Paella is a Spanish rice dish filled with flavor, and this vegetarian version made with Beyond sausage is simple and tasty.
Paella is a Spanish rice dish from the Valencia region that is traditionally made in a large flat pan. Often paella is overflowing with seafood, chicken, or Spanish chorizo. But we’ll be making a vegetarian version! Let’s break down some of the special ingredients in paella, and how you can make it with easier to find ingredients.
Ingredient Breakdown:
Rice– Paella is often made with a short grain rice called bomba rice. Depending on where you live and shop, this rice may be more difficult to find, but you can easily substitute in aborrio rice which is used to make risotto.
Saffron– Saffron is a a vibrant yellow spice that gives paella it’s signature taste. Saffron is expensive, but a little goes a long way. One way to get around buying saffron is to buy a paella seasoning blend that includes saffron. I used Healthy on You’s blend that is so tasty on everything! I also found saffron at Trader Joe’s for a reasonable price. You can omit saffron if you can’t find it and add turmeric for the yellow color if you’d like.
Chorizo– Paella is made with the hard, sausage-like chorizo and not the crumbly Mexican chorizo. A good vegetarian is substitute is Beyond Sausage. I’ve made recipes with beyond products before because it can be difficult to find gluten-free meat substitutes.
Feel free to use actual chorizo, your favorite plant-based sausage, or even omit it all together. You can always increase the vegetables and/or add a another protein source like chickpeas or green peas. Make it your own! I love the flavors of this dish, especially smoked paprika! This vegetarian paella is so easy to make, and the final product looks so fancy. Learn more about how the history of paella and how it is traditionally cooked here.
Vegetarian Paella
Ingredients
- 1 package Beyond Sausage
- 1 red onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 cups aborrio rice
- 1 16 oz. can diced tomatoes
- ½ tsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp paella seasoning
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 3 cups broth
- 1 16 oz. can black olives
- 1 16 oz. can artichoke hearts
Instructions
- To a large pan over medium heat, add about 1/2 tbsp of neutral oil and add the beyond sausage to the pan. Crisp the sides of the sausage and remove from the pan when fully cooked.
- Cut the onion in half through the root and remove the papery skin, Dice the onion (or shallot) into about 1/4 inch pieces. Crush the garlic with the side of the knife and remove the skin. Mince the garlic cloves.
- To the pan, add the onion and cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes more until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the aborrio rice and stir. Cook the rice until it develops a golden toasted color.
- Add the canned tomatoes with the liquid and add the tomato paste.
- Add the paella seasoning (see recipe notes to make your own), salt, and pepper. Add the lemon juice.
- Add about 2 cups of the vegetable broth and stir until just mixed. Do not over stir the rice. Cover and let simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
- When the broth is mostly absorbed, add the remaining broth. Stir as little as possible and cover to continue simmering for about another 10-15 minutes.
- When the broth is absorbed, taste the rice. If it still hard, add some extra broth and continue to cook until the rice is soft.
- When the rice is done cooking, add the olives and artichoke hearts. Slice the sausage and stir in the pieces.