Vegetarian Paella

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As all our regular visitors know by now, we are based in Valencia, Spain. Naturally, we indulge in Spanish food and occasionally write articles about it. We also collect recipes for Spanish food and add them to our database.

We have a large collection of recipes for paella and are currently compiling an ebook containing all our paella recipes from the different regions of Spain. If you would like a free copy, then use the contact box at the top of the page

We were recently asked by a regular visitor to the site, if we had a recipe for paella which was suitable for a vegetarian. We have dozens, but here are two of our favourite paella dishes, which are suitable for vegetarians.

Vegetable Paella

1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 cups long-grain white rice
4 cups vegetable stock
1 large pinch saffron
1 medium carrot, sliced
2 medium celery sticks, sliced
8 plum tomatoes, quartered
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch chunks
10 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. In a large saucepan, cook the onion over a medium heat, stirring until translucent. Stir in the rice and cook for a few more minutes. Add the vegetable stock and saffron, bring to a boil, reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. In a separate pan, steam the carrot and celery until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the celery and carrot, reserving the water.

3. In a large bowl, toss the carrot, celery, tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer vegetables to a lightly greased baking sheet and place in the oven at 450°F (230°C). Roast the vegetables until they are brown on the edges. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 400°F (205°C).

4. Meanwhile, in the same pan you steamed the carrot and celery, steam the peas until they are just tender.

5. Toss the roasted vegetables with the rice. Stir in the peas. Transfer mixture to a greased casserole dish. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 15 minutes. Serve.

Makes 8 servings.

Vegetarian Paella

This vegetarian paella is so moist, full of flavour, and substantial, that you will scarcely notice it is meat-free. The green, red, and yellow bellpeppers add a vibrant splash of colour to the pale rice, while the tangy artichoke hearts, delicate peas, and juicy tomatoes ensure that this vegetarian paella will satisfy even the most avid carnivores.

• Serves: 6
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Preparation time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz) of olive oil
• 5 cloves minced garlic
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cups (32 fl. oz) vegetable broth
• 2 cups (16 oz) rice
• 4 medium tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 1 cup (4 oz) green peas
• 2 cups (14 oz) artichoke hearts, tough outer leaves removed and quartered
• 1 lemon
• Lemon wedges, to garnish

Preparation

Heat the olive oil in a paella pan and sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is tender and translucent. At the same time, heat the broth in a separate saucepan until simmering.

Pour the rice into the paella pan and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add the bell peppers and tomatoes and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add the simmering vegetable broth and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes or until almost tender and almost all the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the peas.

Sprinkle the artichoke hearts with a few drops of lemon juice and arrange over the rice in an attractive pattern. Continue cooking until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender.

Serve the paella straight from the pan, garnished with lemon wedges

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