Paella…It’s treat to the eye and feast to the tummy! How about we make some Paella-The National Dish of Spain using seasonal veggies.

Paella is one of the most spectacular looking , popular global dishes. The popularity is also because it is almost impossible to discover exactly what a particular paella preparation may contain.

I have been to many Spanish Restaurant’s in Miami and I must say that each restaurant’s Paella is very different. However, all of them are unique in their own way. There are as many variations of paella as there are chefs. 

History of Paella!
There are many stories to the origin of Paella, but the one I feel excited about is that it was a food of farmers and farm labors. Back then, it was made with rice and whatever was available around the rice fields and countryside-  Yes when i say countryside it includes everything that you can think of Tomatoes, onions with few beans, livestock animals to rodents. Necessity is truly the mother of invention and what an invention Paella is.

Today’s recipe focuses on vegetarian paella made in indoor modern kitchen. Many make paella over grill, over open flame or Bake them. Whatever option you chose, One of the things you hope to achieve is socarrat -the rice that gets crunchy and forms a crust at the bottom of the pan. I will be sharing how to cook on Stove top as well as bake the Paella. I love stove top because it is authentic but Baked Paella tastes great as well!! 

One of the key ingredient is choosing the right Rice
My recommendation would be short-grain paella rice. Paella rice take more water or both to cook. Since Paella is cooked for a longer time choosing the right rice its important.
If you choose to make it with non Paella rice, you may have to play around and adjust liquid so that rice doesn’t get mushy. Rice really needs to be grainy and not mushy to get perfect paella! Also, Paella rice is heavy so , if you are using non-paella rice you may want to adjust the rice quantity as well! 

I love to use more tomatoes in this pantry friendly recipe as it gives nice color as well as tangy taste.  

Use the largest skillet you may have available to make paella. Wider the skillet crunchier the rice gets.

The taste of Paella is as colorful as it looks. And every cook cooks it to their taste, yet it tastes the best. So as you prepare this dish feel free to get creative and use the fresh and best local ingredients to make it your own special dish! You won’t regret the outcome of it. With its centuries of tradition and many ingredients, paella can seem more intimidating but don’t be it’s actually simple.

Here is the exclusive vegetarian – vegan friendly recipe straight from Sublime Flavors Kitchen. Try it and let me know!

Paella…It’s treat to the eye and feast to the tummy!

• Large Skillet

For the Paella

• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil Extra Virgin
• 2 Carrots 1/4 inch Diced
• 1 Onion Chopped
• 3 Garlic Cloves Minced
• 2 Cups Short grain Paella rice
• 3 Tomatoes Grated
• 1 1/2 Tsp Paprika
• 1/2 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/2 Tsp Saffron threads
• 3 Cups mixed veggies of your choice- Peas, Edamame, Baby Artichokes, Bell Peppers, Cherry Tomatoes, Squash Diced
• 5 Cups Veggie stock or water (I prefer Stock as it gives intense flavor) Hot

Paella on Stove Top

1. Heat oil and cook onions: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Stir in the garlic and carrots , let it cook a little longer.
2. Add Rice: Add the rice, stir well, and cook until the grains are translucent- Be mindful not to burn rice.
3. Add tomatoes and spices: Stir in the grated tomato. Add the paprika and red pepper flakes. Crush the saffron with your fingers, and add that as well. cook for 5-7 minutes. make sure not to burn it.
4. Heat broth or water: Meanwhile heat up the broth or Water
5. Stir in Veggies: Stir in the veggies (Except for Artichokes) , add salt and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour the hot stock/water over all of it and stir. Gently move the vegetables around so the rice falls to the bottom of the pan as much as possible
6. Simmer: Bring to a moderate simmer.
7. DO NOT STIR: Do not stir anymore and let it cook for about 17 minutes in medium low flame/heat.
8. Add Artichokes: Place Artichokes on Paella at this time if you are using. Continue cooking for 15-20 minutes more on medium low flame/heat.
9. Check time: Poke a knife to check the crunchiness of the rice at the bottom. If you need the feel of more crunchiness , cook further for a minute or 2. Else remove from heat and cover it for 5 minutes.
10. Garnish and Serve: Top with lemon/Basil,Cilantro or anything that you like.

Paella in Oven

1. Preheat: Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Heat oil and cook onions: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Stir in the garlic and carrots , let it cook a little longer.
3. Add Rice: Stir in the grated tomato. Add the paprika.and red pepper flakes. Crush the saffron with your fingers, and add that as well. cook for 5-7 minutes. make sure not to burn it.
4. Add tomatoes and spices: Stir in the grated tomato. Add the paprika.and red pepper flakes. Crush the saffron with your fingers, and add that as well. cook for 5-7 minutes. make sure not to burn it.
5. Heat broth or water: Meanwhile heat up the broth or Water
6. Stir in Veggies: Stir in the veggies (Except for Artichokes) , add salt and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour the hot stock/water over all of it and stir. Gently move the vegetables around so the rice falls to the bottom of the pan as much as possible
7. Simmer: Bring to a moderate simmer.
8. DO NOT STIR: Do not stir anymore and let it cook for about 17 minutes in medium low flame/heat.
9. Add Artichokes: Place Artichokes on Paella at this time if you are using. Continue cooking for 15-20 minutes more on medium low flame/heat.
10. Bake: Move the paella to the oven and bake for another 12 minutes.
11. Remove: Remove from oven and allow it to rest for another few minutes. If you want more crunchier bottom you can choose to put it on stove top for about 1-2 minutes on medium flame.
12. Garnish and Serve: Top with lemon/Basil,Cilantro or anything that you like.

• If you do experiment with non-paella rice varieties, you'll need to play around a bit and adjust the liquids.
• Add any seasonal veggies that you may have on hand
• Paella rice is heavy compared to other rice so you may want to increase the rice quantity accordingly if you are using non-paella rice.

Find Sublime flavors on Instagram with #sublimeflavors.

Or click the button below to connect.

Leave a Comment below. If you have tried the recipe, let me know how it turned out!

I'd love to hear from you.