From above, the vegan paella displays a canvas of rich mustard-coloured rice dotted with emerald green peas and wedges of artichokes. Strips of roasted red and yellow bell peppers lay on top, their edges caramelized, while slices of lemon and a sprinkle of fresh parsley add bursts of bright colours.

Vegan Winter Paella

Name: Vegan Winter Paella
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: Artichokes, 4 quartered; Red bell pepper, 1 cut into strips; Yellow bell pepper, 1 cut into strips; Green peas, 1 cup shelled; Bomba rice, 2 cups; Saffron threads, a pinch; Low-sodium vegetable broth, 5 cups; Extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons; Garlic, 3 cloves minced; Turmeric, 1 teaspoon; Parsley, 2 tablespoons chopped; Lemon, 1 cut into wedges; Salt, to taste; Black pepper, to taste freshly ground

Category Main Course

Prep 20 minutes

Cook 30 minutes

Style Spanish

Technique Sauté

Diet Friendly Vegan

Daily Recipe: February 15, 2024

For vegans craving a taste of Spain, this dish – inspired by the Spanish favorite, paella – won't disappoint. Part of the beauty of this hearty, aromatic main is artichokes and bell peppers, which are in season during the cool winter months. Accompanied by saffron-infused rice and boosted with a variety of aromatic herbs, the presentation and flavour of this dish are sure to be a hit.

Ingredients (for 4)

Artichokes - 4 - quartered
Red bell pepper - 1 - cut into strips
Yellow bell pepper - 1 - cut into strips
Green peas - 1 cup - shelled
Bomba rice - 2 cups
Saffron threads - a pinch
Low-sodium vegetable broth - 5 cups
Extra-virgin olive oil - 2 tablespoons
Garlic - 3 cloves - minced
Turmeric - 1 teaspoon
Parsley - 2 tablespoons - chopped
Lemon - 1 - cut into wedges
Salt - to taste
Black pepper - to taste - freshly ground

Preparation

Step 1 - 🔥🌶️🍳

Heat the olive oil in a large, shallow pan over medium heat. Add red and yellow bell peppers strips and cook until they are soft.
Step 2 - 🍚🥄🍲

Stir in the minced garlic, followed by the Bomba rice. Stir to coat the rice with oil.
Step 3 - 🥣🔥♨️

Add the saffron threads to the vegetable broth. Warm it up but make sure not to boil.
Step 4 - 🍲🧂🥘

Pour the saffron-infused broth into the pan. Stir in the turmeric.
Step 5 - 🍲🌿🔽

Arrange the quartered artichokes neatly on top of the rice and reduce the heat to low.
Step 6 - 🍲⏲️🔅

Cover the pan and let it simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
Step 7 - 🍲🌱⌛

In the last 5 minutes of simmering, stir in the green peas.
Step 8 - 🧂⚫️🍲

Season the paella with salt and freshly ground black pepper to enhance the taste more.
Step 9 - 🌿🍋🍽️

Serve the paella garnished with chopped parsley and a wedge of lemon on the side.

Additional

This colourful, crowd-pleasing dish actually originated in Valencia, Spain. The name 'paella' refers to the pan it's cooked in. A fun modification could be to swap out peas for broad beans for an early spring twist! It's also a great dish to allow kids to help with: they can stir in the peas or garnish with parsley.