Jeff Misenti
Difficulty Level: moderate
If you’re on the hunt for a colorful, almost one-pan, vegetarian-friendly dish, then this should be on your to-cook list. This vegetarian paella packs in green beans, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, olives, and fantastic herbs and spices to create a meal anyone will enjoy.
The trick is to cook the rice in vegetable broth with saffron and smoked paprika. This combination gives the dish a classic golden color and deep flavor as the rice absorbs all of it. Considering it’s meat and fish-free, it’s still incredibly filling and moreish. Plus, it works great for dinner.
And don’t be put off by the moderate difficulty level. Anything that requires more than tossing ingredients in a pan and walking away is often considered moderate. As for the 40 minutes of cook time, for at least half of it, you need to add ingredients, stir, and handle other steps. Check out the ingredients and cooking steps below.
Vegetarian Paella Recipe Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium carrot, cut into thin strips
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 cups of short-grain paella rice, such as Bomba, Calasparra, or Arborio
- 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon of saffron threads, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 cup of diced tomatoes, fresh or canned and drained
- 4 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth, warmed
- 1 cup of green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup of zucchini, chopped
- 1/2 cup of frozen peas
- 1/2 cup of sliced black olives
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
Vegetarian Paella Recipe Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large, wide skillet or paella pan over a medium heat.
- Add the onion, carrot, and red bell pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the rice, smoked paprika, saffron, salt, and black pepper. Cook the mixture for 1 minute, stirring so the rice gets lightly coated in the oil and spices.
- Add the diced tomatoes and stir once to combine.
- Warm the vegetable broth in a small saucepan or microwave.
- Pour in the warm vegetable broth. Stir once, then spread the rice and vegetables evenly across the pan.
- Add the green beans and zucchini over the top. Do not keep stirring after this point.
- Bring the pan to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 22 minutes, or until most of the broth is absorbed and the rice is almost tender.
- Sprinkle the peas and black olives over the top. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, cover the pan loosely with foil or a lid, and let the paella rest for 10 minutes.
- Top with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges.