2.3.10 Vegetable Paella
There is something about one-pot meals that have always appealed to me. The ease of steps. The knowledge that I am getting fiber, protein and an abundance of vitamins in each bite. And that I only have to wash a single pot. Yes, that last one sounds quite appealing. This paella is perfect in all those ways, in addition to the fact that it yields enough for a hearty meal and lunch leftovers for the week. And I just love starting the week with a fridge stocked full of no-think meals I can toss in my lunch bag.
A little note on the spices. One of the reasons I was drawn to this recipe was because it called for saffron. In the past, when I came across a recipe with the pricy spice, I would run the other way or simply leave it out. But I finally bit the big one and handed over $8 for the tiny black package last week, having no actual clue what I would be doing with it (I am sensing a theme here). What I can tell you is that it makes quite a difference in the flavor here. Yes, apparently a 1/4 t goes a long way in saffron-world. If you decide to leave it out, I can’t say I’ll blame you, but you may want to add more heat or salt to compensate.
Vegetable Paella
adapted from Bon Appétit . serves 4-6
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t paprika
2 c water
2 t salt
15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 large plum tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped (I used canned)
2 roasted red or yellow peppers, coarsely chopped
1/2 c chopped peeled carrots
6 canned artichoke hearts, quartered
1 c frozen peas
large handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 t crushed saffron threads
1/4 t cayenne pepper
2 c cooked grains (I used whole wheat rice pilaf)
In a large pot, heat olive oil, over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and sauté, 5-7 minutes, until onions begin to brown. Stir in paprika. Add water, salt, chickpeas, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, artichoke and peas. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 8-10 minutes, until a bit of liquid evaporates (you want some juices, but not like soup). Stir in cilantro, saffron and cayenne, and cook 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over cooked grains.
Reader Comments (19)
this looks so tasty and hearty. just in time too we needed another meal for this week.
Good timing -- I've been on the lookout for some new uses for saffron. I recently was given a big container for free (jackpot!), but what to do with $80 retail amount of saffron, my goodness! This is a good start for sure :)
Looks amazing. I'm so thankful for your delicious recipes. You might find this paella video from Posh Nosh humorous http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfN4_52loC4 Enjoy!
i heart one pot, no-think recipes too! this looks great - especially for winter!
I've recently realised that saffron can be used in savoury foods too, and it's delicious! I'm sure your paella tasted awesome! I made some kind of a french soup called soup au pistou that called for saffron, and it was very good.
bring on the one-pot meal. i love using saffron, so much flavor and color in a few small threads. your paella looks fantastic!
This looks great! Thanks for posting it. Your photographs are always so beautiful.
Paella is my go-to meal, especially summer time. Saffron makes this recipe just that much more delicious sounding. I have to say, I haven't used saffron in my paellas before, but I think I will try next time. Thank you Erin for another great recipe!
I love your blog! Your recipes always look amazing and your photos rock! And why didn't I think of vegetable paella? This looks delicious, especially with that bit of saffron which I love.
yes yes yes, one pot meals are the best! This looks SO much better than the traditional alternative!
I just stumbled upon your blog and I have to say, I love it! I'm constantly on the lookout for good, vegetarian recipes and your blog has tons of great ideas! Can't wait to try them!
I love one pot meals lots! This looks really yummie! Hope you are having a lovely week so far. Love to you!
My mouth is watering at these pictures! I love one-pot meals, too. It's just easy. Paella is a definite favorite so I'm bookmarking this recipe!
I have several veg paella recipes that I rotate between and this is one of my favorites. It's a great dish to serve for company - not too fussy and really delicious. I don't want to sound snobby, but I think the saffron is very important here. It's flavor is what makes paella different from any other vegetable filled rice dish.
This dish looks so colorful and amazing! Your pictures are incredible!
I sense a theme of my own: heading over to Erin's blog when dinner time is approaching, my tummy is grumbly and I have no plan. Then I drool over my screen and short my laptop. ;)
I really like this post, it has some great info. Thank you and keep up good work
while you could probably get away with omitting saffron from paella, you can't just pile up some vegetables on rice and think that constitutes paella... i am disappointed that Bon Appetit would publish a recipe so far from paella -- what's wrong with just calling this vegetables and rice? It's not that I am a stickler for "authenticity" (too often authenticity = static, and food should evolve and reflect the creativity of the cook), but some dishes do have defining characteristics -- you can't just pour melted cheese on a piece of bread and call it fondue (unless you are Grant Achatz and are intentionally defying the definition...). Paella by definition is rice, spices and veg (and, of course, usually seafood and meat, but not necessarily) cooked together in a flat pan until a crust forms on the bottom -- it's that marrying of the flavors in the pan plus the crust that distinguishes paella from other rice dishes. Stir your rice here into your veg, let it continue to cook until the bottom starts to carmelize -- then you will have paella!