Spanish Vegetable Paella

Name: Spanish Vegetable Paella
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 pinch saffron threads ( - a little less than a gram or ~1 teaspoon; sub with 1/4 teaspoon ground saffron); 5 cup vegetable broth (hot ); 2 tbsp Olive Oil; 2 Beyond Meat sausages ( *), sliced; 0.5 Onion, diced; 6 clove Garlic, minced; 0.5 red bell pepper ( (substitute with any color pepper)), sliced; 0.5 zucchini ( into half or quarter moons), sliced; 1 cup asparagus (cut into 1-inch pieces); 1 cup oyster mushrooms (~3 ounces ), chopped; 1 can butter beans (or fava beans, ), drained rinsed; 0.333 cup Red Wine, optional; 2 cup paella rice (bomba or calasparra rice); 2 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Smoked Paprika; 1 tsp dried rosemary (or three sprigs); 0.5 tsp Pepper, to taste; 8 Cherry Tomatoes, halved; 0.25 cup sweet peas (canned or frozen); 0.25 cup pimientos ( ), optional; 0.25 cup Spanish manzanilla olives ( ), sliced; Lemon Wedges, for serving

This Spanish Vegetable Paella is a vibrant, one-pan meal packed with saffron-infused rice, tender veggies, and bold Mediterranean flavors.

Brooke1999

Prep10 min

Cook30 min

Total40 min

Servings6

Difficultymedium

SpanishDinner / Supper

Ingredients

1 pinchsaffron threads ( - a little less than a gram or ~1 teaspoon; sub with 1/4 teaspoon ground saffron)
5 cupvegetable broth (hot )
2 tbspOlive Oil
2Beyond Meat sausages ( *), sliced
0.5Onion, diced
6 cloveGarlic, minced
0.5red bell pepper ( (substitute with any color pepper)), sliced
0.5zucchini ( into half or quarter moons), sliced
1 cupasparagus (cut into 1-inch pieces)
1 cupoyster mushrooms (~3 ounces ), chopped
1 canbutter beans (or fava beans, ), drained rinsed
⅓ cupRed Wine, optional
2 cuppaella rice (bomba or calasparra rice)
2 tspSalt
1 tspSmoked Paprika
1 tspdried rosemary (or three sprigs)
0.5 tspPepper, to taste
8Cherry Tomatoes, halved
0.25 cupsweet peas (canned or frozen)
0.25 cuppimientos ( ), optional
0.25 cupSpanish manzanilla olives ( ), sliced
Lemon Wedges, for serving

Instructions

1
Prepare: Heat up 5 cups of hot broth using the microwave or stovetop. Crush the saffron threads gently between your fingers, mix it in the hot broth, and set aside.
2
Brown: Heat olive oil on medium heat in a large pan. Add the sliced sausages and saute until lightly browned about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. They'll release some flavorful oil, so leave that in the pan.
3
Sauté: In the same pan, add diced onion and garlic with a pinch of salt and sauté until onions are translucent.
4
Cook: Incorporate sliced bell peppers, zucchini, asparagus, mushrooms, and beans cooking until the vegetables start to soften and reduce slightly in size, about 5 minutes. Then add the wine if using to deglaze the pan and allow it to evaporate, about 2-3 minutes.
5
Combine: Add the sausage back in. Stir in the rice, smoked paprika, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Allow the rice and spices to toast slightly to enhance their flavor, about 2 minutes. If using rosemary sprigs, nestle them on top.
6
Add: Turn up the burner to medium-high heat. Pour in the saffron-infused broth, ensuring it fully covers the rice. Gently press down any grains or veggies peeking out above the surface and give the pan a good shake to even out the contents. And remember, no stirring after this moment – let the magic happen undisturbed.
7
Simmer: It should be simmering on medium-high. Then, let the paella cook uncovered for about 15-18 minutes or until the rice is al dente and most liquid has been absorbed. The rice should be firm but cooked through. If some of the top rice pieces are a little firm, they will continue to soften in the next step.***
8
Top: Turn the heat to medium and gently scatter the sliced cherry tomatoes, peas, olives, and pimientos over the pan and partially cover with a lid or aluminum foil. Cook for an additional 10 minutes to heat the toppings and form the socarrat.
9
Check: Take a quick peek at the bottom of the pan by scooping aside a bit of rice for a glance. You're looking for a pleasant dark brown color, but not burnt. If no socarrat is in sight, up the heat for a minute or two.
10
Serve: Serve the vegan paella hot, with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over the top.