Spanish Vegan Paella

When we first moved to Arizona we experienced our first authentic paella at a Spanish restaurant in Scottsdale and we fell in love! It was hearty, aromatic and full of addictive flavors.

It's a family-style meal that's served in a paella pan right on your table. You don't even need plates, you just dig right in!The ambiance of the restaurant is spot on with its rustic appeal and live Spanish music. We always have a great time when we go.

It's an hour drive so we don't get there as often as we'd like. So, I decided to make my own vegan paella at home. I asked the owner for some tips and his biggest piece of advice was to

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The best rice to use is Bomba Rice because it has the ability to absorb twice the amount of liquid than regular rice without getting mushy. This short-grain Spanish rice will also absorb all the flavors of your broth, seasonings, and oil too. Another popular rice for paella is Calasparra Rice and would be my second choice for making authentic paella.

I buy paella rice online because it's not readily available in many mainstream stores. You might find it in specialty or ethnic shops though.

However, if you can't find them, the next best replacement is Arborio Ricewhich is commonly used for Risotto. It gets super creamy when liquid is stirred in slowly. Paella is not meant to be creamy, so you definitely don't want to stir the arborio or you'll end up with risotto. In fact, you shouldn't stir paella at all once the broth has entered the pan.

Spanish Vegan Paella (one Pot)

Saffron Threads give paella its distinct golden color and flavor which is somewhat earthy and floral. It's very subtle but really finishes the dish. It can be a little costly, so if it's not in your budget you can replace it with turmeric. It will have a different flavor, but will still be subtle and make the rice golden.

I use a Paella Pan which is ideal but it's not 100% necessary. If you don't have a paella pan, I would recommend a large 12-14 stainless steel pan. Don't use one with a non-stick coating though.

A paella pan is a wide, shallow and thin metal pan with sloped sides. Its flat and wide bottom is designed to maximize the amount of rice touching it which helps create a delicious, toasty crust at the bottom. The sloped and shallow sides help the rice cook evenly too.

Vegan Paella Recipe

Paella is traditionally cooked over a fire and the pans were designed for that, so they work best on gas tops, grills or fire pits. However, I've made it on an electric stove with nice results. I had to rotate the pan more, but the rice still cooked nicely.

This is the crispy golden crust that forms on the bottom of the pan. It infuses the paella with a deep smoky and slightly nutty flavor. It's glorious!

Once the broth starts cooking off, that's when thesocarrat magic starts to happen. You'll hear a subtle snap, crackle and popping sound. Plus, you'll smell a toasty aroma that's just heavenly.

Recipe For A Authentic Spanish Vegan Paella

You don't want to stir the paella because it will disrupt this process, so you'll need to watch, listen and smell careful because the bottom can burn easily. Sometimes you might not get thesocarratto form and that's ok. It all depends on the pan, fat content, heat source and experience. The more you cook paella, the better you'll get at reading the signs.

I've had times where I left it too long and it burned, so it's better to have no socarrat than burnt socarrat. Your paella will still be delicious without it.

If you'd like to read more about making paella, you may like this article at The Spruce Eats. Lots of great tips!

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Before you start, add the vegetable broth and saffron threads to a medium pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat for 1 minute, then lower the heat just to keep it warm.

If you make this Vegan Paella, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagramand share your creation with me. Just tag me@and hashtag#so I don’t miss it.

* Sometimes you might not get thesocarratto form and that's ok. It all depends on the pan, fat content, heat source and experience. The more you cook paella, the better you'll get at reading the signs. I've had times where I left it too long and it burned. That is never fun, so it's better to have nosocarrat than burntsocarrat. Your paella will still be delicious without it.

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*Saffron gives the paella its distinct flavor which is somewhat earthy and floral. It's very subtlebutreally finishes the dish. It also turns the rice to a beautiful golden color.It's a little costly, so if it's not in your budget you can replace it with turmeric. It will have a different flavor, but will still be subtle and make the rice golden.

Calories: 366 kcal | Carbohydrates: 59 g | Protein: 9 g | Fat: 10 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Sodium: 528 mg | Potassium: 450 mg | Fiber: 4 g | Sugar: 4 g | Vitamin A: 1530 IU | Vitamin C: 47.3 mg | Calcium: 27 mg | Iron: 3.8 mg

I’m Melissa Huggins – the creator of Vegan Huggs. I started this blog to share delicious vegan recipes that everyone will love. Yep, that includes carnivores, too! Read more...This vegan paella is bursting with flavor. Spanish rice is simmered in vegetable stock and wine, then combined with saffron, spanish spices, and delicious veggies.

Easy Spanish Vegan Paella (gluten Free, Allergy Free)

I have always loved paella. There's something extraordinarily comforting about a big bowl of rice and spicy seasonings that will warm your belly!

We first made this vegan paella for an Easter Brunch, and have been serving it up for special occasions ever since. (P.S. If you are planning an Easter brunch, don't miss my new Vegan Brunch Book!)

Paella originates from Valencia in Eastern Spain. Valencia has been one of the most important rice-producing regions in Spain for the past 1200 years. And here paella began as a typical meal for farm laborers.

Vegetarian Paella Recipe

They would cook the rice, a bit of seasoning, and whatever vegetables or meat they had access to in the rice fields. It was traditionally eaten family style, directly from the pan in which it was cooked!

This vegan paella is really simple to prepare in large quantities, which is why it's one of my go-to recipes for family gatherings.

And it's extremely versatile - you can use any combination of veggies that you prefer and easily adjust the spices to your own taste. It's been a huge hit with my vegetarian and non-vegetarian family members alike!

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The first step to making this vegan paella is choosing the right type of pan for cooking it. You need something fairly large, preferably non-stick, and oven safe.

They typically have a bunch of divets in the bottom, which are designed to capture excess liquid and ensure the dish cooks evenly. That will help you get a nice crusty bottom, which is characteristic of traditional paella.

If you're making a huge batch of paella, you may need to get a little creative. On those days, I will cook my rice and veggies on the stovetop, and then combine everything in these big disposable baking pans.

Easy Vegetable Paella Recipe

It might not quite get as crusty, but I don't really mind that. And this method has the added benefit of easy clean up- just throw the dirty baking pan away when you're done!

The first step is cooking the rice. I always use this same Mahatma Spanish Rice.I've been eating it my whole life, and it's perfect for this dish.

Now here is the main secret to this whole recipe. Do not cook the rice in water! Cook it in vegetable stock and white wine.

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You won't even believe how much flavor this adds to the dish. You can change any other part of this recipe, and it will still be amazing, as long as you cook the rice in broth and wine. And look how pretty that color is!

Make sure you use a decent quality wine for this. Nothing fancy - but if you aren't willing to drink it, then you shouldn't cook with it either.

Good choices for this paella are Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. Steer clear of anything too sweet (like Riesling) or too strongly flavored (like Sauvignon Blanc).For the vegetable stock, you can opt to make your ownor use store bought.

Vegan Paella Recipe • Veggie Society

Saffron is what gives most Spanish rice dishes their distintive aromatic flavor. It's hard to compare saffron to any other spices, and there isn't really a suitable alternative.

That's what makes it the most expensive spice in the world. An ounce of saffron is more expensive than an ounce of gold!

But don't worry - you only need a tiny pinch of saffron for your paella. You can always leave it out, but I wouldn't.

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Personally, I buy a reasonably price saffron and keep it in my pantry. I've never