Vegan Paella Recipe

This Vegan/Vegetarian Spanish rice recipe called Paella is a wholesome dish that all will love! You can easily make Paella in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop.

Course rice

Cuisine spanish

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Servings people

Calories 476.6kcal

Author Priya Lakshminarayan

Equipment

1 pan

Ingredients

For the stock

2 cups vegetable stock
¼ teaspoon saffron

To prep the rice

1 cup Valencian rice short grain rice
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tsp oregano
¼ teaspoon pepper
salt

To prepare the Paella

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 cup chopped onions
8 oz mushrooms
1 bell pepper
15.5 oz can of chickpeas
1 (14.5 ounce) can Tuttorosso® Petite Diced Tomatoes
½ cup more stock or water if needed
2 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

Stovetop method

Warm vegetable stock in a saucepan. Add saffron too. Take it off the flame just before the stock comes to a boil.
Mix rice, smoked paprika, turmeric, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Set it aside.
In a pan, add olive oil. Fry garlic and onions. Cook for 1-2 minutes or till the onions turn translucent.
Then add mushrooms and cook for another 3-4 minutes or till the veggies are done.
Add bell pepper, and the chickpeas, rinsed and drained. Cook for 2-3 more minutes.
Add the Tuttorosso Petite Diced Tomatoes along with the juice from the can and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture thickens slightly (around 5-6 minutes).
To the center of the pan add the rice mixture. Stir the rice to coat, for about 1 minute.
Pour the warm vegetable stock over the rice. Make sure all of the rice is submerged. Use the back of a spoon if necessary to push it down into the liquid. Bring to a simmer without stirring. Lower the flame to medium.
Close the lid and cook until the rice is almost cooked 15-18 minutes. If you feel the liquid is boiling away too quickly you may add about a ½ cup of the warm stock as needed.
Remove the lid and continue cooking, checking the bottom of the rice with a metal spoon or spatula until the rice forms a golden crust (socarrat). This will take anywhere from 10-15 minutes depending upon the heat.
Do not move too much of the rice, just a small amount to check. You may hear the crackling or sizzling of the rice, that is what you want. Just make sure it doesn't burn.
Remove the pan from the flame and let the paella rest covered for 10 minutes.
Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with lemon juice/wedges/slices.

Instant Pot Method

Turn on the Instant Pot in Saute mode. Add minced garlic and chopped onions to the pot. Saute till the onions turn translucent. Add a splash of water when it starts to stick.
Then add the mushrooms and drained chickpeas to the pot. Mix and cook for 1-2 minutes or till the mushrooms are done.
Cancel the Saute mode, then add the rice, smoked paprika, turmeric, salt, black pepper, and oregano. Stir well.
Add a can of Tuttoroso Petite Diced Tomatoes and mix again.
Pour in the broth along with saffron and stir well to combine.
Close the pot with the lid. Keep the valve in a sealing position. Cook on high pressure for 23 minutes on manual mode. Release the pressure naturally and then open the lid.
Add the bell pepper. Close the pot with the lid again. Cook on high pressure for a minute on manual mode. Release pressure naturally.
Garnish with parsley and lemon juice.

Notes

For a more juicy flavor, grill some mushrooms, bell peppers, and green peas separately and then add them as garnish.

Instead of homemade vegetable broth, you can also use water or low-sodium broth from the stores. If using store-bought stock, taste and then add salt to the Paella.

When cooking on the stovetop, it's very important to not stir paella at all once the broth has been added to the pan.

Nutrition