Vegan Spanish Paella Recipes

VEGAN PAELLA

Steps:

• Mix boiling water and rice together in a bowl; let stand for 20 minutes. Drain.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion and garlic until onion is transparent, about 5 minutes. Add green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and tomato; cook and stir until peppers are slightly tender, about 3 minutes.
• Mix rice and vegetable broth into onion-pepper mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer. Add paprika, salt, and turmeric; cover skillet and simmer until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir peas and artichoke hearts into rice mixture and cook until heated through, about 1 minute more.

VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN SPANISH PAELLA

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the 2 cups of water to a rolling boil and add the rice.
• Give it a quick stir, then cover and turn off the heat. Allow the rice to stand for 20 minutes.
• Then carefully drain the excess water, as it will still be hot.
• While the rice is soaking in the hot water, heat the olive oil in the largest frying pan you have (or a paella pan, if you have one) over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is transparent, about 4 or 5 minutes.
• Add the red and green bell peppers and the tomato and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for another 3 minutes.
• Next, add the soaked rice and the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
• Add the salt, paprika, and turmeric. Cover and allow to simmer until the rice is tender-about 20 minutes.
• Add the peas and artichoke hearts and cook about 1 minute longer.
• Serve and enjoy. Reprinted with permission from "The Compassionate Cook Cookbook ."

EASY VEGAN PAELLA (1 PAN!)

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the saffron with the lemon juice to bloom the saffron. Set aside.
• In a large skillet or paella pan - at least 12 inches in diameter - heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, red bell pepper, and garlic, and sauté until softened - about 5 minutes. Add paprika and salt and toss.
• Add the rice and stir to coat and lightly toast the grains - about 2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and the saffron and lemon juice. Stir well to evenly distribute ingredients.
• Bring broth to a boil. Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to low. Cover, set a timer for 20 minutes, and simmer for 20 minutes undisturbed, or until the grains are tender and the liquid is fully absorbed.
• While the rice cooks, cook vegan chorizo (if including).
• CHORIZO: If serving with optional vegan chorizo, prepare it while the rice cooks. Heat a 10-inch nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add a thin layer of avocado oil and as much vegan chorizo as will comfortably fit in a single layer in the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, undisturbed. It should sizzle and pop a bit - if it's not, turn up the heat a little. Once nicely browned on the bottom, use a spatula to flip as evenly as possible to brown the other side for another 3 minutes. Break it up slightly and toss to evenly brown all sides - ~2 minutes. Repeat with any remaining chorizo and set cooked chorizo aside.
• Test the rice after 20 minutes to ensure it's cooked. If it needs more time, add 1/2 cup (120 ml) water and cover again for a few minutes. When the rice is tender, turn heat off. Add the artichoke hearts, 2 Tbsp (30 ml) of artichoke marinade, tomatoes, and peas and toss gently. Cover for 2 minutes to warm through. Taste test and adjust as needed, adding more salt to taste, artichoke marinade for acidity, or smoked paprika for depth/smokiness. Optionally, serve with vegan chorizo and lemon wedges.
• Best when fresh. Leftovers will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Not freezer friendly.

MURCIAN STYLE VEGETABLE PAELLA

Steps:

• Dice the mushrooms into bite size pieces and sear in the hot olive oil.
• Remove with a slotted spoon (keeping the oil in the pan) and reserve.
• In the same oil, fry the cloves of whole garlic until tender.
• Remove the cloves of garlic and mash in a mortar and pestle with the parsley and saffron too.
• Add the vegetables to the pan and sauté in the hot olive oil for two minutes.
• Add the garlic paste and the mushrooms (with any juices that came out) back to the pan.
• Add one cup of stock and let everything simmer at a low heat for 20 minutes.
• Add the two cup of rice and four cups of stock to the pan.
• Give everything a stir and bring the mixture to a boil.
• As soon as the liquid starts to boil, lower the heat to low and let it cook for 15-20 minutes -- don't stir during this time!
• When the rice is al dente and the liquid is absorbed, you're ready to eat!
• To get the beloved "socarrat" (the caramelized, lightly burnt crust on the bottom of the paella pan) put a kitchen towel over the finished rice and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then remove the towel and put the paella back on the heat on high. Any liquid at the bottom of the pan will start to evaporate, and when you start to hear a sizzle (in Spain we say it sounds like rain) let it caramelize for about 30 seconds (it should not smell burnt). Remove and serve immediately.

