This Vegan Paella will bring everyone to the table with its distinctive golden color, smoky flavor, caramelized crust, and mouth-watering aroma!
When we first moved to Arizona we experienced our first authentic paella at a Spanish restaurant in Scottsdale and we fell in love! It was hearty, aromatic and full of addictive flavors.
It's a family-style meal that's served in a paella pan right on your table. You don't even need plates, you just dig right in! The ambiance of the restaurant is spot on with its rustic appeal and live Spanish music. We always have a great time when we go.
It's an hour drive so we don't get there as often as we'd like. So, I decided to make my own vegan paella at home. I asked the owner for some tips and his biggest piece of advice was to NEVER STIR THE PAELLA!
WHAT KIND OF RICE DO I NEED FOR VEGAN PAELLA?
The best rice to use is Bomba Rice because it has the ability to absorb twice the amount of liquid than regular rice without getting mushy. This short-grain Spanish rice will also absorb all the flavors of your broth, seasonings, and oil too. Another popular rice for paella is Calasparra Rice and would be my second choice for making authentic paella.
I buy paella rice online because it's not readily available in many mainstream stores. You might find it in specialty or ethnic shops though.
However, if you can't find them, the next best replacement is Arborio Rice which is commonly used for Risotto. It gets super creamy when liquid is stirred in slowly. Paella is not meant to be creamy, so you definitely don't want to stir the arborio or you'll end up with risotto. In fact, you shouldn't stir paella at all once the broth has entered the pan.
WHAT GIVES PAELLA ITS GOLDEN COLOR?
Saffron Threads give paella its distinct golden color and flavor which is somewhat earthy and floral. It's very subtle but really finishes the dish. It can be a little costly, so if it's not in your budget you can replace it with turmeric. It will have a different flavor, but will still be subtle and make the rice golden.
DO I NEED A PAELLA PAN TO MAKE THIS VEGAN PAELLA?
I use a Paella Pan which is ideal but it's not 100% necessary. If you don't have a paella pan, I would recommend a large 12-14" stainless steel pan. Don't use one with a non-stick coating though.
A paella pan is a wide, shallow and thin metal pan with sloped sides. Its flat and wide bottom is designed to maximize the amount of rice touching it which helps create a delicious, toasty crust at the bottom. The sloped and shallow sides help the rice cook evenly too.
Paella is traditionally cooked over a fire and the pans were designed for that, so they work best on gas tops, grills or fire pits. However, I've made it on an electric stove with nice results. I had to rotate the pan more, but the rice still cooked nicely.
WHAT IS SOCARRAT?
This is the crispy golden crust that forms on the bottom of the pan. It infuses the paella with a deep smoky and slightly nutty flavor. It's glorious!
Once the broth starts cooking off, that's when the socarrat magic starts to happen. You'll hear a subtle snap, crackle and popping sound. Plus, you'll smell a toasty aroma that's just heavenly.
You don't want to stir the paella because it will disrupt this process, so you'll need to watch, listen and smell careful because the bottom can burn easily. Sometimes you might not get the socarrat to form and that's ok. It all depends on the pan, fat content, heat source and experience. The more you cook paella, the better you'll get at reading the signs.
I've had times where I left it too long and it burned, so it's better to have no socarrat than burnt socarrat. Your paella will still be delicious without it.
If you'd like to read more about making paella, you may like this article at The Spruce Eats. Lots of great tips!
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN PAELLA
(full ingredient amounts in recipe card below)
Before you start, add the vegetable broth and saffron threads to a medium pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat for 1 minute, then lower the heat just to keep it warm.
- Sauté onions and peppers until softened
- Add garlic and sauté until golden
- Now add tomatoes and spices. Sauté until tomatoes soften.
- Add rice and lightly toast for 1-2 minutes.
- When the rice is toasted, slowly add broth and bring to a heavy simmer for a minute (don't stir!). Turn heat down to a mild simmer for 15-20 minutes until rice is al dente.
- Once the broth is nearly cooked off, you'll need to pay attention to the socarrat forming on the bottom of the pan. You'll hear a snap, crackle, and pop, along with smelling a nutty aroma. Stick a fork straight to the bottom to test if it's sticking to the bottom. If you notice a burning smell, remove from heat.
- Remove pan from heat and add peas to the top. Cover with foil and let the paella rest for 5-8 minutes (not pictured).
