Paella de verduras is a traditional recipe that is part of the incredibly delicious family of Paellas and Arroces. Because, in fact, there’s a world outside the classic and quintessential Paella Valenciana or the seafood paella.
Contrary to popular belief, paella de verduras was not created to cater to the modern palates of vegans and vegetarians but was a creation of the people who worked in the land and cherished the fruits of it.
In Spain, paella isn’t just a dish; it’s a celebration of flavors, a symbol of communal dining, and a testament to the country’s rich agricultural heritage. And if you’re a veggie lover like me, Paella de Verduras is the embodiment of everything that makes Spanish cuisine so irresistible.
Today, I’ll take you on a gastronomic voyage to discover the secrets behind this naturally vegetarian masterpiece. We’ll explore the ingredients, the history, and the intricate art of crafting a Paella de Verduras that will transport your taste buds to the sun-drenched landscapes of Spain. So, grab a glass of your favorite Spanish wine, sit back, and prepare to be enchanted by the world of Paella de Verduras. ¡Vamos!
Ah, the history and origins of Paella de Verduras, my fellow foodies, are as rich and flavorful as the dish itself! So, let’s delve into the captivating tale of this vegetarian delight.
Brief History of Paella de Verduras
Paella, in its various forms, has been cherished by Spaniards for centuries. Its roots can be traced back to the fields of the Comunidad Valenciana, a region known for its fertile soil and abundant produce. The word “paella” actually refers to the wide, shallow pan used to cook the dish, and it’s no wonder that the region’s culinary legacy is so closely tied to this iconic vessel.
The origins of paella can be traced to the Moorish influence in Spain during the Middle Ages. The Moors introduced rice cultivation to the region, and as a result, rice-based dishes began to emerge. The early versions of paella typically featured a medley of ingredients available in the Valencian countryside, such as rabbit, snails, and various beans.
As time passed, paella evolved, adapting to the changing tastes and ingredients available. It wasn’t until the mid-19th century that seafood and meat started to become more prominent in the dish. However, it’s essential to note that the heart of traditional paella lies in its connection to the land, and this gave rise to Paella de Verduras, the vegetarian variation we adore today.
What’s Inside Paella de Verduras?
Paella de Verduras pays homage to the bounty of vegetables that flourish in Spain’s fertile landscapes. The dish combines an array of different seasonal produce like peppers, artichokes, spring garlic, cauliflower tomatoes, green beans, onion…and, of course, saffron-infused rice. The result is a vibrant, colorful masterpiece that captures the essence of Spanish agriculture.
Paella de verduras is a dish that is highly customizable with the ingredients that are available in the season and, of course in your kitchen. Hence that’s why you’ll notice many different variations of this delicious rice-based dish.
What type of rice should you use for the perfect Paella de verduras?
Rice, for obvious reasons, is one of the main stars of Paella de verduras so choosing the right variety can make or break it.
For Paella de verduras, as in any Paella or Arroz recipe, the best type of rice you can use is short-grain round rice. If possible, we have the following varieties that are perfect to use:
- Bomba
- Sendra (also known as Cendra)
- Calasparra
But if you cannot find any of these varieties, don’t worry; you can use any of the varieties used for Italian risottos, like Arborio or Carnaroli. These types of varieties are known to absorb a lot of the flavors while maintaining their shape well, so they are perfect for Paella or Arroz. Don’t worry about the rice becoming too creamy; that only happens if you stir it (which you’ll not).
Avoid Sushi rice because while it’s also short grain, it has a high percentage of starch, resulting in a sticky consistency.
If you are not sure about what variety you have or are purchasing, don’t worry; any short-grain rice will do.
What is choricero pepper? How can you substitute it?
Choricero pepper like Ñora pepper are sweet, dried peppers that are used in many Spanish dishes to create the base of flavor (Sofrito). Choricero pepper is the one you see me using in the photos, which is long and crinkly. Ñora peppers are round.
They add a layer of richness to the flavor and are very much appreciated for many paella recipes and also stews and soups. Choricero pepper and Ñora pepper are sweet and both have a slightly smokey and bitter taste.
In Spain, it’s possible to buy their meat that is already been rehydrated in small jars and it’s ready to use, however outside of Spain, we reckon it might be difficult to find. In any case, if you can find dried Choricero or Ñora pepper you can rehydrate them in warm water and then scrape the meat with a knife.
If you cannot find choricero or Ñora pepper you can use paprika powder, either the sweet or smokey kind. If adding choricero or Ñora pepper meat, you’ll need around 2 tablespoons worth of their meat, if using Paprika powder 1 ½ teaspoons is enough.
How to Make Paella De Verduras
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
- Paella pan, or a flat and wide pan in case you don’t have one.
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Wooden spoon or spatula to cook everything.
