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A pan of vegan vegetable paella on a wooden board on a blue background with a beige cloth, glass of water and fresh parsley.
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Vegan Vegetable Paella

Vegan vegetable paella - This easy paella is packed with vegetables and is full of flavour. It is an easy, one-pan meal that looks impressive but is simple to make, hearty and delicious!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Spanish
Keyword rice
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4 people
Author Domestic Gothess

Ingredients

  • 1 packed teaspoon saffron
  • 700 ml (3 cups) vegetable stock (I make mine with 4 teaspoons of Marigold bouillon) plus extra as needed
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
  • 1 large brown onion finely chopped
  • 2 medium/large tomatoes (about 270g) diced
  • 6 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
  • 1 red bell pepper sliced into strips
  • 1 yellow bell pepper sliced into strips
  • 2 slightly rounded teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 Tablespoon tomato puree (paste)
  • 240 ml (1 cup) white wine
  • 300 g (1 ½ cups) paella rice
  • one 400g (14 oz) tin butter beans drained
  • 170 g (6 oz) green beans
  • 150 g (1 cup) frozen peas
  • juice of ½-1 lemon to taste
  • 100 g (3 ½ oz) jarred artichoke hearts drained
  • salt and pepper
  • chopped fresh parsley to serve

Instructions

  • Mix together the saffron, stock and ½ teaspoon of salt in a jug and set aside to infuse.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large, wide pan over a low heat. Add the onion and cook gently for about 10 minutes until it is soft.
  • Add the chopped tomato and garlic and cook gently for another 5-10 minutes until soft.
  • Add the sliced peppers, smoked paprika, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary and tomato puree and fry for 2 minutes.
  • Add the wine, turn up the heat and simmer until it has almost all evaporated.
  • Add the rice, green beans, peas, butter beans and stock mixture. Stir until it is well combined then cook at a gentle simmer for about 20 minutes until the stock has all evaporated. Do not stir the paella while it is cooking. Rotate the pan occasionally so that it cooks evenly.
  • Give the paella a brief stir and check whether the rice has cooked through. If it is not fully cooked, drizzle over a bit more stock or water and continue to cook over a low heat until it is just al-dente.
  • If you want the paella to have a crispy base (socarrat), turn up the heat a little and cook until you hear a gentle crackling sound then remove the pan from the heat. Be careful not to go too far however or the paella will burn. This step is not necessary but it is tasty!
  • Season to taste with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Arrange the artichokes on top of the rice and cover the pan with a lid or tin foil. Set aside to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • See post above for step-by-step photos and details.
  • For the best results follow the recipe closely and make it exactly as written. The ingredients are all included for a reason and omitting any may result in an inferior flavour
  • Feel free to add about 75g of olives along with the rest of the vegetables.
  • Paella should ideally be cooked in a very wide, shallow pan as it should not be stirred during cooking and a wide pan ensures that it will cook evenly. If you don't have a paella pan then a large skillet or a wide stainless steel pan is best.