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I’d love to hear from you
If you make this Vegan Paella, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
Spanish Vegan Paella
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil , divided
- 4 cups vegetable broth , low sodium
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads
- 1 medium onion , diced
- 1 red bell pepper , cut into strips
- 5 cloves garlic , chopped, minced or crushed
- 1 large tomato , diced (sub ½ cup canned)
- 1 ½ cups Bomba Rice (sub arborio rice)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt , more to taste
- Fresh cracked pepper , to taste
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (sub 1 teaspoon dried)
- ¾ cup frozen peas , thawed
Garnish (Optional)
- Lemon wedges
- Fresh-cut parsley
Instructions
- Add vegetable broth in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Break up the saffron and add it to the broth. When it begins to simmer, give it 1 minute, and then lower the heat just to keep it warm.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch Paella Pan (or something similarly sized) over medium heat. Once heated, and the onions and peppers. Sauté until softened and lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
- Now add the tomatoes, smoked paprika, and sweet paprika. Sauté for 1-2 minutes. (if using dried thyme, add it with this step)
- Add the rice and remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Stir to coat well. Cook for 1 minute to lightly toast the rice and incorporate flavors. Move around occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Add the fresh thyme and slowly pour in broth. Add salt and pepper. Do not stir after this point or it will release starches and cause creamier rice. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring the broth to a heavy simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Now turn the heat down (between medium-low and medium heat) to a mild simmer. You want to see movement in the pan while the broth is cooking down (don't boil though). Simmer for 15-20 minutes until rice is al dente. Rotate the pan on the burner 1-2 times during cooking for even heat distribution.
- Once the broth is nearly cooked off, you will need to pay close attention to the socarrat forming on the bottom of the pan (the golden rice crust). You will start to hear a snap, crackle, and pop, along with smelling a nutty aroma. This should take 1-2 minutes to form. Stick a fork or spoon straight to the bottom to test if it's forming. (If it smells like it's burning, remove from heat immediately) (*see note).
- Remove the pan from the heat. Add the peas to the top of the rice (don't mix in). Cover the pan with foil and let the paella rest for 5-8 minutes. Top with fresh-cut parsley, cracked pepper and side with lemon wedges to serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Ramin
Thanks for this amazing recipe. I made paella for the first time in my life and my family was very skeptical 🙂 They joked some before I started and wondered if they would order pizza in case. 😉 The result was very good and they loved this dish and they are wondering when I will do palella next time. Thanks 🙂
Melissa Huggins
This is too awesome! I'm glad you gave it a try and that it won over your family. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Ana
Very authentic! I like to add carrots, sliced thin, to the onions/garlic/tomatoes. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Melissa Huggins
Thank you, Ana! I'm so glad you liked it! Sounds perfect with the carrots. 🙂
Yeye
¡Deliciosa! It was very easy to make. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Melissa Huggins
Yay! Thank you for giving it a try. So glad you liked it! 🙂
Nora
I made this recently and it was outstanding! Someone had given me some fancy paella rice for Christmas so I googled and found your recipe. I added the zest of two lemons with the tomatoes (idea from another recipe I read, and because I love the flavor of lemon), and added a drained can of Goya chickpeas at the broth-adding stage, for protein. I figured that given the close connections between Spain and Morocco, chickpeas were a logical fit. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly. It was super yummy — silken and flavorful and perfect! Thank you!!
Melissa Huggins
Yay! I'm so glad you liked it. It's a family favorite over here. It sounds perfect with the lemon zest and the chickpeas. YUM! Thank you for making it and sharing your feedback. 🙂
Sian Fawcett
I made this tonight and it turned out so tasty 🙂 I made it in a non-stick wok, which I know is not ideal at all - it took a little longer and still turned out super delicious. I can't wait to make it again!
Thank you!
Melissa Huggins
Thank you for giving it a try. I'm so glad it worked in the wok. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Sarah
This is a GREAT paella recipe. It's as authentic as vegan paella can be and absolutely delicious. I've made paella before, but I had the best results ever with this. Thank you!.
Melissa Huggins
This is such a nice compliment. I'm so happy you liked it. Thank you 🙂
Kim
Hi there,
Ok, so I have tested this , along with various other piella. Recipies on line,all this whilst in lockdown .And I think this recipie is delicious.👍👍♥️
Well done, to the recipie master who created this dish.I live with 4 vegaterians,as were I eat fish only .
So I dished out for all ,and added uncooked kin prawns to slowly cook ,with I had remaining ..