VEGETARIAN PAELLA (READY IN 30 MINUTES!)

Steps:

• Heath the vegetable broth.
• If using saffron threads, soak the saffron in a small bowl with 4 tablespoons of broth and let it sit for 10 minutes to steep.
• Add some olive oil to a large skillet on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent.
• At this point, add bell peppers, carrots, and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes-season with a bit of salt. Then add the frozen peas, olives, spinach, and finally rice. Mix and stir well, cook the rice for a couple of minutes, then add the saffron.
• Pour 3 1/2 cups of hot broth slowly in the pan, making sure it's evenly distributed. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to medium and let it cook uncovered. Top with the artichokes. Never stir the rice.
• Let the vegetable paella cook for 15-18 minutes. After 10 minutes, check the rice. If needed, add more broth, 1/3 cup at a time. Increase the heat during the last couple of minutes to create a crispy bottom.
• Remove the pan from the heat, top with some cherry tomatoes, and cover it with a lid or tin foil and let the paella rest for 5-10 minutes (note 7).
• Garnish with the fresh chopped parsley and lemon wedges before serving.

VEGETABLE PAELLA

Steps:

• Arrange your oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, making sure that you have ample space between the two racks for your Dutch oven. You're going to need a large Dutch oven (preferably 6 quarts/11-to-12" in diameter or bigger, although I got by with my 5.5-quart Le Creuset) or a large skillet with a snug-fitting lid (both must be oven-safe!).
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in your Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until the onions are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic and paprika and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and cook until the mixture begins to darken and thicken slightly, about 2 minutes Stir in the rice and cook until the grains are well coated with tomato mixture, about 1 minute. Stir in the chickpeas, broth, wine, saffron (if using) and 1 teaspoon salt.
• Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cover the pot and transfer it to the lower rack in the oven. Bake, undisturbed, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, 50 to 55 minutes.
• Meanwhile, line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. On the baking sheet, combine the artichoke, peppers, chopped olives, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and about 10 twists of freshly ground black pepper. Toss to combine, then spread the contents evenly across the pan.
• Roast the vegetables on the upper rack until the artichokes and peppers are tender and browned around the edges, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the vegetables cool for a few minutes. Add 1/4 cup parsley to the pan and the lemon juice, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
• For optional socarrat (crispy bottom-beware that you might have to scrub burnt bits from your pot later if you do this): Uncover the pot of baked rice, transfer it to the stovetop and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, rotating the pot as needed, until the bottom layer of rice is well browned and crisp.
• Socarrat or not, sprinkle the peas and roasted vegetables over the baked rice, cover, and let the paella sit for 5 minutes. Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley (about 1 tablespoon) and serve in individual bowls, with lemon wedges on the side.

AUTHENTIC SPANISH VEGETABLE PAELLA

Steps:

• Add a pinch of good quality Spanish Saffron (1 pinch), Salt (1/4 teaspoon) and Vegetable Bouillon Cube (2 teaspoon) to Hot Water (450 milliliter) and stir well. Allow to infuse for at least 5-10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, over a large bowl, use the largest holes on a grater to grate the Tomato (1) and discard the skin, season with Salt (1/4 teaspoon) and set aside.
• Heat the Olive Oil (2 tablespoon) in a large flat pan, add the Garlic (2 clove) and fry for 2-3 minutes until the garlic turns slightly golden in colour.
• Add all the Red Bell Pepper (1/2), Yellow Bell Pepper (1/2), Artichoke Hearts (3), Canned White Beans (100 gram), Frozen Green Peas (100 gram), Mushroom (100 gram), Green Beans (60 gram) and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes until soft.
• Season the vegetables with Smoked Paprika (1 teaspoon), Freshly Ground Black Pepper (1 pinch) and pour in the grated tomato, stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes until they are in a slightly brown colour.
• Pour the broth mix in and stir. Then add in the Paella Rice (150 gram), stir very gently, and spread evenly around the pan. You may also want to move the vegetables around to get a more even distribution. After this DO NOT stir please!
• Leave to simmer for 10-12 minutes over medium heat.
• When you see some small gaps start to appear on the surface of rice this means most of the liquid has been absorbed. Add Fresh Rosemary (3 sprig) on top of the rice.
• Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with aluminium foil and leave to cook for a further 5 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and leaving the foil on the pan, allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
• Serve warm straight from the pan, with the Fresh Parsley (1 pinch) and slices of Unwaxed Lemon (1).

