Veggie Paella
Paella is a great dinner option as it gives you so much freedom to get creative with ingredients.
The term “Paella” refers to the wide and shallow pan used to cook the meal. However, a large frying pan works well too.
Typically when people think of a Paella they picture the golden rice that’s been seasoned with saffron, green beans, and a mix of seafood like shrimp and clams.
For this Paella we wanted to focus on fresh veggies while keeping many of the traditional flavors and aromas.
Course: Main CourseKeyword: Healthy Vegetarian Paella, Veggie Paella Servings: 6 Calories: 320kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 14 ounces petite diced tomato or crushed
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 medium red bell pepper cut into strips
- 1 teaspoon sea salt more to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 14 ounces canned chickpeas drained
- 14 ounces canned artichoke hearts quartered
- 8 ounces button mushrooms sliced
- Fresh cracked pepper to taste
- Garnish with lemon wedges and chopped parsley or cilantro
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, enamel lined Dutch oven, or an actual paella pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over high heat until it just begins to shimmer. Carefully add the chopped onion and garlic into the hot pan, stir immediately, and cook undisturbed for 1 minute. Stir in the turmeric and paprikas. Cook for 30 seconds while stirring. Mix in the rice until it is completely colored with the spices.
- Pour in the tomato and vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer then lightly stir in the red pepper, salt, thyme, chickpeas, and artichoke hearts.
- Drizzle on the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil but don't stir in. Reduce heat to low and cook undisturbed and uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes. Once you can see that the liquid has been absorbed turn the heat up to high and cook for 2-3 minutes. The goal is to create a crust of cooked rice on the bottom which will be served with the paella. Turn off heat and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- *While the paella is cooking slice the mushrooms into thin strips and sear them on both in a hot and non-oiled pan. This is an optional step but the light char or blackening on the mushrooms adds flavor and texture to the paella that you won’t get if you add the mushrooms in with the rest of the ingredients. They are best served as a final garnish or lightly mixed in prior to serving.