Easy Vegetarian Paella Recipe

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.

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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

Spring Vegetable Paella Recipe

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.

Easy Vegetable Paella

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 Chorizo And Vegetable Paella

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.

Easy Vegetarian 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.

Easy

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

Easy Vegetable Paella (vegan, Gluten Free)

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.

Vegetarian Paella Recipe

*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

Spanish

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...Here’s a recipe that’s guaranteed to get ooo’s and ahh’s whenever you serve it: this classic Vegetarian Paella! Paella is a traditional Spanish dish that has loads of variations. Often it’s made with seafood, but we’ve tasted many delicious vegetable-based versions while traveling in Spain! The saffron-scented rice is loaded with a colorful assortment of vegetables, and it’s a true

Easy One Pot Vegetable Paella (vegan)

. We love serving it for dinner guests, but if you’re organized this one is easy enough to work for a weeknight. (It’s a vegan paella, too!)

: a rice dish cooked in a shallow pan and loaded with vegetables. This recipe is based on loads of research from our recent trip to Spain. Alex and I wanted this recipe to reflect vegetables you might see in a Spanish paella, not just any old veggies! Here’s what you’ll need for an epic vegetarian paella:

There are some people who say it’s not paella if it’s not made in a paella pan! (Purists.) But not everyone has access to this special type of pan, or wants to store it. We highly recommend one if you plan to make paella regularly. Here’s what to know about finding one:

Roasted Vegetable Paella Recipe

Note that paella pans are made of carbon steel and can rust. If you buy one, make sure to dry the pan completely after cleaning it. Rub it with a bit of vegetable oil to prevent rusting.

The best rice for this vegetarian and vegan paella recipe? Bomba rice! Bomba rice is a white short grain rice that’s used for making paella. It can be hard to find at some grocery stores, but it’s easy to order it online:Bomba rice.

Veggie

Another option is Arborio rice! This is the type of short grain rice that’s used for risotto. Arborio rice can result in a gummier texture than bomba, but it still works. Bomba is most consistent, if you can find it!

Vegetarian Paella (vegan And Ready In 30 Minutes!)

There are two classic spices in a Spanish paella that bring in the authentic flavor. You may have heard of saffron, but it’s the combination with smoked paprika that makes the best hearty flavor in this vegetarian paella. (Bonus: we use it in lots of vegan recipes to bring in a meaty flavor.)

Once you’re ready to cook this vegetarian paella, it’s mostly set it and forget it. Mostly! Here are a few tips for the cooking process:

Once you’re done cooking, bring it to the table and spritz with lemon wedges. Unveil your brilliantly vegetable-filled vegan paella and everyone will ooo and ahh (we promise!). It’s great for entertaining, but we sometimes make them for weeknights too. What to serve with it to make it a meal? Here are a few ideas:

Vegetable Paella With Halloumi