Vegetable Paella
By America's Test KitchenPublished on October 16, 2019
Time
2 hours
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Before You Begin
You will need at least a 6-quart Dutch oven for this recipe. Soccarat, a layer of crusty browned rice that forms on the bottom of the pan, is a traditional part of paella. In our version, soccarat does not develop because most of the cooking is done in the oven; if desired, there are directions on how to make a soccarat before serving in step 5.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Toss artichokes, peppers, olives, whole garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Spread vegetables onto hot baking sheet and roast until artichokes are browned around edges and peppers are browned, 20 to 25 minutes; let cool slightly.
- Mince roasted garlic. In large bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons parsley, lemon juice, and minced roasted garlic together. Add roasted vegetables and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and fennel and cook until softened, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in remaining minced garlic and paprika and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and cook until mixture begins to darken and thicken slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in rice and cook until grains are well coated with tomato mixture, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, wine, saffron, and 1 teaspoon salt. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 25 to 35 minutes.
- For optional soccarat, uncover, transfer to stovetop, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, rotating pot as needed, until bottom layer of rice is well browned and crisp.
- Sprinkle roasted vegetables and peas over top, cover, and let paella sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and serve.
Time
2 hoursYield
Serves 6Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
The challenge in developing a vegetarian paella recipe was making a dish that is usually centered on a variety of meat and seafood fit our vegetarian needs while still staying true to the dish's identity. We did this by using a variety of hearty vegetables that are common in Spanish culture: artichokes, bell peppers, fennel, and peas. We gave the artichokes and peppers extra flavor by roasting them and then tossing them with a bright, lemony sauce. We sautéed the fennel with chopped onion to give it a rich caramelized flavor that gave the dish aromatic backbone. And we cooked the rice with smoked paprika to imitate the smoky flavor that is the hallmark of this dish. To infuse the rice with complex flavor, we cooked the paprika with garlic until fragrant and browned diced tomatoes to deepen their flavor. Next, we coated the rice with this potent mixture before adding broth, wine, and saffron and simmering the rice until tender.
Before You Begin
You will need at least a 6-quart Dutch oven for this recipe. Soccarat, a layer of crusty browned rice that forms on the bottom of the pan, is a traditional part of paella. In our version, soccarat does not develop because most of the cooking is done in the oven; if desired, there are directions on how to make a soccarat before serving in step 5.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Toss artichokes, peppers, olives, whole garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Spread vegetables onto hot baking sheet and roast until artichokes are browned around edges and peppers are browned, 20 to 25 minutes; let cool slightly.
- Mince roasted garlic. In large bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons parsley, lemon juice, and minced roasted garlic together. Add roasted vegetables and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and fennel and cook until softened, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in remaining minced garlic and paprika and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and cook until mixture begins to darken and thicken slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in rice and cook until grains are well coated with tomato mixture, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, wine, saffron, and 1 teaspoon salt. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 25 to 35 minutes.
- For optional soccarat, uncover, transfer to stovetop, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, rotating pot as needed, until bottom layer of rice is well browned and crisp.
- Sprinkle roasted vegetables and peas over top, cover, and let paella sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and serve.
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