Summer Recipes #1: Spanish Paella
All the tips and tricks to make the best paella at home
Hi there! Happy Monday 💚
I hope you had a great weekend and find some time this week to prepare some delicious meals that make you feel more energized and happy. That’s what eating is all about, right?
During these warmer months, all I can think of cooking are Mediterranean-style meals with loads of fresh veggies. If you know me a little bit by now, I’m a huge fan of Asian food too, but I tend to cook a lot more Asian dishes during colder months. Of course, my garden vegetable curry has a special place on our weekly menu during these months, making the most of our seasonal veggies.
So, before the summer started, I wanted to republish our Mediterranean Kitchen E-book with more content and more recipes for you to try!
Our e-book got more than 100 downloads and we’re just so grateful for all the support. So if you still haven’t got yours, you can get the newest version with 37 Mediterranean recipes from my kitchen, with a 40% discount only available for subscribers!
Also, if you get our e-book, you’ll gain a month of FREE exclusive content, giving you access to all our meal plans, exclusive recipes, etc.
If you’ve already purchased our first version of the e-book, let me know, and I’ll send you your new copy for free.
During these summer months, I’ll be sharing my top summer recipes that I think you will enjoy recreating in your kitchen. It doesn’t matter if you’re an expert or just starting to gain confidence cooking; these recipes are easy enough!
To start this summer recipes collection, I chose one of my favorite Spanish recipes: Vegetable Paella.
This is a recipe that many Spanish families cook on a Sunday, and we’re not different. I made my own vegan version of this classic Spanish dish so all of us can enjoy it too from time to time!
This recipe is extra special to me because it was passed down from my grandma. When I became a vegetarian, she told me she had a “green paella” recipe just for me, as she used to call it.
If you’ve never made paella before, I know it might seem a little intimidating—but I promise, it’s much easier than it looks. And don’t worry if you don’t have a traditional paella pan; a regular pan will work just fine.
Ingredients
Paella base. A Vegetable Paella needs a flavourful base to help get the perfect taste without the need to add too much salt or stock. For our base, we prepare a rich sauce using fresh tomatoes, red bell peppers, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, paella spices, and a little bit of sugar. This is our little secret to make delicious paellas, as most people skip this part.
Spice mix. I would say the most important two spices you need to have in hand when making Paella are saffron threads and smoked paprika. They will give your paella the proper Spanish taste you are looking for.
That said, when we cook Paella, we always have at home a Paella seasoning sachet, and you should too! They are super convenient when making this dish as they have the right spice blend you need. They are normally vegan and gluten-free.
Our favorite brand when it comes to Paella seasoning is La Chinata Smoked Paprika. They ship to most European countries and the USA. You can find other good brands on Amazon like Carmencita.
Paella Rice. You can maybe find Spanish paella rice in some big supermarkets, or if you live in Spain, you will be able to find it in most grocery stores. The type of rice needed is the Spanish rice called "Arroz Bomba" (Bomba Rice), or Calasparra rice, another type of Spanish rice. It absorbs the flavors of the broth, and it doesn't get mushy or sticky. Your best option if you cannot find Bomba rice would be Arborio Rice, an Italian type of short-grain rice.
Vegetable stock. Once you have your base, spices, and rice sorted, you need to make sure you are using the right stock or broth. A homemade broth will always be your best option when making Vegetarian Paella, but it's not the fastest. When we don't have stock in the freezer, we use good-quality vegetable stock.
Artichoke hearts. Canned or jarred artichoke hearts marinating in olive oil are the ones we normally use for this recipe. We like using the oil to start cooking the paella, and the artichokes give this dish a lovely flavor.
Fresh Veggies. You can add almost any veggie to your Vegetarian Paella. Our favorites are red pepper, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, carrots, onion, green peas, zucchini, spinach, asparagus, or aubergine. Get plenty of veggies for your paella. The more the merrier.
Step-by-Step cooking method
Cook the paella base
Roughly chop all the ingredients for the paella base: red pepper, onion, garlic, and tomatoes. Add some vegetable oil to a pan and cook for a couple of minutes at medium-high heat. Add the spice mix, salt, pepper, and sugar (optional).
Cook for 10-15 minutes until all the ingredients have softened. Transfer to a blender jug and blend until you have a smooth sauce. You can use an immersion blender for this part.
Prepare the paella
Chop all the vegetables (leave the peas as they are added at the end). Place your paella pan on a stove burner. We normally cook this meal outside, so it doesn't get our kitchen messy. You can use a smaller pan and use your stovetop, or campingaz. Add some oil and sautée all the vegetables. If you are using jarred artichokes in oil, you can use that oil to start this dish.
When the veggies start to brown, add the paella base that we prepared before. Stir, and keep cooking for a couple of minutes. You may need to lower the heat as the sauce may splash.
Add the rice and combine with the rest of the ingredients.
Pour the vegetable broth and distribute the rice and vegetables equally around the paella pan as you should not stir or mix anymore at this point.
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 18-20 minutes. Turn the heat off before the rice is completely cooked, as it will finish cooking before serving.
Add the peas, and garnishing ingredients such as roasted red peppers, lemon wedges, or chopped coriander. Cover the paella with clean tea towels and leave it for about 5-7 minutes before you start serving it.
Variations to our “Paella de Verduras2
Add some more protein. For our paella recipe, we use loads of mushrooms, which contain protein, but if you want to add some more, you can add chickpeas, fava beans, or vegan chicken pieces. We've tried adding these ingredients before, and they work really well. If you are adding jarred garbanzo beans, you can add them at the end. The vegan chicken pieces will need to be sautéed with the rest of the veggies.
Use a regular pan, a large frying pan, or a Dutch oven. If you don't own a paella pan, consider using a regular pan or even a Dutch oven. Paellas are always best when cooked on an open flame, but we've cooked paellas in our flat in Berlin, or in our student accommodation in Sweden and it can be done.
Add your favorite vegetables. You don't need to stick to the veggies we chose for this recipe. You can use seasonal vegetables, veggies that need to be used in your fridge, or your favorite ones. Frozen vegetables work well.
I hope all this info helps you cook a paella with confidence! With BBQ season, it’s the perfect time to cook your paella outdoors on an open flame.
If you need any more information about this recipe, let me know. I’ll be happy to help.
Also, send me a pic of your veggie paella if you try our recipe 💚!
Love,
Laura.