The perfect Sunday family meal, our Vegetarian Paella is a recipe to prepare and enjoy with your loved ones. Packed with Spanish flavors and cooked following my grandma's recipe, our dish will make your Sunday meal extra special and Spanish!
What is Spanish Paella?
I don't know if you have been to Spain but I'm sure you have heard enough about Spanish Paella. A rice dish prepared in a paella pan made with a lovely base and broth and packed full of vegetables and spices (if you are going for the veggie option).
Paella is served all around Spain, but depending on the region you visit, you can find different versions of this dish. The same goes for households; each family has a different way to cook this meal. Where we live, in Mallorca, you can find Mediterranean-style paellas with seafood and seasonal veggies.
I grew up watching my grandparents cook Paella every weekend for the family. It was the perfect meal after spending the morning at the beach. When I told my grandma I became vegetarian, she told me: "Don't worry, I keep a vegetarian paella recipe from my mum (which would be my great grandma) that we can make next time".
As a typical Spanish Mama, I enjoy preparing Paella for the family on Sundays. Homecooked Paella is always better and cheaper if using the right ingredients.
Our Paella Recipe is:
- Vegan
- Spanish-style recipe
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
- Packed full of veggies
- Family-friendly
- A main dish
How to make the best Vegetarian Paella
Ingredients
Paella base. A Vegetable Paella needs a flavourful base to help get the perfect taste without the need to add too much salt or stock. For our base, we prepare a rich sauce using fresh tomatoes, red bell peppers, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, paella spices, and a little bit of sugar. This is our little secret to make delicious paellas, as most people skip this part.
Spice mix. I would say the most important two spices you need to have in hand when making Paella are saffron threads and smoked paprika. They will give your paella the proper Spanish taste you are looking for.
That said, when we cook Paella we always have at home a Paella seasoning sachet and you should too! They are super convenient when making this dish as they have the right spice blend you need. They are normally vegan and gluten-free which makes them even better.
Our favorite brand when it comes to Paella seasoning is La Chinata Smoked Paprika. They ship to most European countries and the USA. You can find other good brands on Amazon like Carmencita.
Paella Rice. You can maybe find Spanish paella rice in some big supermarkets, or if you live in Spain, you will be able to find it in most grocery stores. The type of rice needed is the Spanish rice called "Arroz Bomba" (Bomba Rice), or Calasparra rice, another type of Spanish rice. It absorbs the flavors of the broth and it doesn't get mushy or sticky. Your best option if you cannot find Bomba rice, would be Arborio Rice, an Italian type of short rice.
Vegetable stock. Once you have your base, spices, and rice sorted, you need to make sure you are using the right stock or broth. A homemade broth will always be your best option when making Vegetarian Paella but not the fastest. When we don't have stock in the freezer, we use good-quality vegetable stock.
Artichoke hearts. Canned or jarred artichoke hearts marinating in olive oil are the ones we normally use for this recipe. We like using the oil to start cooking the paella, and the artichokes give this dish a lovely flavor.
Fresh Veggies. You can add almost any veggie to your Vegetarian Paella. Our favorites are red pepper, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, carrots, onion, green peas, zucchini, spinach, asparagus, or aubergine. Get plenty of veggies for your paella. The more the merrier.
Step-by-Step cooking method
Cook the paella base
- Roughly chop all the ingredients for the paella base: red pepper, onion, garlic, and tomatoes. Add some vegetable oil to a pan and cook for a couple of minutes at medium-high heat. Add the spice mix, salt, pepper, and sugar (optional).
- Cook for 10-15 minutes until all the ingredients have softened. Transfer to a blender jug and blend until you have a smooth sauce. You can use an immersion blender for this part.
Prepare the paella
- Chop all the vegetables (leave the peas as they are added at the end). Place your paella pan on a stove burner. We normally cook this meal outside, so it doesn't get our kitchen messy. You can use a smaller pan and use your stovetop, or campingaz. Add some oil and sautée all the vegetables. If you are using jarred artichokes in oil, you can use that oil to start this dish.
- When the veggies start to golden, add the paella base that we prepared before. Stir, and keep cooking for a couple of minutes. You may need to lower the heat as the sauce may splash.
- Add the rice and combine with the rest of the ingredients.
- Pour the vegetable broth and distribute the rice and vegetables equally around the paella pan as you should not stir or mix anymore at this point.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 18-20 minutes. Turn the heat off before the rice is completely cooked, as it will finish cooking before serving.
- Add the peas, and garnishing ingredients such as roasted red peppers, lemon wedges, or chopped coriander. Cover the paella with clean tea towels and leave it for about 5-7 minutes before you start serving it.
Serving Suggestions
Spanish Vegetable Paella is the perfect main dish for a weekend day. You can, of course, make Paella on a weekday but it takes a bit of time to prepare and it's a meal that you want to enjoy without being in a rush.
Once your veggie paella is cooked, you can add roasted peppers on top and lemon wedges for a nice presentation. As well, many families prepare a little dressing made of chopped fresh parsley and garlic, called Picadillo to add on the top, or an aioli (Spanish garlic mayo) to serve with your paella. You can find a recipe for aioli here by Spanish Sabores.
We like serving some sliced fresh Italian green peppers seasoned with olive oil and vinegar, fresh radish, and some kalamata olives.
