Spanish Vegetable Paella

I’ve been making various versions of Spanish paella for almost 20 years now. I think the fun of it is that it’s impressive to look at, as well as provides endless possibilities when it comes to vegetable variations. Be creative and use what’s in season or what you have on hand.

Ingredients

12 oz package soy chorizo - I used Trader Joe’s

4 cups vegetable broth

1 tsp saffron threads

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 - 15 oz can diced tomatoes, fire-roasted diced tomatoes add great flavor if you can find them

1 1/2 cups short grain rice such as Bomba or arborio

1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp sweet paprika

2 springs of fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme

3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 cup artichoke heart pieces - I used Trader Joe’s from the frozen food section

1/2 cup green olives (optional)

Lemon wedges and parsley to garnish

Instructions

1. Prepare your ingredients in advance (“mise en place”), so they’re ready to go once you begin assembly.

2. Set a 15” minimum size paella pan over medium heat. Once heated add the onions and saute until softened and lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. You may need to add a teaspoon or so of water to prevent your onions from sticking.

3. Add the soy chorizo and garlic, and saute for 10 minutes until the chorizo begins to crumble and cook up.

4. Add the diced tomatoes,rice, saffron, springs of fresh thyme or dried thyme, smoked paprika, sweet paprika and stir well until everything is coated.

5. Now slowly pour in the vegetable broth, stir so that the rice is evenly distributed. Top with the red pepper strips, artichoke hearts, and olives, turning the heat to medium-high. Bring the broth to a heavy simmer for 1-2 minutes. At this point, no more stirring. By letting the paella cook slowly without moving it allows the desirable crust to form at the bottom of the pan, called socarrat.

6. Now turn the heat down between medium and medium-low to a mild simmer. You want to see movement in the pan while the broth is cooking down (do not boil). Simmer for 15-20 minutes until rice is al dente, rotating the pan on the burner 2-3 times during cooking for even heat distribution.

7. Once the broth is nearly cooked off, you will need to pay close attention to the socarrat forming on the bottom of the pan, you want to look for a golden rice crust. You will begin to hear the rice crackle, along with smelling a nutty aroma. Once you begin hearing the rice crackle, pay close attention as it only takes 1-2 minutes for the desired crispy rice crust. Stick a spoon straight down into the crust to the bottom to test if the socarrat is forming. (If it smells like it’s burning, remove your paella from the heat immediately.)

8. Remove the pan from the heat. Sprinkle the peas on top of the rice, do not stir! Cover the pan with aluminum foil and let the paella rest for 10 minutes. Top with fresh parsley, cracked pepper and lemon wedges before serving.

Notes:

• Sometimes you may not achieve a crisp socarrat and that’s fine. The more you cook paella the better you will become at it.

• Saffron gives paella its distinct flavor, it’s very subtle and is a nice finish to the dish as well as giving it a beautiful golden color. It’s a little pricey, so if it’s not in your budget you can replace it with turmeric. It will have a slightly different flavor, but it will be subtle and make the rice the desired golden color.

• If you don’t have a paella pan, use a large stainless steel skillet. Do not use a non-stick pan.