Veggie Paella
December 31, 2021 Adriana Lee
Ingredients
| olive oil | 3 tbsps | |
| vegetable broth | 32 oz | |
| saffron threads or turmeric | 1 tsp | |
| large onion - diced | 1 | |
| cloves garlic - minced | 5 | |
| large tomato - diced or sub canned | 1 | |
| smoked paprika | 1 tsp | |
| paprika | 1/2 tsp | |
| ground thyme | 1 tsp | |
| sea salt & black pepper each | 1 tsp | |
| bomba rice - this can be purchased at some specialty shops or online - alternatively, you can sub arborio rice. | 1 1/2 cups | |
| asparagus - steamed (can also sub other vegetables, such as mushrooms, zucchini or broccolini) | 1 cup | |
| 14 oz can artichoke hearts | 1 | |
| capers | 1 tbsps | |
| frozen peas | 1 cup | |
| 12 oz jar of roasted red peppers - sliced into strips | 1 |
This Veggie Paella is aromatic, packed with flavor, filling and perfect for sharing! It is vegan, gluten free and free of most common allergens. You can easily add seafood or meat if you’d like!
Traditional paella is full of seafood, so I use artichoke hearts and olives to get that briny flavor.
A few important things to note:
- You don’t need a paella pan for this. If you don’t have one, use a large, thin, shallow stainless steel pan. I usually recommend finding the largest pan you have.
- Do NOT stir the paella. Once you’ve added broth, let it cook without moving anything around.
- Soccarat is the crispy golden crust that forms at the bottom of the pan. This is why paella pans are thin and shallow – to allow as much rice as possible to touch the pan and develop socarrat. It gives the paella a rich, smoky and slightly nutty flavor. This is also why it’s so important not to stir the paella.
- How do you know when it’s done? The socarrat has developed when you start to hear a snapping or crackling sound. You’ll also begin to smell a toasty, somewhat nutty aroma. That’s how you know the socarrat has developed. You can also stick a fork into the pan to check.
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a medium saucepan bring the broth to a boil and add the saffron threads or turmeric. Then lower heat down to a simmer.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the paella pan, or similar sized pan, at medium heat. Then add onions and sauté until translucent. 3-5 minutes
- Then add the minced garlic and sauté an additional minute.
- Next add diced tomatoes, sweet and smoked paprika and thyme. Sauté an additional minute or two.
- Then add the rice and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and stir to coat. Toast the rice for about one minute.
- Add the broth, salt and pepper. Once you’ve added the broth DO NOT STIR. Bring the broth to a low boil for 2 minutes.
- Lower heat down to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the rice is al dente. Rotate the pan on the burner a few times to make sure it cooks evenly.
- Meanwhile, steam or sauté the asparagus or other vegetables.
- Add asparagus, artichoke hearts and capers to the pan – do not stir in, just arrange on top. Do this while the rice is still cooking.
- Start paying attention to the rice once the broth is almost fully cooked down. Once you start hearing a crackling sound and smelling a nutty aroma, the socarrat is done. If it smells like it’s burning, remove from heat immediately. You can check it by sticking a fork to the bottom of the pan to see if the crust has formed.
- Arrange the peas and the roasted red bell pepper on top. Cover with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Serve with lemon slices & enjoy!
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