Vegetarian Paella: How To Make It?

The reduced calorie vegetarian paella is a great alternative to the traditional version of this Spanish dish. If you want a low-calorie, nutritious and tasty dish, the following recipe will be perfect for you.

The best thing about it, though, is that you follow these steps and your very own vegetarian paella will be ready in no more than 40 minutes!

Paella is a fairly salty and spicy dish from the Valencia region of Spain. Due to its taste, over time it has become a name recognized all over the world.

And, of course, it immediately comes to mind when the topic of Spanish cuisine comes up in a conversation. That is why paella is considered one of the most traditional dishes originating in Spain.

A simple recipe for a low calorie vegetarian paella

Ingredients you will need (portion for 4 to 5 people):

• 1 large onion
• olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic
• Vegetable broth
• 1 head of broccoli
• 3 artichokes
• 1 cup of peas (125 g)
• 2 cups of brown rice (400 g)
• 1 tray of fresh mushrooms (200 g)
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 2 medium carrots
• Red and green peppers
• 1 cup of green beans (200 g)
• Spices: salt, pepper, saffron or turmeric, sweet pepper

How to prepare paella according to this recipe:

1. Cut all vegetables into small pieces, except the green beans, which can be cut into medium-sized pieces.
2. Then cook the green beans alone in a pot of water, no salt or oil.
3. Chop the tomato into slices and use a hand blender to grind it into a homogeneous mass.
4. When the green beans are ready, take the pan off the heat. Drain it and set it aside waiting for the rest of the paella to be ready.
5. Then peel the garlic and chop into small pieces.
6. Grease the pan with olive oil and fry the peppers and carrots first as they take the longest to prepare.
7. When the vegetables are golden brown, add the onion, garlic and mushrooms to them. It is necessary to constantly stir so that the contents of the pan do not burn.
8. When all the vegetables are ready, add the broccoli, artichokes and peas to them.
9. Finally, put the rice into a pot of water and cook until tender.
10. When it is ready, add the stock and tomato paste to it, prepared as described in one of the previous steps.
11. Mix all ingredients with a wooden spoon in slow, circular movements to mix all the flavors and prevent the ingredients from burning. Gradually add green beans that have probably already cooled down.
12. Add salt to taste, then sprinkle some sweet paprika on top.
13. When the broth is completely absorbed, your vegetarian paella is ready. This may take around 20 minutes for a warm dish.
14. Turn off the flame, cover the paella with a cloth and let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe for vegan paella

And now a slightly different proposal, this time a recipe for purely vegan paella.

Ingredients you will need (portion for 3 to 4 people):

• 1/2 onion
• 1 head of fresh garlic
• 4 cups of vegetable broth (1 liter)
• 2 or 3 medium tomatoes
• 1/4 cup of green beans (50 g)
• 2 teaspoons of turmeric (10 g)
• 1 teaspoon of sweet pepper (5 g)
• 1/2 can of green peas (62.5 g)
• 1 cup of brown rice (200 g)
• 1/2 red pepper and 1/2 green pepper
• 1/2 cup of artichokes (100 g)
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (30 ml)

• Spices: salt and pepper (to taste)
• Optional: saffron can be used instead of turmeric

How to prepare paella according to this recipe:

1. First, cook the rice in the pot according to the procedure on its package (usually 2 cups of water for each cup of rice). Don’t let it cook too much so it doesn’t overcook. The ideal hardness is more or less “al dente”.
2. Now you need to peel and cut the garlic and onion into small cubes.
3. Then wash and cut the peppers into long and thin sticks (julienne style).
4. Cut the tomato into thin slices and set aside.
5. Grease the pan with olive oil and, when it is well warmed up, fry the onion and garlic on it.
6. When the onion starts to turn golden, add paprika sticks to it. Let everything now fry over medium heat for a few minutes. Don’t forget to mix things up all the time. Your goal should be to get all ingredients golden colored.
7. When you are done frying, add the tomato slices to the ready ingredients, cover the pan and simmer for about 8-10 minutes. Make sure that everything is well mixed.
8. Then heat the vegetable broth in the microwave.
9. Add artichoke hearts, beans and green peas to it. Simmer everything over high heat for 5 more minutes. Then add rice, hot vegetable broth, turmeric and other spices to the dish.
10. Let the pan contents cool to room temperature. It is best to cover it with a lid and remove from heat for about ten minutes before serving.

A few words at the end

Both types of paella described above are very tasty and have excellent nutritional values. Therefore, it is worth trying the above recipes. You will surely add them to your favorite lighter recipes right away, as they are perfect for both lunch and dinner.

Vegetarian paella can be served as a snack, full-fledged lunch or as a light dinner. It is both a balanced and very tasty meal. Learn both of these recipes and see just how delicious vegetarian paella can be. You certainly won’t regret it!