- Fine grater
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 1 dish
- 1 small bowl
- Big fire stove.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 small cauliflower
- 1 bunch of spring garlic (around 8-10)
- 1 Italian green pepper or bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 white onion
- 4 dried choricero pepper / 3 tablespoons choricero pepper meat
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads
- 3-4 big juicy and ripe tomatoes
- A bunch of flat green beans (around 6-7)
- 320 gr/ 1 ½ cups/ 0.70 oz short grain rice (80 gr / 0.17 oz per person)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- 640 ml/ 21 fl oz vegetable stock
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
1 — If using dried choricero pepper, add them to a bowl and cover with warm water. Let sit while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
2 — In a separate small bowl add the saffron threads alongside ½ cup warm water. Set aside.
3 — Prep the vegetables:
- Peel the outer leaves of the artichokes, cut them in half, and remove the inner stems that look and feel like hair. Once you get the clean hearts, slice them thinly.
- Peel the outer layer of the spring garlic and cut into smaller strips.
- Cut the green and red peppers into strips, discarding the stem and seeds.
- Peel the outer layer of the onion and dice finely.
- Cut the cauliflower into medium-sized florets.
- Cut the flat green onions into smaller strips.
- Cut the tomatoes in half and grate their pulp into a bowl.
- Peel and mince or press the garlic cloves.
4 — Scrape the choricero pepper meat with the back of a knife or a spoon. Remove the seeds and discard them alongside the skins.
5 — Add the choricero pepper and the minced garlic to a mortar and pestle and pestle until a fine paste is achieved. If using paprika powder add it to the mortar alongside a tablespoon of olive oil.
6 — In the paella pan with a generous drizzle of olive oil fry the peppers with a bit of salt, until browned and fragrant. Remove and set aside.
7 — If needed add a bit more olive oil and cook the artichokes and spring garlic. Season as well. Set aside once browned.
8 — Sofrito (the base of flavor)
- In the paella pan cook the onion with a bit of salt until soft, golden, and fragrant.
- Add the content of the mortar into the paella and fry for 2 minutes on medium-low heat.
- Add the grated tomatoes to the pan and season with a bit of salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the texture changes into a drier one and the color gets darker.
9 — Add the fried artichokes, fried spring garlic, raw flat green beans, and raw cauliflower florets.
10 — Add the stock into the paella pan, and also the saffron infusion. Mix everything well to combine. Taste to check the salt content. Adjust if needed.
11 — Cook on medium-low until it starts to boil. At this point add the rice forming a cross to help even distribution. Finish distributing it with the wooden spatula making sure there’s rice everywhere and there are no big lumps of it. If needed shake a bit the paella pan.
12 — Cook for 15 minutes on medium heat. You’ll see the stock is absorbed by the rice and towards the end of the 15 minutes you’ll hear a crispy sound, that’s the socarrat forming. Be careful and lower the heat at that point.
13 — Taste and cover if needed with a lid for 2-3 minutes if the rice is still too aldente. It will finish cooking with the residual heat.
14 — Add the fried peppers on top of the cooked vegetable paella.
15 — Serve alongside a wedge of lemon.
Notes and FAQs
Still with doubts? Don’t worry; we spill all the tea about ingredients, cooking methods, storage, etc., in this section so you can reproduce this recipe like a local.
Ingredients:
To make Paella de verduras, you can highly customize the veggies you want to include, but generally, the ones I’ve used are the most typically included, however, the rule of thumb is to not include any leaf veggie, or vegetables that get too mushy once cooked. Usually, it never includes potatoes or sweet potatoes either.
Cauliflower
You can omit it, but it adds a really nice touch. I’m not a big fan of cauliflower usually, but when included in paella de verdure it soaks all the flavors and turns into a delicious bite. I highly recommend adding it.
By rule of thumb, we do not substitute it with broccoli.
Spring garlic
It’s regular garlic that has been harvested early, so it has a long white and green stem. Its flavor is milder and it’s very nice. I know for a fact that this is a very Spanish ingredient, so if you cannot find spring garlic, don’t substitute it with regular garlic otherwise it can be too overpowering. You can substitute it with leek or spring onion.
White onion
Traditionally white or yellow onion are the types used, but red onion could be used too.
Peppers
In Spain we use Italian green pepper quite a lot, is this long green pepper you see in the photos. We love it, it’s very aromatic and a bit peppery, but not spicy. If you cannot find it, regular green bell pepper can work too. You can also use only red pepper green pepper or both.
Choricero pepper
as mentioned, this ingredient is optional. It’s a type of pepper (sweet) that has been dried and it’s a bit smokey and bitter. It adds a lot of umami to the paella. If you cannot find either the rehydrated meat or the dried pepper, you can substitute it with sweet or smoked paprika powder.
