Growing up, my mom had a huge paella pan. It was gifted to her by a family friend and once a year, my mom made paella. Paella uses multiple types of protein which I loved, it felt like there was something different in every bite. Chicken, shrimp, mussels, and more are in the recipe. I remember that it was a whole day process to make and it was absolutely delicious. This paella is inspired by traditional paella, but with a vegetarian twist. It’s packed with veggies but uses white beans for protein. It won’t take you as long to prepare but is just as delicious and a perfect weeknight meal. I served this with a big green salad and this vegetarian paella was a perfect dinner.
Traditional paella uses saffron, which gives your paella a beautiful color and flavor. Saffron is expensive and not always available at grocery stores, so for a non-traditional shortcut that gives you the same color, you can also use ground turmeric. If you’re using saffron, you will heat the chicken broth and add the saffron to it, allowing it to dissolve. If you’re using turmeric, you can add it directly to the dish with the remainder of the spices.
While you may not have all the animal proteins seen in traditional paella, this vegetarian paella recipe is still protein-packed thanks to the use of two cans of white beans! This recipe is cozy, delicious and makes a large batch. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup arborio rice or other short grain rice
- 1 tsp. turmeric or a pinch of saffron threads*
- 1 tbsp. lemon zest
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
- ½ tsp. salt + more to taste
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 cans white beans, rinsed and drained (navy beans or great northern beans work well)
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley + more for garnish
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet or paella pan. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for a few minutes until tender. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes more.
- Add the rice and stir for a few minutes to allow it to toast.
- Add turmeric (if using -- see note), lemon zest, paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add the wine and bring to a simmer, scraping any browned bites from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the beans, tomatoes, vegetable broth, and parsley and give a quick stir to combine, then don't stir again. Stirring the rice releases too much starch and will give you a creamier dish. Not stirring the rice will also give you a delicious crispy bottom to the rice.
- Note: if you're using saffron, heat the chicken broth in a small saucepan and add the saffron threads. Allow to dissolve before adding to the rest of the dish.
- Keep the paella simmering over low heat until the liquid is almost gone. Add the frozen peas to the top.
- Garnish with additional parsley, if desired. Enjoy!
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Chicken Stock is not vegetarian, Vegetable stock is, however the flavor profile along with its balance will change.
Good recipe though.