Vegan Paella
With a slightly smoky flavor, caramelized crust, and plenty of vegetables, this vegan paella is made for sharing—a true crowd pleaser and perfect for entertaining.
Vegan Paella! Isn’t it just the most beautiful looking thing?
Rice, vegetables, saffron broth, and tomatoes. Mmmm… I had to hide the rest of the pan so my kids didn’t accidentally consume the whole thing before we sat down for dinner.
We recently spent a few weeks in Valencia, home of paella. After eating it at several different restaurants during our time there, I’ve come to the conclusion that paella can differ widely depending on who serves it.
We enjoyed it at the Michelin-recommended Goya Gallery (my son’s favorite) to the beachside cafes in Pinedo and Denia. The former was incredibly rich with summer squash, while one of our seaside paellas was packed with artichokes and fennel.
We ate our body weight in vegetarian paella that trip, and I’ve been making it at home ever since.
Why I love this recipe
My sister worked in a Spanish restaurant for years, so besides our Spanish travels, I consider myself an unofficial connoisseur of tapas, tempranillo wine, and vegetarian paella.
I host a yearly paella party, serving my sangria, gazpacho, romesco sauce, marinated chickpeas, and vegan paella! It’s one of my favorite dinner parties of the year and a fun way to enjoy this paella.
With several servings of vegetables, making homemade paella is easier than you think, and this vegan version is as good as it gets!
Ingredient Notes
A word on the rice: short-grain rice is a must for this, and long-grain won’t work the same way. I’ve tested several different types of rice in this vegan paella as I know that Bomba, the traditional rice, can be hard to find.
World Market, your local International market, Whole Foods, and online are the best places to find it. If you can’t find Bomba, then I’d recommend subbing Arborio instead. I know it’s not the same, but it will work in a pinch.
As an Italian babe, I’ve always got risotto rice lying around, and short-grain sushi rice can also work.
For the vegetables, I make this vegan paella every summer, so I rely on the vegetables that are in season this time of year: zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes. The onion, tomato, garlic, and peppers make up a traditional Spanish sofrito, the base of paella, and I don’t recommend adjusting or subbing those ingredients.
However, if you want to omit the zucchini, or replace it with asparagus or peas, you can.
Saffron is a must for authentic flavor. It’s expensive, so you don’t need much, just a pinch!
Equipment Notes
An important consideration in paella making is a proper pan. A wide, shallow dish is best for this, and if you plan on making this recipe often, then I do recommend a specific paella pan for best results. A 13″ paella pan will work for this recipe, though you can use a large pan, especially if you want more crusty rice at the edges!
I’ve also used a large grill pan, and it worked perfectly. Because a paella pan is wider than a large burner, I position my pan over two burners so that the paella is evenly cooked.
You can also use your oven or your grill!
How to Make
Step 1: Cook the Vegetables
Heat the olive oil in your paella pan and add the vegetables, along with a pinch of salt to help the tomatoes, zucchini, and onions release their water. I usually start with 1/4 teaspoon and adjust from there. Remember that your broth is salty, too!
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have reduced quite a bit and are slightly caramelized.
Step 2: Add the spices
Bloom the saffron by placing it in a small bowl along with a few tablespoons of warm water. This step is technically optional, but it helps to give the paella more aroma and draw out the color of the saffron. Add that to the vegetable pan along with the smoked paprika and cayenne.
If you are serving this to kids, you can leave out the cayenne but I usually keep it in and my kids are fine with it!
Step 3: Fold in the rice
Add the rice and stir it into the vegetables, trying to integrate the rice grains into the entire dish. This will evenly distribute the grains of rice and make for a better flavor of the rice.
Step 4: Add the broth and cook
Add the broth and stir once! That’s it, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes until the broth is absorbed and the rice is cooked through. Remove from heat, cover with foil, and let stand for 10 minutes.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and lemon wedges, then serve directly from the pan!
Chef Tips for Success
- The Right Rice: Bomba is the gold standard for paella and if you are making this for a crowd or a dinner party, then I highly recommend seeking it out. It’s a special Spanish short-grain rice that can absorb liquid without becoming mushy– key! Calasparra and Arborio can be used but don’t use long-grain or basmati rice.
- Vegetable Stock: I say this with all my soup recipes, but good tasting broth is key for the best vegan paella, as it infuses so much flavor into the paella. I use regular broth so if you choose a low-sodium, then you may have to adjust salt for flavor.
- Saffron: Saffron is essential for authentic paella color and flavor. I prefer to bloom my saffron before adding it to the paella for maximum color and flavor.
- Don’t stir!: Don’t stir the paella once you’ve added your rice and broth, as stirring releases starch, like paella, which isn’t the texture that you want in paella.
- Use Even Heat: I cook this on my stovetop 99% of the time and because my paella pan is larger than my burner, I cheat it so that it’s sitting over two burners which helps to bring more heat to the pan; I then rotate the pan every 5-10 minutes for even cooking.
- The Socarrat: The crispy layer of rice that forms at the bottom of the pan is a hallmark of good paella. The key is not stirring the rice and using even heat– see below for tips for using your oven. You can also increase the heat to medium-high the last 1-2 minutes of cooking and listen for a distinct crackling or popping sound, but be careful on how long you do this so the paella doesn’t burn.
- Lemon: The lemon at the end helps to brighten the flavor — it’s a must for me!
How to Make in the Oven
If you want to cook this in the oven, and I suggest this method if you have a smaller stove, then make the paella as directed above.
Once you add the rice and broth, do an initial stir, then cover it with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is nearly tender.
Then, remove the foil and cook another 5-10 minutes.
My rice is undercooked?
If the rice is still a bit crunchy, you can add a little more hot broth (1/4 cup at a time) and continue cooking until done. Remember, avoid stirring the vegan paella once the rice and broth are added to allow the socarrat to develop!
More Rice Recipes
- Tofu Fried Rice with Basil
- Rice Bowls with Black Beans and Corn
- Honey Ginger Tofu with Rice
- Mango Salsa Rice Bowls
- Chili Crisp Rice Bowls
- Beet Poke Bowls with Rice
If you tried this vegan paella, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day!
Video
Vegan Paella
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 4 ounces roasted red peppers, drained and chopped, (I used jarred)
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 small to medium zucchini, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt, will depend on how salty your broth is
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 cups short-grain white rice, see note
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- 1 lemon, sliced
Instructions
- In a paella pan or large, shallow sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the vegetables: onion, red pepper,roasted red pepper, tomato, garlic and salt to the pan and stir occassionally until very soft and slightyl caramelized, about 15 minutes.
- While the vegetables are cooking, bloom the saffron. Add the saffron to a small bowl along with 2 tablespoons of warm water, or enough to coat. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- To the paella pan with the vegetables, add in the saffron broth that you just made along with the smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. Stir to coat, about 30 seconds.
- Add the rice and stir into the sofrito vegetable mixture, trying to coat the rice in the vegetables. Add in the broth and gently stir to move the rice mixture around gently until it is evenly distrubted tthroughoutthe paella pan. Don't stir after this point! And don't touch! Stirring is for risotto, not paella.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, and let cook for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, cover with foil, and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Top with chopped parsley and sliced lemons! Serve directly from the pan.