Summer Vegetarian Paella

This recipe is an update from an older recipe. Over the years I've tinkered very slightly but I felt this vegetarian paella deserved a little refresh. Don't be confused, it's not a ratatouille- I just love the look of the layered vegetables. Also, this is not a traditional paella. Quite a bite is different (including the type of rice used) but it's a paella in spirit.

A couple notes. You will see I partially precook the rice. I've never had luck with brown rice cooking in tomato-based liquids (and from comments I received, neither have a lot of people). Since I primarily make this with short grain brown rice, the instructions are very specific for this kind of rice. Also, you won't see saffron in the dish (a very integral part to a classic paella). I'm including it in the variations- it's an expensive spice that is not always the easiest to source.

Explore Brown Rice

Brown rice is one of my top 5 pantry staples. I use it for my favorite vegetable burger, it's a common grain bowl base, and it constantly shows up in my breakfast rotation. There's so much you can make with a batch of brown rice. A few of my favorites:

Brown Rice with Carrots and Ginger
Cauliflower Brown Rice Cakes
Avocado Salad with Brown Rice

Summer Vegetarian Paella

Print Recipe

A seasonal, vegetarian riff on the classic, this paella is a beautiful main course that's the perfect weekend or date-night dinner.

• Author: Erin Alderson
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 2 to 3 servings 1x
• Category: dinner
• Cuisine: Spanish

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

½ cup short grain brown rice

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small yellow onion, minced

1 tablespoon smoked paprika (pimentón)

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 cup canned crushed tomatoes

¾ cup cooked chickpeas (drained/rinsed if using canned)

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ cup water

1 ½ cup low-sodium vegetable broth

1 medium zucchini, cut into ¼" thick slices

1 medium summer squash, cut into ¼" 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 ½ tablespoon smoked paprika, and ½ teaspoon turmeric; cook for one minute.
• Next, add the roughly diced tomato, chickpeas, and ½ 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

Keywords: vegetarian paella, summer paella, zucchini recipes