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finished vegetarian paella made with fresh vegetables and quinoa
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5 from 5 votes

Vegetarian Paella with Quinoa

This gluten-free, mouth-watering, vegetarian paella is healthy, hearty and packed full of aromatic Spanish flavors. Made with quinoa, beans and a lot of fresh vegetables, this classic dish gets a tasty make-over!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mediterranean
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 283.8kcal
Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Put the quinoa into a large bowl. Cover with water and stir well to wash the grain. Pour off the water and then repeat the washing process.
  • Sauté onion and garlic in a deep non-stick skillet with a little (2 tsp) extra virgin olive oil until soft. Add the quinoa and saffron and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes.
  • Add paprika, cumin, cayenne, chili powder, tomatoes, peppers, beans, salt, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to very low, and cook covered for 15 minutes.
  • Place the zucchini on top of the quinoa and re-cover. Cook for about 5 more minutes, until quinoa is done. Remove the cover, stir in the peas, and cook uncovered until peas are warm and all liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
  • Season with a few splashes of lemon juice, adjust spices and salt as needed, and stir in a few tbsp of sliced almonds. If you're using artichoke hearts and/or olives, arrange them on top and let them heat through for about 5 minutes before serving.
  • Serve each plate with a sprinkling of sliced almonds on top, parsley, and a wedge or a slice of lemon (if you want a bit more lemon flavor).

Video

https://youtu.be/fs759j_WnqE

Notes

Vegetable Paella Variations
  • Instead of kidney beans, try chickpeas, white beans, or even lentils!
  • Garnish with fresh herbs such as parsley, oregano, or basil.
  • Try switching up the vegetables: olives, mushrooms, asparagus, or squash would all work great!
  • Instead of quinoa, try a combination of brown rice & quinoa, You could also try wild rice.
Top Tips For Making Vegetarian Paella
  • Make sure that you go ahead and rinse the quinoa before you begin cooking. If you don’t sometimes the quinoa will develop a little bit of a bitter or soapy taste that isn’t very pleasant.
  • You’ll need to cook the paella until the water or liquid has absorbed which usually takes around 15 minutes. In some cases you may need to cook it a little bit longer if it takes longer to absorb the liquid. 
  • If you turn up the heat at the end of cooking the paella, you'll start to develop that golden toasted layer at the bottom of the pan (socarrat) - but be careful not to walk away from the stove or your paella will burn!
  • Don't stir the paella while cooking. Just let it absorb all the flavors in the pan and fluff it with a fork when you're ready to serve.
  • You don't need a paella pan, but I do recommend a large relatively shallow pan to maximize the surface area that gets cooked at one time.
Adapted from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 283.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 50.3g | Protein: 13.5g | Fat: 4.7g | Sodium: 993.6mg | Fiber: 13.5g | Sugar: 6.5g