Garlic
Go easy with garlic! Only a couple of cloves is more than enough. Oftentimes Spanish cuisine tends to get portrayed as a cuisine that uses a lot of garlic, and yes, that’s true but because we add it to a lot of recipes, not because we use tons of it in every recipe.
Saffron
If possible use the threads, if not and all you can find is the powder, it’s fine. Simply use 1 teaspoon of it.
Tomatoes:
Some recipes use canned processed tomatoes, but I highly recommend using fresh ripe and juicy tomatoes and grate them yourself. This will create the perfect sofrito to create an insane Paella de verduras.
Vegetable stock
Another key ingredient is the stock used in the paella. Here in Spain, you can buy quite good stock in the supermarket. But I don’t know if that’s even possible where you live. The key to choosing the right kind of vegetable stock is to choose one that is made simply with carrot, celery, onion, potato, and any other vegetables, but does not contain any flavorings, besides salt and olive oil.
Olive oil
As always, this is the only way to cook a proper paella, it doesn’t matter the kind of paella, olive oil is a complete must. If possible choose a decent olive oil since it can impact massively the flavor of the final dish.
Rice
As mentioned before choose any round grain rice and avoid any long grain varieties. Brown rice and parboiled rice are forbidden!
If you can choose Bomba, Cendra Sendra, or Calaparra varieties. If not, any risotto rice will do well too.
Storage
Paella de verduras is meant to be eaten right after is made, while still hot. However, if any leftovers might occur, you can store them in closed containers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
I do not recommend freezing it.
Whenever you are ready to eat the leftovers, simply heat them with a drizzle of olive oil in a pan.
Cooking method:
It is crucial to not move the rice once it’s settled in the paella pan, otherwise, it will start to release the starch and then become creamy and potentially mushy.
Paella De Verduras Recipe – Vegetarian Paella
Equipment
- Paella pan or a flat and wide pan in case you don’t have one.
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Fine grater
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 1 small bowl
- Big fire stove
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower small
- 10 spring garlic
- 1 Italian green pepper or bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 white onion
- 4 dried choricero pepper or 3 tablespoons choricero pepper meat
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp saffron threads
- 4 tomatoes big juicy and ripe
- 7 flat green beans
- 1 1/2 cups short grain rice
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- 640 ml vegetable stock
Nutrition
Instructions
- If using dried choricero pepper, add them to a bowl and cover with warm water. Let sit while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- In a separate small bowl add the saffron threads alongside ½ cup warm water. Set aside.
- Prep the vegetables: Peel the outer leaves of the artichokes, cut them in half, and remove the inner stems that look and feel like hair. Once you get the clean hearts, slice them thinly. Peel the outer layer of the spring garlic and cut into smaller strips. Cut the green and red peppers into strips, discarding the stem and seeds. Peel the outer layer of the onion and dice finely. Cut the cauliflower into medium-sized florets. Cut the flat green onions into smaller strips. Cut the tomatoes in half and grate their pulp into a bowl. Peel and mince or press the garlic cloves.
- Scrape the choricero pepper meat with the back of a knife or a spoon. Remove the seeds and discard them alongside the skins.
- Add the choricero pepper and the minced garlic to a mortar and pestle and pestle until a fine paste is achieved. If using paprika powder add it to the mortar alongside a tablespoon of olive oil.
- In the paella pan with a generous drizzle of olive oil fry the peppers with a bit of salt, until browned and fragrant. Remove and set aside.
- If needed add a bit more olive oil and cook the artichokes and spring garlic. Season as well. Set aside once browned.
- Sofrito (the base of flavor)In the paella pan cook the onion with a bit of salt until soft, golden, and fragrant.Add the content of the mortar into the paella and fry for 2 minutes on medium-low heat. Add the grated tomatoes to the pan and season with a bit of salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the texture changes into a drier one and the color gets darker.
- Add the fried artichokes, fried spring garlic, raw flat green beans, and raw cauliflower florets.
- Add the stock into the paella pan, and also the saffron infusion. Mix everything well to combine. Taste to check the salt content. Adjust if needed.
- Cook on medium-low until it starts to boil. At this point add the rice forming a cross to help even distribution. Finish distributing it with the wooden spatula making sure there’s rice everywhere and there are no big lumps of it. If needed shake a bit the paella pan.
- Cook for 15 minutes on medium heat. You’ll see the stock is absorbed by the rice and towards the end of the 15 minutes you’ll hear a crispy sound, that’s the socarrat forming. Be careful and lower the heat at that point.
- Taste and cover if needed with a lid for 2-3 minutes if the rice is still too aldente. It will finish cooking with the residual heat.
- Add the fried peppers on top of the cooked vegetable paella.
- Serve alongside a wedge of lemon.
