YIELDS
4-6 servings
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
- 4 cups veggie broth
- 2 cups short-grain brown rice
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 2 tsp smoked or regular sweet paprika powder
- 1-1/2 cup package frozen green peas
- 1/2 large red bell pepper cut into thin slices
- 1 cup canned artichoke hearts, sliced
- 1/2 tsp saffron threads crushed between fingers and added to 1/2 cup warm broth
- 1 slice for each palte lemon
- 1 tsp fried parsley
- to taste salt, pepper
- 1/2 can mushrooms, sliced
Directions
1. Warm the broth; remove 1/2 cup to a small bowl or measuring cup and add the saffron to it. Parboil the rice up to an hour before cooking the paella.
2. To parboil rice, bring a large pot of water to boil, salted if you want. Add the rice and continue to boil, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Drain water completely (a colander helps) and allow rice to dry for up to an hour.
3. Heat a large, deep skillet or flat-bottomed wok. Add the chopped onion and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until onion softens, 4-6 minutes. Add the garlic and tomatoes. Cook, stirring and breaking up large pieces of tomato with the back of the spoon, until mixture thickens and most of the liquid boils off. Stir in the drained rice, paprika, mushrooms and saffron broth and cook for another couple of minutes.
4. Add 3 cups of the warm broth and the green peas and bring to a boil. Taste the broth to see if it’s salty enough and add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
5. Arrange the bell pepper and artichoke hearts over the top of the rice. If the rice seems to be drying around the edges but is still not cooked, drizzle in a little more broth (1/4 to 1/2 cup) around the edges. Cover pan and cook on low for 10 minutes.
6. Check to see if rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. If rice is done but there is still a lot of liquid, remove the cover and cook until liquid boils off. If rice is not done, add a little more broth or water, if necessary, cover, and cook on low until tender. When rice is cooked, if there is excess liquid in the pan, remove the cover and allow it to boil off (paella should be moist but not swimming in broth).
Also by Imola: Vegan Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Vegan Rosemary White Bean Mushroom Salad
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Photo: Imola Toth
