This potato omelette has two origins that have nothing to do with each other.
The first: Loving Hut in Madrid. The vegan restaurant chain has locations worldwide, and in Madrid I had their version of a Spanish tortilla. I knew immediately I wanted to recreate it at home.
The second: my mother’s farmer’s omelette. She taught me how to make it when I was very young and desperately wanted to cook by myself. Flat, hearty, flipped in the pan, that was my first real recipe.
Back home in Berlin I started experimenting, and eventually the two came together: the idea of a Spanish tortilla with potatoes, the technique of a German farmer’s omelette, and then spinach, vegan sour cream and pomegranate seeds, because in my kitchen it rarely stays with the classic version.
What do you need for the potato omelette?
Onion and garlic The aromatic base. Fried with a splash of maple syrup, they develop a slightly caramelised note that rounds out the omelette.
Tofu and chickpea flour This combination gives the omelette its structure, the tofu for the hearty filling, the chickpea flour for the batter that can be flipped.
Potato and carrot The potato is the star ingredient, cut into thin slices, just like a classic tortilla. The carrot adds colour and a gentle sweetness.
Sun-dried tomatoes and rosemary Concentrated flavour and Mediterranean aroma, this gives the potato omelette its character.
Kala namak The black salt from India that gives the batter an egg-like flavour. Add at the end, as the sulphuric note that recreates the egg taste is sensitive to heat.
Nutritional yeast and smoked paprika For depth and a slightly cheesy flavour in the batter.
Baking powder Gives the chickpea flour batter a little lightness, important for the right consistency.
Lemon Also added at the end, the acidity lifts all the other flavours.
Pomegranate, spinach and vegan sour cream The filling. The pomegranate is the unexpected star. Its tartness and crunch make this potato omelette something special.
Tips for flipping the potato omelette
Flipping is the trickiest moment, and the one where most things can go wrong. A few things that help:
First: patience. The potato omelette really needs to be cooked through on the bottom before you flip it. If it’s still soft and wobbly in the middle, wait another two minutes. It should release easily from the pan.
Second: the right pan. You need a non-stick pan and it has to be really clean. Even tiny residues will cause the batter to stick.
Third: the plate trick. Place a flat plate or pan lid on top of the pan, flip both together, and let the potato omelette slide onto the plate. Then slide it back into the pan. This is much safer than attempting a direct flip with a spatula.
And if it falls apart anyway? Turn it into a scramble and serve with spinach and sour cream. Tastes just as good.
Vegan Potato Omelette with Spinach and Pomegranate
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- olive oil
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 100 g tofu crumbled
- 1 small carrot grated
- 1 small potato sliced
- 1 tablespoon dried tomatoes chopped
- 1 tablespoon rosemary fresh or dried
- 120 g chickpea flour
- 1 teaspoon Kala Namak Indian black salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika powder Pimenton de la vera
- 300 ml water
- 1/2 lemon squeezed
- 1/2 pomegranate
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 60 g vegan sour cream
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- First, gather all your ingredients and prepare them in the right amounts. That makes it so much easier and more fun and you're less likely to forget anything.
- Sauté onions and garlic in a skillet in olive oil and maple syrup until translucent and fragrant.
- Add potato slices, tofu, carrot, dried tomato and rosemary and cook at moderate heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Combine chickpea flour, black salt, baking powder, nutritional yeast, paprika, lemon juice and water in a bowl and stir well.
- Heat olive oil in a second skillet and divide the content of the first skillet up in both.
- Pour the batter into the two skillets and bake the potato omelettes at medium to high heat for about five minutes.
- Open the pomegranate. There are many ways to do that, my favourite is opening it in a bowl of water. No splashes, the arils sink to the ground and all the peely stuff swims to the surface.
- Flip both omelettes with the help of a plate. Bake for another 3 minutes.
- Fold potato omelettes, layer the spinach leaves and pomegranate seeds in and serve with sour cream, salt and pepper.
Nutrition
Looking for a quicker vegan egg dish? My 5-Minute Tofu Scramble is ready in five minutes, no chopping, no effort.
Want more vegetables? The Aubergine Scramble is the veggie-packed version, perfect for a relaxed brunch.
All my vegan egg dishes in one place: Vegan Scrambled Eggs & Omelette: my 3 variations.
Love brunch? Then definitely check out my 7 ideas for the perfect vegan brunch.
Looking for a hearty vegan sandwich? Here are my 10 ideas for your new favourite vegan sandwich.
