The best vegan Paella recipe with mushrooms, artichokes, roasted peppers, plant based sausage and brown rice cooked in a flavorful Spanish saffron and white wine broth.
Vegan Paella with Brown Rice!
A classic Valencian rice dish from Spain traditionally made with short grain white rice and seasoned with saffron. This is a cruelty free version therefor no animals have been harmed in the making of this recipe. No seafood, no snails, definitely no rabbits because they are our friends and we don’t eat our friends.
Instead I used a super flavorful Italian sausage made entirely from plants. Replace the seafood with a couple of teaspoon of dulse flakes to achieve a fishy flavor if that’s what you are after, I think it is perfect as it is.
Paella Rice:
Traditionally a short grain Calasparra rice is used, other common varieties include:
- Bomba
- Senia
- Bahia
- Balilla Rice.
I chose to go for brown rice instead to make the dish healthier and because that’s what I had in the pantry. Short grain brown rice is also lovely if you have it around. White rice would result in a creamier texture similar to a risotto but lacking in both flavor and nutrition.
What is La Paella ?
The name of the dish comes from the shape of the round and flat pan it is cooked in: “ la paellera ”. You can however use any large and shallow skillet you have in your kitchen right now and still make some magic happen. Like yours truly, work with what you’ve got.
My stainless steel and cast iron skillets work great and they yield a thin caramelized brown crust on the bottom also known as “SOCARRAT” just like a traditional paella pan does. You do not need a special paella pan to make an amazing paella!
No oil is required to make this recipe, however keep in mind that whatever plant based sausage you are using most definitely will have some oil added already.
The most important spice in paella: the Saffron!
Whatever you do just don’t skip the saffron. You can use any veggies you like here (zucchini, eggplant, asparagus, broccoli, green peas etc) so long as you cook the rice in a saffron broth. It is what gives the paella its authentic beautiful golden color and the floral aroma. Do not leave it out no matter what!
this Vegetarian Paella Recipe or Paella de Verduras is:
- super flavorful
- family style filling meal
- gluten free/ dairy free/ soy free
- healthy, hearty & comforting
- simple to make
- a little smoky
- simply the best!
P.S. As always if you make this recipe come back here to rate it, snap a photo and tag me with #VeggieSociety on Instagram it always brightens up my day ~ Florentina Xo’s
Vegan Paella
The best vegan Paella recipe with mushrooms, artichokes, roasted peppers, plant based sausage and brown rice cooked in a flavorful Spanish saffron and white wine broth.
Servings 4 people
Calories 552kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown rice , rinsed well
- 2 links Vegan Beyond Meat Italian Sausage or Soy Chorizo (omit for WFPB & Plantricious diets)
- 3/4 lb shiitake mushroom caps or wild chanterelles ,sliced
- 15 oz canned artichoke hearts (quartered or sliced into rounds )
- 4 roasted red peppers , sliced or diced
- 1 Spanish onion , diced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups vegetable stock , low sodium
- 1 pinch saffron
- 8 sprins fresh thyme , leaves only
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley , chopped
- 1 lemon , quartered
- 1/2 cup pitted olives or capers (OPTIONAL)
Instructions
- Warm up the vegetable stock. Lightly crush the saffron in between your fingertips and add it to the warm broth. Season to taste with sea salt then allow it to steep while you work on the paella.
- Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium low flame and pan sear the Beyond sausages until golden on all sides. (You shouldn’t have to add any oil here but if you do just use a light spray). Transfer to a plate and slice into 1/3 inch slices.
- In the same skillet you cooked the sausage add half of the onion. Saute until translucent then stir in the brown rice, smoked paprika, chili pepper and garlic powder. Cook for a minute or so then hit it with half of the wine. Cook until all the liquid has been absorbed.
- Pour in the saffron broth over the rice and bring to a simmer. Add the bay leaf, cover with a lid then simmer on low flame for 45 minutes. NO STIRRING. Remove from heat and allow the rice to sit covered for another 10 minutes before fluffing it with a fork.
- Meanwhile in a separate skillet add half of the chopped onion and a little pinch of sea salt with a little splash of water or stock. Saute until translucent then add the sliced shiitake mushrooms and thyme. Hit it with half of the white wine and cook down until reduced and the mushrooms have softened. Sir in the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the artichoke hearts, roasted peppers and sliced sausage to the pan and mix.
- Transfer to the pan with the cooked saffron rice and combine. Adjust seasonings and sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve hot with a fresh squeeze of lemon.
- OPTIONAL: Garnish with sliced olives or capers.
Notes
- You can use a different rice here if you prefer just make sure to adjust the cooking times. White rice like the Callaspara or Bomba should be done in about 15 minutes + allow 10 minutes to steam with the lid on after removing from heat.
- To give your paella a seafood flavor add 1-2 teaspoons of dulse flakes to the saffron broth.
- To make this recipe WFPB or Plantricious omit the vegan sausage or replace it with more shiitake mushrooms. Sautee in a splash of veggie stock or white wine.
Nutrition
Calories: 552kcal | Carbohydrates: 93g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 945mg | Potassium: 728mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1915IU | Vitamin C: 64.8mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 4.2mg
Environmental Information
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Unbelievably amazing flavor, tastes better than any paella I have ever tried. I had a hard time getting over the fact that it isn’t meat, I don’t even understand how it’s done but this recipe is out of this world. Did I mention this is now my favorite blog ever ? Yup, can’t wait for the next recipe 😎
SO good, Ivate it everyday for a week.
Unbelievably amazing recipe. So delicious I’ve already made it twice.