Classic Vegan Paella Recipe – Delicious and Filling Meal For A Family

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Have you been to Spain before and fallen for the Mediterranean lifestyle and food? I sure have and I always wanted to try some more Spanish-inspired dishes. One of our regular meals is empanadas but we also wanted to try paella. And it is so easy to make! This vegan paella recipe is now one of our go-to recipes for weekend meals. The recipe makes four servings so great for a family or it makes two meals for two adults.

Vegan Paella Ingredients

I love adding whichever veg we just have in the fridge to this dish. My favourites are definitely mushrooms and peppers though. Sometimes we make it with frozen veg and sometimes with fresh. Depending on what we have. The paella always turns out great.

It is best made with regular basmati rice but we also made it with brown rice before if you want to choose a slightly healthier option. Just make sure you cook the rice a bit longer but if you are looking for a more nutritious option you should pick brown rice.

The colour of the rice comes from the turmeric. Not only is it adding colour to the dish but it also has anti-inflammatory properties. It has a slightly peppery taste and you may have come across turmeric in curry powder.

You may have seen some recipes that use saffron which has been used in the past to give the rice its colour. However, nowadays tumeric is used as it gives it a similar colour and a lovely taste and is much more affordable. So for my recipe I will stick to the tumeric as I am trying to avoid expensive ingredients where I can and keep my dishes affordable and easy. But by all means if you prefer saffron feel free to use it.

• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, cut in stripes
• 1/2 green pepper, cut in stripes
• 2 chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup frozen green beans (75 grams)
• 1/2 cup frozen peas (65 grams)
• 1 and 1/4 cups of Basmati rice (240 grams)
• 4 cups of vegetable broth (1 liter)
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
• Salt and black pepper to taste (optional)

1. Pour the oil into a large pan and once it is hot you can add the garlic, onion, red pepper and green pepper, all cut into pieces. Cook over medium heat until golden brown.
2. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 or 10 minutes.
3. Add the green beans, and peas and cook about 5 minutes more.
4. Add the rice and leave it until the edges become slightly translucent.
5. Add the broth (which must be hot), turmeric and paprika. Season to taste.
6. Let cook over medium or medium-high heat for about 15 or 20 minutes or until the rice is done. If you need more stock, add more on the go.
7. Ideally, leave the covered paella to rest before eating it, at least 5 or 10 minutes.

Vegan Paella Recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Vegan Paella

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A typical dish in Spain and the vegan version is absolutely delicious. No special equipment is needed. You can add any veg you like to this dish.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, cut in stripes
• 1/2 green pepper, cut in stripes
• 2 chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup frozen green beans (75 grams)
• 1/2 cup frozen peas (65 grams)
• 1 and 1/4 cups of Basmati rice (240 grams)
• 4 cups of vegetable broth (1 liter)
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
• Salt and black pepper to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. Pour the oil into a large pan and once it is hot you can add the garlic, onion, red pepper and green pepper, all cut into pieces. Cook over medium heat until golden brown.
2. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 or 10 minutes.
3. Add the green beans, and peas and cook about 5 minutes more.
4. Add the rice and leave it until the edges become slightly translucent.
5. Add the broth (which must be hot), turmeric and paprika. Season to taste.
6. Let cook over medium or medium-high heat for about 15 or 20 minutes or until the rice is done. If you need more stock, add more on the go.
7. Ideally, leave the covered paella to rest before eating it, at least 5 or 10 minutes.

Notes

• If you don't have a paella pan, use a large heavy pan.
• To cover the pan for the last step we use the lid of our largest pot and that works really well.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4 servings

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 146Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 838mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 4g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.

Equipment For Making Vegan Paella

On my trip to Spain, I noticed that paella is traditionally made in very lage pans. However, don’t worry you can absolutely make vegan paella in a regular pan. Just look for the largest pan you have so you can make a good amount of the dish. You will also need a cover of some sort as you need to cover the pan for a short while.

If you end up making paella a lot or want the real feel of Spain in your house when making paella consider getting a paella pan. These are available in different sizes.

Check out these paella pans:
Pan for 4 servings
Pan for 8 servings
Pan for 14 servings

We are using a lid of one of our biggest pots and that has been working really well. When you include this step you make sure that the rice caramelizes a bit which I am being told by my Spanish friends is important for good Spanish paella. It definitely adds a special something to your dish and my mouth is watering just writing this.

Have you tried this vegan paella recipe? Leave a comment below and share what you loved about it!

Looking for other delicious recipes? Try this leek and potato soup!

If you enjoyed the recipe and want to find more head over to my recipe section and join my Facebook Group which focuses on homemade vegan recipes that are affordable and healthy.