We so enjoyed this recipie .. thankyou so much for sharing x
Melissa Huggins
This is such a nice compliment! I'm happy everyone loved it. Thank you for giving it a try and sharing your feedback.
Nora
I made this tonight and it was outstanding! Someone had given me some fancy paella rice for Christmas so I googled and found your recipe. I added the zest of two lemons with the tomatoes (idea from another recipe I read, and because I love the flavor of lemon), and added a drained can of Goya chickpeas at the broth-adding stage, for protein. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly. It was super yummy — silken and flavorful and perfect! Thank you!!
Melissa Huggins
It sounds wonderful with the lemon zest and chickpeas. Thank you for making it and sharing your feedback. 🙂
Karissa
Hi Can I make this with Sofrito?Instead of the tomatoes can I replace with canned sofrito? I’m looking for lots of flavor!
Melissa Huggins
Absolutely! It'll be delicious! 🙂
NCE
Yum! I added some seitan for a “chicken” addition. Very good. Easy to make and very flavorful.
Melissa Huggins
I'm so glad you liked it! Sounds SO good with the seitan. Thank you for giving it a try 🙂
BRaq
Instead of 1 1/2 Cups of Arborio I used 1 Cup Arborio and 1/2 Cup of Quinoa, will that work? Also I only have non-stick pans at home. Is there a significant difference if I use a non stick pan? Thank you
Melissa Huggins
I haven't tried it with quinoa, so I'm not sure of the result. Mixing them together might cause one to be over/underdone. Maybe use just quinoa? You can use non-stick, but you won't get the crispy bottom. It'll still be delicious though. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
BRaq
Amazingly it worked, using 1 Cup of Arborio and 1/2 a cup of Quinoa. I did, however, bake it in the oven for another 30 mins checking it every 10 mins. I guess using Quinoa didn’t really soak up much of the broth and made it a little too wet but after baking it for 30mins and letting it sit and cool. It turned out perfect to my liking. Thank you for the feed back. I really appreciate it.
Melissa Huggins
I'm so glad it worked out for you! Thank you for coming back and sharing your experience! 🙂
Andy
We've tried this today and it was AMAZING. We had some vegan prawns (from an Asian supermarket) which we used too, otherwise we completely used your recipe. Loved it. All your recipes are so great, we have already tried a few and they have all been great so far!
Melissa Huggins
This is such a nice compliment! Thank you for giving the paella a try and sharing your feedback 🙂
Poppy
Sooo good thank you so much for posting! I subbed half a tin of tinned tomatoes and I added tinned green beans to up the vegetable content!
Melissa Huggins
Thank you for giving it a try! It sounds perfect with the green beans! 🙂
Tiffany
Can i ise brown rice?
Melissa Huggins
I haven't tried it with brown rice, but I have seen paella recipes that use it. The liquid may need to be adjusted to cook the rice properly. I have tried it with arborio rice and it worked really well. Do you have that?
Karen
Hey there. I just tried with brown rice and it took about 40 mins to cook. Very delicious!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Karen, I'm so glad it worked out with the brown rice! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Tanya
The only pans I have that is not non stick is my cast iron skillet can I use that to make this?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Tanya, yes, you can use a cast iron skillet. Just make sure it's well seasoned. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Graciela Torres
I cant wait to try this. It looks so authentic and delicious!
Sharon
Great recipe! I didn't have any saffron, used frozen artichoke hearts instead of canned and added some string beans, and it turned out wonderfully! I got a lot of compliments! Only thing is, this dish does need an extra-large saucepan, it didn't really fit in a regular one. Thanks for veganizing Paella for me!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Sharon, I'm so glad it worked out for you. Thank you for making it and sharing your feedback! It sounds perfect with the string beans!! 🙂
Denise Scena-Mayes
I have made this several times....delicious. It's what's for dinner tonight.
Melissa Huggins
Thank you, Denise! I'm so happy that you liked it. Have a lovely week 🙂
Darryle
I made this dish when my mother-in-law was in town visiting and it was a hit with everyone. Delicious! I've made a few of your recipes so far and they are all excellent, thank you!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Darryle, this is so wonderful to hear! Thank you for making it and sharing your feedback 🙂
Erin Woodward
This was outstanding!!! And the best part is I have leftovers so I can enjoy it again! Thanks for a great recipe : )
Melissa Huggins
Thank you, Erin! I'm so happy you liked it! We had paella last night and the leftovers for lunch today. 🙂