andalucia. Tapas are a great way to have a meal, especially if you don't want to wait for Spanish dinner time. Tapas are everywhere and yummy.

She's does not eat meat from the sea

Another caution.
I noticed that some "vegetarian" dishes contain tuna.
It seams that for some restaurants vegetarian mean no beef or chicken.
So it's good to ask if your dish has beef, poultry or sea food of any kind.

If she doesn't eat fish then when checking the menu be clear what is offered as it's not unusual for a "no meat" salad to come with fish (which isn't considered "meat"). You'll need to be clear "no carne, no pollo, no pescado".

Also, and you may not wish to tell you niece this, but saying she is a vegetarian (soy vegetariana), can be interpreted as meaning "no visible meat" rather than "vegetarian friendly", so pig stock may have been used in making the tomato soup (or pretty commonly, it will come with half a chicken egg floating in it).

However, she won't starve. There are common dishes with no meat such as various tortilla, plus increasing number of places that have a true vegetarian option for mains. You just need to be clear. Tapas is always a good bet as many choices will be meat-free; such as where it is cheese based (is that ok?) or the bulk item is from, for example, aubergine not ham.

As for vegetarian paella, it must exist, but I suspect some would assume that just meant a bowl of rice with some olives and I don't think it is common. Paella is a fish dish really.

At least north of Andalucía, scrambled eggs are often on the lunch menu. Often with ham, but sometimes with vegetables. Again, one should confirm that there is no ham in the eggs-with-vegetables.

My strategy is to not just familiarize myself with vocabulary but to peruse cookbooks so I know specific dishes to look for. I hope she will be as delighted with espinacas con garbanzos as I was!
Look for mushroom dishes. Unfortunately it will not be gazpacho season.
I ate a lot of potatoes--the dish of eggs and potatoes is one that is often topped with jamon--order accordingly.

http://www.andalucia.com/gastronomy/being-vegetarian-in-spain/eating-out.htm

In 2017 we spent a month in Spain. Unfortunately, we both picked up a nasty cold on the plane from Athens to Madrid, so experimenting with restaurants wasn't as high on our list as, say, making sure we had enough tissues. That said, one or both of us generally checks the Happy Cow website for options. Menus are often checked as well, as we are both vegan. Doing so is also a good way to practice language skills. I'm not sure if it would work, but my reaction would be to say "no animales o productos animales", in addition to the other phrases suggested above, if she's vegan.

We did see vegetarian paella offered when we were in Torremolinos, near Malaga. If you go to Barcelona, it was on many a menu there as well.

Donna