SPANISH VEGAN PAELLA

Steps:

• Steep saffron: In a small bowl, add the saffron threads to 3 tablespoons warm water, let set 10 minutes to steep. If using turmeric, skip this step and add turmeric with the other spices.
• Saute: Heat olive oil/broth over medium heat in a large wide flat-bottomed pan or paella pan (a dutch oven or large pot would also suffice). Add onions and bell peppers, cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, green beans, tomatoes, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes and bay leaves, cook another 3 minutes stirring frequently. For softer veggies, cook another 7 minutes or so, totaling 10 minutes after adding the latter ingredients.
• Add rice + broth: Add in the rice, broth, saffron mixture/turmeric and salt. Gently move the vegetables around so the rice falls to the bottom of the pan as much as possible.
• Boil + simmer: Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium or medium-low and cook at a continuous gentle boil, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Do not stir the rice. If using a large paella pan (15 inches or so) you'll want to rotate the pan over the burner every so often to help cook the rice evenly. Stay in the kitchen and clean up so you're right there to adjust the pan when needed. If liquids seem to boil off too quickly, add a little extra warm water/broth.
• Add peas and artichokes: After 15 minutes of cooking, scatter the peas and artichoke hearts on top, cook for 5 minutes more.
• Cover to steam: Turn off heat and cover for 10 minutes with a kitchen towel or other cover of choice. This will allow the rice to absorb any remaining liquid as well as steam the peas and warm the artichoke hearts and any other optional ingredients added as noted below. Once done, lightly fluff the rice and serve. Discard bay leaves before eating. Season with salt, pepper or more paprika to taste.
• Serve: Garnish with chopped parsley. Pairs perfectly with a side of leafy greens and a big squeeze of lemon over top. Enjoy straight from the pan or serve in individual bowls.
• Serves 4 - 6

SPANISH VEGETABLE PAELLA USING BASIC PANTRY STAPLES

Steps:

• Heat a paella pan with a medium-high heat and add in a 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, after 1 minute season the olive oil with sea salt and add in the chopped bell pepper, the cut asparagus and the canned artichokes (drained & patted dry), mix the vegetables with the olive oil, after 3 minutes add in the diced onions and continue to mix, after 2 minutes and the onions are translucent, make a well in the pan and add in the minced garlic, mix with the olive oil, 30 seconds later add in 1 teaspoon of sweet smoked paprika and mix it all together, then add in 1/2 cup of canned tomato sauce, 1 cup of precooked lima beans and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix everything together until well combined
• About 1 minute after adding the tomato sauce, add in 2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth, pinch in 1/2 teaspoon of saffron threads and give it a gentle mix, once the broth comes to a boil, let it boil for an extra minute so the saffron can really infuse into the broth, then add in 1 cup of round rice and give it a gently mix so everything is evenly divided, after this step do not mix the rice again, as it distrups the way the rice cooks
• Eight minutes after adding the rice, lower the fire to a low-medium heat and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, once there is virtually no broth left, hit it to a medium-high heat and go for 60 to 90 seconds, this will create the socarrat, the famous layer of caramelized burnt rice underneath, then remove the pan from the heat and cover with a dishcloth, after 5 minutes uncover the paella pan, garnish with lemon wedges, enjoy!

