Vegan Paella

Vegan Paella

Main Courses

Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 35 min

Difficulty: Easy Servings: 4-6 Source: The Food Pharmacy

Description

Traditional paella originated in the city of Valencia in Eastern Spain. There are many variations that use a combination of vegetables, but the key ingredient that gives paella its unique flavor is saffron.

Ingredients

2 cups Uncle Bens whole grain rice

1 cup quinoa

1 cup onions, diced

1 cup red bell peppers, diced

1 cup mushrooms, diced

½ cup carrots, diced

6 garlic cloves, crushed

1 cup cooked chickpeas

1-2 tsp saffron threads

¼ tsp turmeric

2½ cups vegetable broth

½ cup white wine or another cup of vegetable broth

1 bunch asparagus or 1 cup green beans

½ cup frozen peas

¼ cup frozen corn (optional)

Sea salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup roasted red bell peppers, sliced in strips

Directions

1. Sauté the onions, peppers and carrots for 3 minutes adding some vegetable broth if needed.

2. Add the mushrooms, chickpeas and seasonings and cook for 3 minutes.

3. Add the rice, quinoa, vegetable broth, and wine (if using).

4. Bring to a low boil, cover, and reduce the heat to medium and cook for 25-30 minutes.

5. While the rice and quinoa cook, prepare the asparagus or green beans separately.

6. Blanch the asparagus or green beans in boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain well. If cooking the asparagus, roast in the oven at 350 degrees F or cook in a pan for 5 minutes.

7. Add the corn and peas to the rice and cover for 5 minutes.

8. Remove from the heat.

9. Arrange roasted red peppers and asparagus on top of the rice and serve.

Notes

I like to use whole grain parboiled rice for Spanish rice dishes. Uncle Bens whole grain is my favorite.
After blanching, the asparagus can be seasoned and cooked in a pan for a few minutes before adding to the paella
For a more traditional paella taste, you can add ¼ cup toasted nori sheets cut in strips or seaweed seasoning when sautéing the vegetables.
Baked tofu is another great addition to this recipe.
If you have cooked rice and quinoa available, you can create a “Paella Stir-fry” version just sautéing the same vegetables and spices minus the vegetable broth and water.

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