One of the challenges when switching to a vegan diet is missing out on certain foods. For example, Paella is a delicious dish from Spain. Traditional Paella requires seafood. It is clearly out of the question now that you are vegan. But this doesn’t have to be the case! Here are seven vegan Paella recipes that are even better than the original!
1. Spanish Vegan Paella by Simple Veganista
This recipe is terrific and easy to follow. Inspired by Spanish Vegan Paella and loaded with multi-colored, tender veggies and a beautiful centerpiece. Because who said Paella is enjoyed only through your tastebuds?
Paella is versatile and easy to make (really, it is!), so it’s the perfect meal to add to your cooking repertoire
You don’t need a Paella pan for this recipe. This Paella is a one-pot meal, which makes it super-convenient. Keep in mind that traditional Paella consists of a layer of rice with the rest of the ingredients on top. Paella pans are large, round, and shallow.
You don’t need to buy a Paella pan, though. You can use any skillet or pot you have at home as long as it is over 12 inches in diameter. You can also use a dutch oven. This recipe calls for cooking the Paella over an open flame in a shallow pan, and whatever you do, do not stir it!
Another great feature of this recipe is its flexibility. You can adapt this recipe to your taste simply by adding or removing some of the spices and veggies it uses. This recipe uses saffron, which gives the Paella a more traditional flavor. Saffron tastes somewhat smoky, flowery, and earthy. You can also use Turmeric if you’re a more adventurous chef and prefer a warm, pepper-like flavor.
And if you have any leftovers (which you probably won’t, because this recipe is delicious), you can store them in your refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to five days. You can also freeze them in a freezer-safe container. They will last up to two months. Make sure you let it thaw in the refrigerator before you reheat it.
2. Spanish Vegan Paella by Vegan Huggs
If you are looking for a recipe that will draw people to your table like moths to a flame, this is probably it. This Paella has a mouth-watering aroma, a gorgeous golden color, a smoky flavor, and a caramelized crust that will leave you craving for more.
The golden color of this recipe comes courtesy of the Saffron threads. The crusty texture at the bottom of the pan is called socarrat (pronounced soh-kah-rat). This crust consists of a caramelized layer of lightly toasted rice that forms at the bottom of the pan when you don’t stir the rice after adding the broth.
The best rice for this recipe is Bomba Rice. This type of rice is ideal because it absorbs twice as much water as regular rice without losing its texture. If you can’t find Bomba Rice, Calasparra Rice is another excellent choice. Spanish rice absorbs a lot of fluid, which means it soaks up the flavor of any broth, seasoning, or oil you use while cooking.
If you can’t find either of these kinds of rice, you can use Arborio Rice. This is the type of rice used for Risotto. Keep in mind, though: Paella should not be creamy; this is another reason not to stir your Paella once you have added the broth to the pan.
As for the pan, you can use any wide, shallow pan you have at home. You don’t need a special Paella pan. Just pay attention to how it fits on the burner if you need to rotate it every so often. Traditional Paella is cooked over an open flame.
However, you can make this recipe on an electric stove, as long as you pay attention to the burner and rotate the pan when necessary. When choosing a Paella pan, one important consideration: do not use a non-stick pan because it can prevent the socarrat from forming.
You can store this Paella in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze it. When reheating it, do it in the oven at 350 degrees for at least 20 minutes, but no more than 30. You may need to add a few teaspoons of water to keep it from drying out. You can heat it in the microwave, but make sure you do it in small intervals while checking for temperature and adding a little water if needed.
3. Spanish Vegetarian Paella by Feasting at Home
Paella originated in Spain, in the region of Valencia, to be more specific. Most people think of Paella as rice cooked with different ingredients, and Paella recipes vary depending on the region of Spain. On the coast, the recipes for Paella include fresh prawns, mussels, clams, squid, and even lobster.
Other regions use meats like rabbit, lamb, and pork. And some recipes even call for using what Spaniards call “earth and sea,” a mix of meat and seafood. Traditional Valencian Paella calls for specific ingredients: olive oil, chicken, rabbit, green beans, garrofó beans, tomato, water, salt, and saffron. Unfortunately, traditional Paella is not a vegan recipe. However, this recipe is the closest you will find to a traditional Valencian Paella without the animal ingredients.
