Vegetarian - to cook or not to cook?

[500snails]

Hi I've searched for a thread around this but can't find one. I'm vegetarian and setting off soon for 3 weeks, starting StJPdP. I was thinking of taking my trusty trangia - my bag is being transported, so I won't have to carry it. How have other veggies found the food? Past experience of Spain tells me most dishes contain meat/fish...is this true of places on the camino? Has anyone else cooked en route? Or even just prepped salads etc? Thanks - Louise

 

[Cayou]

Most of the 'pilgrims meals' give you choices. Soups (probaby with broth base?), salads, and potatoes are available along with meat dishes. You could order a custom meal, but might take a while and not sure of cost. You can get sandwiches, just order without the ham - we ask for extra tomatoe and greens. I eat a lot of eggs for protein, when available. Hope you like bread .... You'll survive!

 

[mspath]

Check out this earlier forum thread https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/vegetarian-meals.45414/
and
ivar submitted a new resource:

Vegetarian food along the Camino Francés -

Happy research and Buen camino!

 

[jungleboy]

You won't need to bring your own cooking equipment, as many albergues have kitchens. Some are better equipped than others, but in my experience, most of them are adequate except for some of the Xunta (municipal) albergues in Galicia.

I walked the Camino Francés as a vegan last year and cooked only five times, so you'll be fine as a vegetarian, but it will help if you learn a bit about Spanish food and a few key phrases in Spanish.

For vegetarian resources, the Heart of the Camino offers a Vegetarian Way map with vegetarian listings on the Camino Francés. Additionally, The Nomadic Vegan (created by my wife @Wendy Werneth) also has vegetarian/vegan resources for the Camino Francés.

¡Buen camino!

 

[jsalt]

Soups (probaby with broth base?)

Hi, soups in Spain are made with meat broth, unless you are most definitely in a vegetarian situation.

They are like the "vegetarian" lentil stew . . . with gobs of pork fat in it.

Jill

 

[Wendy Werneth]

As my husband @jungleboy said above, you definitely won't need to bring your own stove, as many albergues have kitchen facilities. Some vegetarians and vegans do prefer to cook their own meals, but we mostly ate our dinners in restaurants or albergues and just ate picnics for lunch (fresh bread, avocados, tomatoes, the occasional tub of hummus, etc.).

A surprising number of communal meals in albergues are vegetarian by default anyway. Or maybe it's not that surprising, since avoiding causing unnecessary harm to sentient beings is definitely in line with the spirit of the Camino. ;-)

In any case, even if the default meal is not vegetarian they can usually make a vegetarian/vegan version. I can only think of one albergue that said they were not able to do this for us. Some of those communal meals were really delicious!

Here is a list of some albergues (and a few restaurants) that offer veg options:

La Vita è Bella in St Jean Pied de Port
Albergue Maribel in Cizur Menor
La Perla Negra in Azqueta
Parochial hostel in San Juan de Ortega
Albergue San Bruno in Moratinos
Cuatro Cantones in Belorado
Orion in Castrojeriz
San Antonio de Padua in Villar de Mazarife
Albergue Verde in Hospital de Orbigo
Casa Las Aguedas in Murias de Rechivaldo
Monte Irago in Foncebadón
El Trasgu de Foncebadón
Albergue de Ada in Reliegos
La Siesta (food truck) in Camponaraya
Alea in Ponferrada
La P’tit Pause (restaurant) in Villafranca del Bierzo
El Serbal y La Luna in Pieros
Miriam Las Herrerías in Las Herrerías
Project Brigid in Las Herrerías
El Refugio in La Faba
El Beso in A Balsa
Molino de Marzán at A Leda
Casa Domingo in Ponte Campana
Ultreia in Arzúa

This list is not exhaustive, but it will get you started. Eventually, I hope to create a more extensive resource for vegetarians and vegans on the Camino. In the meantime, check out my article "6 Tips for Eating Vegan on the Camino de Santiago", linked in my signature below.

Buen Camino!

 

[500snails]

Lovely, thank you. I did search vegetarians but I'm obviously not so good on these forums, I got nil return, but can look through this thread now

 

[500snails]

You won't need to bring your own cooking equipment, as many albergues have kitchens. Some are better equipped than others, but in my experience, most of them are adequate except for some of the Xunta (municipal) albergues in Galicia.

I walked the Camino Francés as a vegan last year and cooked only five times, so you'll be fine as a vegetarian, but it will help if you learn a bit about Spanish food and a few key phrases in Spanish.

For vegetarian resources, the Heart of the Camino offers a Vegetarian Way map with vegetarian listings on the Camino Francés. Additionally, The Nomadic Vegan (created by my wife @Wendy Werneth) also has vegetarian/vegan resources for the Camino Francés.

¡Buen camino!

You're vegetarian map is going to be so useful, please thank you wife very much. I know enough to say soy vegetariana, sin carne sin pescado , and if i know I can usually cook, with some meals I can buy, that should be enough to leave the trangia at home

 

[hel&scott]

While it's true that the Spanish think pork is a vegetable and layer it in as a base to soups, beanie dishes et al it's not that hard finding vegetarian options. If you eat fish and eggs then Spanish omelettes, garlic prawns and excellent seafood dishes abound. Be warned that paella uses chicken base, but often the local truck stop paella served at lunch time is vegetarian.

You can get a bit sick of salads and need something with more carbs to keep you going. But the bread is excellent and markets often a good range of fresh options. On our many thousand kms crossing Spain we have rarely cooked ourselves, eating local food is one of the pleasures of travel, and I've never had a problem. Rather then interigate the waitress, if in doubt I ask to see how the dish is made, my Spanish is hopeless but I've been welcomed into many kitchens and learnt some wonderful recipes as a result.