Vegetable Paella
Robin Robertson has worked with food for more than thirty years as a restaurant chef, cooking teacher, and food writer.
A variety of pantry ingredients are used in this voluptuous Spanish stew. If you’re not a fan of eggplant, substitute diced mushrooms. For a heartier dish, add 227 grams (8 ounces) of diced seitan, vegan sausage, or steamed tempeh.
- Servings Makes about 1 quart
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 1.25 cm (½ inch) dice
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 210 grams (1 cup) uncooked short-grain white rice
- 355 ml (1½ cups) vegetable broth, divided
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 794 grams (28 ounces) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 246 grams (1½ cups) cooked chickpeas, or one 440 gram (15.5 ounces) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 170 grams (6 ounces) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 128 grams (1 cup) frozen green peas
- 114 grams (½ cup) sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon finely minced lemon zest
Preparation
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Add the garlic, eggplant, and bell pepper and cook 3 minutes longer.
2. Stir in the rice, 237 ml (1 cup) of the broth, and the saffron, paprika, bay leaf, oregano, red pepper flakes, and diced tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium. Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the chickpeas, artichoke hearts, peas, and olives. If the mixture seems dry, add the remaining 118 ml (½ cup) of broth. Stir in the parsley and lemon zest and cook until the rice and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes longer. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Serve hot.
Robin Robertson
Robin Robertson has worked with food for more than thirty years as a restaurant chef, cooking teacher, and food writer. She has written for VegNews Magazine, Vegetarian Times, and Cooking Light, among others. A longtime vegan, Robin is the author of numerous cookbooks, including the best-selling Vegan Planet, 1,000 Vegan Recipes, and Quick-Fix Vegan. Her newest title is Vegan Without Borders. Her website is www.robinrobertson.com.
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