Video
Vegan Paella
Vegan Paella! A healthy plant-based and gluten-free dinner. Packed with vegetables and a fragrant saffron-broth, this vegan paella is a must make!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 4 ounces roasted red peppers, drained and chopped, (I used jarred)
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 small to medium zucchini, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt, will depend on how salty your broth is
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 cups short-grain white rice, see note
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- 1 lemon, sliced
Instructions
- In a paella pan or large, shallow sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the vegetables: onion, red pepper,roasted red pepper, tomato, garlic and salt to the pan and stir occassionally until very soft and slightyl caramelized, about 15 minutes.
- While the vegetables are cooking, bloom the saffron. Add the saffron to a small bowl along with 2 tablespoons of warm water, or enough to coat. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- To the paella pan with the vegetables, add in the saffron broth that you just made along with the smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. Stir to coat, about 30 seconds.
- Add the rice and stir into the sofrito vegetable mixture, trying to coat the rice in the vegetables. Add in the broth and gently stir to move the rice mixture around gently until it is evenly distrubted tthroughoutthe paella pan. Don't stir after this point! And don't touch! Stirring is for risotto, not paella.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, and let cook for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, cover with foil, and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Top with chopped parsley and sliced lemons! Serve directly from the pan.
Notes
Short-grain white rice is the best here. Bomba rice is widely considered the best choice due to its unique ability to absorb up to three times its volume in broth, though it's harder to find (you can grab it online!) Calasparra rice is another excellent option. While arborio rice can be used as a substitute, it tends to release more starch, potentially resulting in a creamier texture. But, I've used arborio in a pinch and can verify it works!
If you are new to making paella, then I recommend reading my chef tips for success, above, before making.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 330kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 6gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gSodium: 1233mgPotassium: 489mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 2164IUVitamin C: 72mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 2mg