Paella is cooked for large groups of people. In Spain, making Paella is a family affair. It is usually served on special occasions, but you can prepare it any day of the week. Paella is usually cooked for large amounts of people over an open fire. This recipe has been modified to serve fewer people (three or four instead of ten) and can be cooked on a regular stove.
This recipe uses seasonal ingredients, so the vegetables suggested here are examples of what you could use in the winter. Feel free to modify the recipe as you see fit, based and availability and personal preference. The base for this dish is the “sofrito,” which means “fried” in Spanish and gives this recipe its deep rich flavor.
A good sofrito is the base of a good Paella. And a good tip to keep in mind as you begin preparations is to chop everything first and then start cooking. This way, you can focus on how things are cooking as you go, and you can choose the order in which you add ingredients (it makes a difference).
To remain faithful to the traditional flavor of Paella, sofrito should include garlic, onion, and leeks, but you can also add tomatoes and peppers. But feel free to add any ingredients you like. The possibilities are endless!
Another ingredient that makes this recipe unique, delicious, and closer to the flavor of traditional Paella is the addition of Nori. Nori is a seaweed past pressed into thin sheets. It will add a little seafood flavor to the recipe without using any seafood. You will also want to use Bomba or Valencian rice for this recipe.
You can use Arborio rice, but remember you’ll need to add a little more liquid. The important thing is that you make this recipe your own by modifying it to your taste. Enjoy!
4. Barcelona Inspired Vegetable Paella by Whole Living Lauren
This recipe offers a beautiful, colorful, and tasty twist on the traditional Barcelona Paella style. It is not difficult to make at all. All you need to remember is to use the proper rice and don’t stir it. Not disturbing the rice is important because one of the features of this recipe is the socarrat. Socarrat is the result of rice caramelizing at the bottom of the pan.
It is tasty, and it will add a special texture to your Paella. If you want to try socarrat, all you have to do is not stir the rice after adding the broth. Let it cook. Once the broth starts evaporating, you will hear snap, crackle, and popping sounds. These are the sounds of socarrat forming. Just be mindful of how much heat you are using so the socarrat doesn’t scorch.
This recipe is easy to make and makes two generous servings. It has an exquisite zesty aftertaste courtesy of lemon wedges and a deep and fragrant flavor from the fennel.
5. Vegan Paella by Holy Cow Vegan
The Paella in this recipe offers a flavorful Paella made with leeks, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and the addition of tofu as a substitute for the fish. The inspiration for this recipe was Valencian Paella. It tastes just as good as the traditional recipe. This Paella is delicious, beautiful, and nutritious.
This recipe has that authentic Paella flavor but without the mussels, clams, sausage, or chicken used in traditional recipes. How did they do it? You will need to add some extra ingredients, like Umami and Tofu, but it isn’t a complicated dish to prepare. You will also need mushrooms, tomato paste, smoked paprika, and wine (although this is optional, it does add a nice touch to the rice).
This Paella needs a little more time for preparation because Tofu is softer than fish. So you need to make sure you season and pan fry (or air fry) your tofu separately. Do not add the tofu until almost the end to ensure that it absorbs the flavors and to stop it from crumbling.
Believe it or not, this recipe is easy to follow and packed with some extra protein, thanks to the tofu standing in for the seafood. This recipe calls for Old Bay seasoning (to season the tofu), but fear not: Old Bay is one hundred percent vegan.
Make sure you have the best rice for this recipe, either Bomba, Calasparra, or Valencian rice. Arborio will also work if you can’t find the traditional Spanish ones. Remember socarrat forms when the rice caramelizes at the bottom of the pan (not burning, so be careful with how long you leave your Paella on the hot stove!).
Socarrat is crispy and smoky, and it adds an extra layer of texture to the overall dish. So make sure you don’t stir the rice so you can enjoy the smoky, crispy taste of socarrat at the end.
