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Free B1 Spanish reading passage

La receta de la abuela

A 131-word text about family recipes with vocabulary, line-by-line help, comprehension questions, prompts, and a printable answer key.

Level
B1
Length
131
Topic
Family recipes
B1131 words · 1.1 min read

La receta de la abuela

Reviewed by Francisco · Updated

Studio audio

Tap a word for meaning · tap a line for grammar

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English translation
1

Last Sunday, my grandmother taught me how to make her famous paella.

2

“The most important thing is the recipe from the heart,” she told me while taking the ingredients out of the fridge.

3

First, we heated olive oil in a large pan and browned the chicken with paprika.

4

“Now spread the rice evenly and, when you add the stock, do not stir it again,” she explained patiently.

5

I followed every instruction carefully, trying to memorize each step.

6

We added the hot broth, green beans, and a few sprigs of rosemary.

7

While we waited, she told me that her mother had taught her this same recipe fifty years ago in a village in Valencia.

8

When we tasted the result, the flavor was exactly as I remembered from my childhood.

9

My grandmother smiled and said: “Now this recipe is yours too.”

Key vocabulary

receta·recipe
sartén·pan
remover·to stir
sabor·flavor

Comprehension check

1.What does the grandmother tell the narrator to do after adding the stock?
2.Who taught the grandmother the recipe?
3.What type of imperative is 'añade'?

Use the language

Writing prompt

Write about a recipe or skill passed between generations and describe the most important instructions.

Speaking prompt

Explain how the grandmother teaches the paella recipe and why it becomes meaningful to the narrator.

Focused practice

Use this text for a short study session

Read, check comprehension, respond to the prompts, or print the worksheet for class.

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Answers

La receta de la abuela — questions

Q01

What is “La receta de la abuela” about?

“La receta de la abuela” is a 131-word B1 Spanish reading passage about family recipes. It is designed as a short practice text rather than a serialized story.

Q02

Which Spanish grammar appears in “La receta de la abuela”?

The main grammar in “La receta de la abuela” is preterite and imperfect contrast, informal imperative, pluperfect. The line notes explain the structures in context, and the vocabulary recap highlights the words needed to understand the scene.

Q03

How should I study this B1 Spanish text?

Read once for the main idea without opening the English support. Listen at normal speed if audio is available, check only the words that block meaning, then answer the comprehension questions and use the writing or speaking prompt.

Q04

Is this a Spanish text or a Spanish story?

This is a compact practice text with a quiz, prompts, and a printable answer key. For longer narrative immersion with characters, dialogue, illustrations, and audio, use MeloLingua’s B1 Spanish story library instead.

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