Best Vegetarian Paella

Vegetarian Paella made in less than one hour with simple ingredients. This recipe brings all the flavor and comfort of the classic Spanish rice dish to your own kitchen. (Bonus: no special pan needed to prepare this vegetable paella!)

This recipe post is sponsored by The USA Rice Federation. I was compensated for my time, however all opinions are my own.

Paella is a dish I love to order while dining out with friends and family. Its humble origins and one-pot appeal have a way of bringing people together, regardless of how intimate the setting is. So with its crowd-pleasing appeal and unique simplicity, it begs the question: Why not just cook it at home?

Vegetarian Paella With Roast Peppers, Peas And Potatoes — Madeleine Shaw

This vegetable paella is chockfull of authentic flavor, yet endlessly riffable. All of the ingredients should be easy to source at your local grocery store, so don't fret over the ingredient list. (You may even have a fair amount of them already in your refrigerator or pantry.)

And although it comes together in under one hour, the rich layers of flavor will make you believe it's far more involved.

The beauty of paella is that it's a blank canvas for you to add any combination of vegetables you like. While many classic paella recipes include a mix of prawns, clams, and chorizo, this veggie version packs enough smoky depth and texture to satisfy any omnivore.

Paella Verde Recipe

I do, however, suggest trying to make the most of what's in season. By choosing local, seasonal veggies, you'll get the best flavor plus peak nutrition, which is a double-win. Therefore, the below recommendations are simply an outline for you to interchange as you see fit.

The process of making paella is pretty seamless, yet the rewards are huge. To get ahead, you can slice and dice the veggies in advance, and thaw the green peas. From there, this whole dish comes together in under one hour, making it a total weeknight win.

Traditionally, paella may be made with Bomba rice, which is a short-grain, starchy white rice primarily cultivated in eastern Spain. Personally, however, I choose a U.S.-grown short-grain white rice due to its high quality and ability to find.

Jamie Oliver Vegetarian Paella

U.S. short grain rice is softer and stickier than other varieties once cooked. It also has a slight springiness to the bite, making it a great choice for dishes like paella and risotto where rice is the key component. Some varieties include Arborio, Calmochi, and Koshihikari.

All U.S.-grown rice is gluten-free and the least allergenic of all grains. It's also rich in nutrients, contributing more than 15 vitamins and minerals, including folate and other B-vitamins, as well as iron. And because of rice's slow-digesting complex carbohydrates, it will help keep you satiated and well fueled.

This dish is brimming with antioxidants, plant-based protein, and dietary fiber. In fact, one serving delivers almost 25% of your daily fiber goal. And while it's plenty satiating from the rice, chickpeas, and veggies, if you're craving an extra dose of protein, feel free to add meat or fish. For example, grilled shrimp, clams, or sautéed chorizo.

Vegan Paella 🌱 🥘

Give this homemade paella recipe a try this week for a guaranteed family favorite. And be sure to snap a pic and tag #on Instagram so I can see your beautiful creations. Also, follow along onFacebookandPinterestfor the latest recipe updates!

Vegetarian Paella made in less than one hour with simple ingredients. This recipe brings all the flavor and comfort of the classic Spanish rice dish to your own kitchen.

Calories: 427 kcal | Carbohydrates: 61 g | Protein: 9 g | Fat: 12 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Sodium: 690 mg | Fiber: 6 g | Sugar: 9 gThere are a couple of things required to make a great paella: the right rice, a long-cooked sofrito base, and the nerve to cook it slowly without stirring to allow the rice to steam and develop a socarrat—the caramelized layer of rice at the bottom of a pan of well-made paella.

Vegetable Paella With Chickpeas

The rice must be a medium-grained rice. I was taught to make it with bomba rice, although I know a lot of Spaniards who use calasparra. This is one of the few times where it's necessary to seek out a specialty ingredient, either by finding a fancy food store or ordering online. Bomba rice is different than something like arborio, which is used for risotto, because the starch content allows it to cook up as individual grains and benefits from not stirring. Arborio rice needs to be stirred and have the cooking liquid added in intervals to develop the signature creaminess.

Sofrito is a catch-all term for a long-cooked base of aromatic vegetables. Like mirepoix in France or the holy trinity in Cajun and Creole cooking, sofrito lends depth of flavor to any dish. In this case, it's nothing more than onion, garlic, olive oil, and tomatoes cooked until thick and has become more than the sum of its parts. You can add other aromatics like bell peppers, carrots, celery, etc., but this combination is how I was taught and what I have come to like best.

True paella isn’t stirred after the liquid is added. This allows the rice to gently absorb the cooking liquid and keep the grains of rice intact. I always cook slowly on a burner or grill. I’ve seen accomplished chefs place a started paella into a hot (425°F) oven or nestled into the coals of a campfire. No matter how you cook it, don’t stir. Trust the method and let it cook. Stirring is often used to keep things from sticking to the bottom of the pan, but in this case, you want the paella to stick a little bit. The socarrat is the coveted crispy browned layer of rice at the bottom of the paella. Similar to the browned crust of a tahdig or the layer of not-quite-burnt cheese at the bottom of the fondue pot, socarrat is the prize hidden underneath. To ensure a crust, turn up the heat at the very end of cooking (after the liquid is fully absorbed) and listen. You’ll start to hear the rice crackle, give it 30 seconds or a minute, then remove from the heat. Like the rest of us, paella benefits from a bit of a rest after going through the ups and downs of cooking, so give it a 10-minute rest between cooking and serving.

Vegan Paella (quick + Easy Spanish Recipe)

Paella only needs these three things. Everything else is extra. You can add seafood or chicken or chorizo. At the height of July summer vegetable bounty, I like to layer the top with a variety of different vegetables to steam along with the rice. This is my favorite combination, but don’t feel confined by it. Just know that if something takes a while to cook (like the artichokes used here), cook it in advance and use the steam to re-warm and make it part of the paella. —abraberens

Abra Berens is a chef, author, and former vegetable farmer. She started cooking at Zingerman's Deli, trained at Ballymaloe in Cork, Ireland. Find her at Granor Farm in Three Oaks, MI. Her first two cookbooks Ruffage and Grist are out now. The third Pulp: a practical guide to cooking with fruit publishes on April 4th, 2023.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.

Vegetable Paella Recipe (spanish Style Vegetable Rice) By Archana's Kitchen

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

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.

The New Vegetarian

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.

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