Summer Vegetarian Paella
A seasonal, vegetarian riff on the classic, this paella is a beautiful main course that's the perfect weekend or date-night dinner.
Servings 2 to 3 servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup short grain brown rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small yellow onion minced
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika pimentón
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
- 3/4 cup cooked chickpeas drained/rinsed if using canned
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup water
- 1 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 medium zucchini cut into 1/4" thick slices
- 1 medium summer squash cut into 1/4" thick slices
- Parsley for serving
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add the rice. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and, cook for 25 minutes.
- While the rice is cooking, In a 8″ cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Stir in diced onion and minced garlic, cooking for 4-5 minutes. Next, add 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric; cook for one minute.
- Next, add the roughly diced tomato, chickpeas, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Give a good stir and cook until tomatoes start to boil, 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the cooked rice and ½ cup of the hot rice water. Finish with the vegetable broth then layer the zucchini/squash on top. Continue to cook until the rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed; 30 or so minutes. The goal is to leave it cooking for 5 or so minutes longer so the rice on the bottom is crisp. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley and lemon juice.
Notes
Tips + Tricks: This recipe is specific to using short-grain brown rice. I've found this type of rice doesn't cook well in tomatoes, hence the pre-cooking. If you decide to use a different variety of rice (like the rice traditionally used in paella), don't pre-cook.
Use up leftover ingredients: brown rice, zucchini, chickpeas
Links: Recipe adapted from A Couple Cooks