The rest of the ingredients used in this recipe are relatively traditional and result in a palette of flavors that are both fresh and familiar. Saffron lends its flower-like earthiness to the rice, while the paprika makes sure that it retains a certain degree of sweetness and smokiness to it.
This recipe results in a satisfying, nutritious, and delicious Paella that has that familiar seafood flavor without the seafood. So, if you are in the mood for some traditional Paella flavor with extra texture and an extra push of protein, make sure to try this recipe.
6. Easy Vegan Paella by Minimalist Baker
This recipe is delicious, vegan, and, best of all, easy to make. One of the great things about Paella (and there are many great things about Paella) is that it is a one-pot meal that can feed and satisfy the whole family, and it isn’t difficult to make. It is as flavorful as it is beautiful. Paella brings an air of sophistication to any table. This recipe is all that and more.
Since there are many different kinds of Paella, this recipe is easy to modify to your taste. You can add veggies, spices, tofu, and even Vegan Chorizo if you’d like. This recipe uses saffron, fresh garlic, lemon, olive oil, and paprika to maintain the traditional flavors of Valencian Paella.
Feel free to add and experiment with these spices (or add your own) to adjust them to your taste. The recipe also adds green peas and other veggies traditionally used in Paella, so the flavor is very close to the traditional dish.
An important thing to remember when cooking this Paella is to not stir the rice after adding the broth. This is a crucial step in making Paella. There are two reasons for this. First, you want some of the rice to crust at the bottom a little bit. This forms a crispy, smoky layer called socarrat, and it gives the Paella an extra layer of smoky sweetness and texture.
You don’t want to stir your Paella while cooking to keep the rice loose. Unlike risotto, Paella is not supposed to be creamy. So don’t stir your rice. Just let it cook and absorb all the delicious flavors of the vegetables and spices you added to the pan.
It takes about twenty minutes of prep time and another twenty-five for the rice to cook, but you will have a savory, beautiful, and satisfying dinner you and your loved ones can enjoy in under an hour.
7. Vegan Paella by Loving it Vegan
If you are a Paella enthusiast and are looking for the perfect recipe, you may have found your match with this one. This Paella has the perfect texture, consistency, and flavor. It tastes just like the traditional recipe with seafood, but it is one hundred percent vegan.
This recipe is incredibly easy to follow, even if this is your first time attempting this dish. The recipe uses traditional spices mixed with a few non-traditional ones. The result is a mixture of flavors that imitate traditional Paella to a tee.
To make this Paella, we highly recommend using Bomba rice, although Arborio rice will work, too, if you are in a pinch. But don’t worry if you don’t own a Paella pan. You can make this recipe in any wide shallow skillet you own (over 12 inches wide is the recommended minimum width). The idea is to have a pan wide enough that the rice spreads evenly so that it can cook evenly.
This recipe uses saffron threads and vegetable stock. To get the best results when using saffron, you may want to let it dissolve in the broth before you add it to the Paella. Then, heat the broth in a pan, break up the saffron threads and add them to the stock.
Once the stock starts to simmer, let it simmer for a minute, and then turn off the heat and let it cool down. The saffron will have dissolved in the stock by then. If you do this, you will get that uniform golden color and flowery smoky taste of saffron on your rice.
Also, make sure you don’t stir the Paella. The idea here is to allow the rice at the bottom of the pan to caramelize and form a crust of worts. This is called soccarat. Once the rice fully absorbs the vegetable stock, do not touch the Paella, or you’ll disturb the formation of the soccarat.
This recipe stores well in the fridge or freezer, too, so you can make it in advance and serve it later. If you store it in an air-tight container in the fridge it will keep for 4 or 5 days. If you choose to freeze it, it can keep for months. However, keep in mind that freezing it may alter the texture of the rice and make it a little mushy.
Easy Vegan Paella Recipes, Final Thoughts
Paella is a versatile, delicious, and easy-to-prepare dish that will add a flair of sophistication to any dinner. All these recipes are vegan and one hundred percent flavorful, so you don’t have to miss out on your favorite dish. With a little creativity and some extra spices, you can make a Paella that will taste just like the traditional ones from Spain. Try these recipes out and see which one is your favorite.