Vegan Paella
Vegan paella is comforting, flavorful, and family-friendly. It’s made with cooked brown rice, spicy tofu, earthy mushrooms, veggies, a hint of fresh lemon juice, and the perfect amount of seasonings. It’s so delicious that you won’t miss the meat – I promise!
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time45 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Spanish, Vegan
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 228kcal
Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add tofu when oil is heated through, season with salt. Sauté 10 minutes, or until tofu is browned, stirring occasionally.
Add mushrooms, and sauté 4 to 5 minutes, or until mushrooms release liquid and begin to brown.
Meanwhile, cook your brown rice. Add in saffron at the same time you add the rice to the boiling water. Stir and cook on low - let sit until all water is absorbed. Back to the tofu/mushroom mixture: Stir in carrots, corn, tomatoes, garlic, and all of your spices (including salt & pepper), and sauté 2-5 minutes more.
Stir in rice, and about 4 oz veggie broth. Cover with lid, and simmer 10-15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.
Add peas on surface (do not stir yet), cover, and allow peas to steam 1 to 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and stir in lemon juice and green onions. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Allow The Ingredients To Cook: Once you add the rice to the pan, I know it’s tempting to stir it several times. But don’t stir it; because that will give you more of a risotto like consistency. For authentic paella, you want it to absorb the liquid and get a nice crust on the bottom of the pan (this crust, made up of crispy rice, is called the soccarat!)
- Use Your Knife Skills: Chop all your veggies into evenly size bite-size pieces. It’s much easier to eat when everything is uniform, but also it will cook much more evenly as well.
- Don't Skimp On The Citrus: The fresh lemon juice gives the vegan paella a little bit of extra zest, so don’t skip adding it. Always try to use fresh lemon juice, not the bottled stuff. It makes a huge difference when it comes to flavor.
- Slow Cooker: If you've used a crockpot to make a rice-based dish before, just adjust this recipe to your typical cook times for rice and veggies in a slow cooker.
Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 854mg | Potassium: 967mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7g