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This low carb Spanish tortilla is made with sliced turnips in place of potatoes. A tortilla is a Spanish dish traditionally made with eggs, onions and potatoes. Not in my kitchen though.
We used to enjoy a Spanish tortilla when we lived back in the UK and visited a local Tapas bar at the weekend. So, to replace the high carb potato I thought I’d try turnip instead to make a low carb tortilla.
This is a simple dish with just a 3 ingredients and cheap to make too! Which is always a bonus.
Turnips are a low carb root vegetable and have less than a quarter of the carbs of potatoes. They are also members of the same plant family as cabbage, kale, broccoli and cauliflower so they are in good company!
You could add other flavourings and vegetables to this low carb Spanish tortilla, but I wanted to keep it as simple as the original recipe. Next time I might add some smoked paprika.
I used an 8 inch frying pan to make this to keep it fairly thick in size. If you use a large pan, you should increase the eggs, or settle for a flatter tortilla.
When I told the Chief Taster that he was having a turnip tortilla for dinner, his face was a picture. It’s not something that would normally generate excitement. A slice later and I was asked “Is there any more of that turnip going?”. Not a phrase you hear everyday from a meat eater! I must say I was a bit surprised as I was unsure whether he would like it, plus he had a long busy day at work. Perhaps hunger and stress changed his palate? He declared it gorgeous in between devouring it but preferred it warm rather than cold. I liked both, as I had a piece for lunch the next day, cold.
Turnips are widely available in the supermarkets here in St Lucia, so I expect a regular request for this low carb Spanish tortilla from the Chief Taster. Along with the usual muffins and cheesecake requests!
Low Carb Spanish Tortilla
Ingredients
- 2 Turnips Medium
- 1 White onion Medium
- 6 Eggs Medium
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
- 2 tablespoosn Olive oil
Instructions
- Peel the turnips and slice finely.
- Finely slice the onion
- Heat the olive oil in an 8 inch frying pan.
- Add the turnip and onion slices, and on a low heat, cook the slice, occasionally turning them until they are golden.
- In a bowl, beat the eggs and season with the pepper and salt.
- Pour the eggs into the frying pan and on a low heat, cook until the mixture is almost set.
- Use a spatula to slightly loosen the edges and carefully flip the pan over a dinner plate and tip out the tortilla. Slide the tortilla back into the frying pan and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Turn out the tortilla onto a plate and enjoy hot or cold.
Notes
Nutrition
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Hi again Angela,
Just used a swede to make this. It came out just as delicious as with the turnip, although the swede gets slightly sweeter when cooked.
For both tortillas I made 1/2 of your recipe since they were just for me.
I know that you have other followers who can't eat eggs, so if anyone wants to try using "Just Egg" to make this wonderful recipe, each tortilla took 1 turnip (or equivalent amount of swede/ruttabaga - swedes are bigger) and a half of one container (so, 6 fl oz or 128 ml) which is equivalent to approximately 3 eggs and has 210 calories.
Thanks again, Angela!
Carolina
Thanks for the update with swede!
Hello Angela,
I've been wanting to make this recipe for weeks and finally remembered to pick up a turnip at the store!
You see, my mother is Spanish and I lived in Spain in various places for 22 years. I learned how to make "Tortilla Española" from my grandmother. It's one of my favorite Spanish dishes!
I hadn't made or eaten one for years because several years ago I found out that I can't eat eggs.
However, about a month ago, while trolling the internet hoping to find a really good substitute for eggs (since food scientists have come up with all those excellent beef substitutes that taste just like the real thing!) I did find a remarkable (and healthy!) substitute! I read the reviews on this product which were 5 stars across the board and went to the supermarket to pick up a container of "Just Egg".
This stuff is truly amazing! I made myself am omelette right away and was stunned with how much like the real thing it behaved in the pan and then of course, was the taste. I couldn't believe it! I looked at the ingredient list: the main one is extracted protein from mung beans! And while it doesn't work in baking (the creators are now working on one that will) I have just used it to make your Spanish tortilla recipe, and it came out PERFECT!! Sooooo DELISH!!
I ate the whole thing!
So, once again, kudos to you, Angela, and MUCHAS GRACIAS for this FAB recipe!! (As well as thanks to the inventors of "Just Egg"!)
Since I'm not a vegetarian, I did add some diced ham as well as some parsley to mine (both found in traditional Spanish tortilla recipes - there are many versions depending on region or household. As you know, yours is the traditional national version that most people prefer and is commonly found in restaurants and bars).
I'm also wondering if a swede/ruttabaga would work as well as the turnip in this recipe...? Will let you know once I've tried it.
Thanks again, Angela! You're the bestus! 🙂
Thank you for such a lovely review and so glad you enjoyed the recipe. I love the tip about the Just Egg product too! I think you could use swede for this recipe too!