VEGAN SPANISH PAELLA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a paellera or a pan over medium heat and when it's hot, add the garlic, onion, red and green pepper (chopped). Cook until golden brown.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for another 5 or 10 minutes.
• Add the frozen veggies and cook 5 minutes more.
• Add the rice and cook until it begins to be translucent. Pour the vegetable broth (hot), add the turmeric powder, the sweet paprika, and salt and black pepper to taste.
• Stir the paella until all the ingredients are mixed and cook over medium or medium high heat for 15 or 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Add more vegetable broth if the rice is hard and dry.
• Let stand the paella (covered) for at least 5 or 10 minutes.

VEGETARIAN PAELLA

Steps:

• Pre-heat your oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 5.
• To prepare the red pepper, pre-heat the oven grill and cut the peppers in half lengthways. Place both halves on a roasting tin, skin side up and brush with some olive oil and place under the grill and cook until the skins are completely black. Remove from the heat and cover with a tea towel. Once the pepper halves are cooled down, peel the skins off and cut into long strips and set aside.
• Prepare the saffron by lightly toasting the threads on a low heat in a dry pan for a couple of minutes. Transfer the threads into a pestle and mortar and lightly crush them. Pour 4 tablespoons of the hot stock and cover to infuse while you make the paella rice.
• In a large paella pan (45cm diameter) or a large shallow casserole dish, heat one tablespoon of the oil. Once hot, add the runner beans and green asparagus and fry for about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown, season with salt. Remove from the pan and set aside. Allow the paella pan to cool down for a couple of minutes.
• Add the remaining olive oil to the paella pan and gently fry on a low heat the chopped garlic and spring onions until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the paella rice and stir for a few minutes on a gentle heat until the rice is slightly translucent. Add the smoked paprika and stir the rice for 30 seconds, followed by the tomato sofrito sauce. Once the sofrito has cooked into the rice, pour in the hot vegetable stock, followed by the saffron infused stock, frozen peas, red pepper slices and white beans. Season with salt and spread the rice out evenly to cover the bottom of the paella pan.
• Bring the paella to the boil. If you have a timer, set it to 17 minutes. The first 5 minutes, cook the paella on a very high heat until the rice rises to the surface. Check the stock for seasoning and add some more salt if necessary, stir the rice, add the grilled artichoke halves, fried runner beans and asparagus and place the pan in the oven. After 12 minutes, remove the pan from the oven.
• Allow the paella to rest for 5 minutes before serving garnished with lemon wedges.

EASY VEGETARIAN PAELLA

Steps:

• Mince the onion. Mince the garlic. Finely chop the tomatoes, removing the cores but keeping the seeds with their juices. Slice the roasted red peppers into strips, and set aside.
• Measure out all the remaining ingredients before you start. The cooking process goes fast!
• In your largest skillet or a 4-serving paella pan, heat olive oil on medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic until just translucent, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chopped tomatoes, the smoked paprika and red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and cook until the tomatoes have broken down and most of the liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in the stock, chickpeas, saffron and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir, then immediately sprinkle the rice evenly across the broth and tap the pan with a spoon to evenly spread the rice. Bring to a medium simmer and cook without stirring until liquid is absorbed, about 18 to 22 minutes (adjust the cook time as necessary if using a skillet). If your pan is large enough to span multiple burners on your stovetop, adjust the heat on each burner so you achieve a steady medium simmer. Rotate the pan every few minutes for an even cook.
• When the top of the rice is beginning to show through the liquid, about 10 minutes into the cook time, press the artichokes, peas, and red pepper strips lightly into the rice.
• In last few minutes, carefully watch the paella and rotate pan more frequently. As the paella finishes, you'll see the steam start to slow down as the water cooks out. If desired, peek at the bottom of a pan by using a knife to scrape back the rice - you shouldn't see any standing water. The sound will start to change from a simmer to a crackle. This indicates the crust is forming. Let the crackling continue for about 2 minutes before removing from the heat. If you smell any burning, remove immediately.
• When the paella is done, squeeze the lemon wedges onto the top of the pan. Sprinkle with a pinch or two of kosher salt and add the parsley, if using. Serve with additional lemon wedges.