If you are looking for a nice appetizer to serve with this traditional Spanish meal, we recommend trying these vegan shrimp. Normally, Paella is cooked with seafood, so we love having some vegan seafood alternatives with our rice dish too.
Store and reheat
Serve your vegan paella while hot and leave any leftovers covered in case people want to have seconds.
If you have Paella leftovers, you can keep them in the fridge for 2-3 days using an airtight container.
Reheat the leftovers using the microwave or a pan.
You can freeze paella once is completely cooled. We recommend that you don't use zucchini if you are planning to freeze this meal, as it can get a funny texture after thawing.
Variations to our Paella de Verduras
- Add some more protein. For our paella recipe, we use loads of mushrooms, which contain protein, but if you want to add some more, you can add chickpeas, fava beans, or vegan chicken pieces. We've tried before adding these ingredients and they work really well. If you are adding jarred garbanzo beans you can add them at the end. The vegan chicken pieces will need to be sautéed with the rest of the veggies.
- Use a regular pan, a large frying pan, or a Dutch oven. If you don't own a paella pan, consider using a regular pan or even a Dutch oven. Paellas are always best when cooked on an open flame, but we've cooked paellas in our flat in Berlin, or in our student accommodation in Sweden and it can be done.
- Add your favorite vegetables. You don't need to stick to the veggies we chose for this recipe. You can use seasonal vegetables, veggies that need to be used in your fridge, or your favorite ones. Frozen vegetables work well.
FAQ and Tips
Do I Need a Paella Pan to make Paella?
My short answer would be no, you won't need a proper Paella Pan to make a Paella at home. Is it ideal to use a Paella Pan? Yes, it is! If you have one, make sure you get it ready for this recipe and if you are thinking of making Paella regularly, I would recommend you buy one.
You can buy an inexpensive Paella Pan online. Make sure to get the right size. Normally I make Paella for 4-6 people so we have a small pan at home.
Another way to cook your Paella if you don't have a Paella pan would be a frying pan. I've seen people cooking paella in a cast iron pot, but I wouldn't really recommend that. Once the Paella is cooking it should not be stirred, so you need a shallow pan.
If you have an outdoor area, you can get a Paella set, to cook it with a stove burner. If you are using induction, make sure to get a Paella Pan that can be put on induction.
Tips for cooking the rice to perfection
The first thing you need to do is count how many people you are cooking the Paella. We calculate around 100 grams of rice per person and I always count an additional person so I'm sure I cook enough for seconds.
To cook the rice properly, you will need the perfect ratio. I've been using the same ratio for years and it always works perfectly: 3,1 times more liquid than rice, using Bomba Rice.
The last important thing when making Paella is to leave it resting before serving for 5 minutes when the rice is almost completely cooked. I can tell you I hated those five minutes when I was a kid but they are really important to get the perfect rice texture.
Tips for making the best Vegetarian Paella
- Once you put the rice evenly in the pan, it won't need stirring.
- While cooking the paella you may need to add more water or stock than the recipe asks for if the rice is cooking too fast and no water is left.
- The heat needs to be low-medium to make sure you don't burn the rice on the bottom.
- The more veggies you add, the better! A vegetarian Paella should have a wide variety of veggies.
- Don't forget to turn off the heat when the rice is nearly cooked and leave the Paella to rest (covered) for 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve Paella with lemon, it gives the rice the last touch.
Authentic Vegetarian Paella
Ingredients
For the Paella Base
- 3 tomatoes
- ½ red pepper
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 sachet Paella Seasoning
- Salt and pepper
Veggies (Add more or less to your taste)
- 1 jar of artichokes
- 1 zucchini small
- 200 g oyster mushrooms
- 1 carrots
- ½ red pepper
- ¼ broccoli
- ¼ cauliflower
- ½ cup peas
Rice and Stock
- 500 grams bomba rice
- 1600 ml vegetables stock
Optional
- Roasted jarred red peppers
- Lemon
- Sliced Italian green peppers
- Sliced radish
Instructions
Paella base
- Roughly chop tomatoes, red pepper, onion, and garlic.
- Add some vegetable oil to a pan and cook for all the veggies for a couple of minutes at medium-high heat.
- Add the spice mix, salt and pepper. Cook for 10-15 minutes until all the ingredients have softened.
- Transfer to a blender jug and blend until you have a smooth sauce.
Paella
- Chop all the vegetables (leave the peas as they are added at the end). Place your paella pan on a stove burner or stovetop. Heat the oil of the jarred artichokes, add the chopped vegetables and sautée for a couple of minutes.
- When the veggies start to golden, add the paella base that we prepared before. Stir, and keep cooking for a couple of minutes. You may need to lower the heat as the sauce may splash.
- Add the rice and combine with the rest of the ingredients.
- Pour the vegetable broth and distribute the rice and vegetables equally around the paella pan as you should not stir or mix anymore at this point.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 18-20 minutes. Turn the heat off before the rice is completely cooked, as it will finish cooking before serving.
- Add the peas, and garnishing ingredients such as roasted red peppers, lemon wedges, or chopped coriander.
- Cover the paella with clean tea towels and leave it for about 5-7 minutes before you start serving it.
- Serve and enjoy!
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