Another easy to make paella recipe, this one is a favourite one to cook when I’m having my vegetarian friends over or when I fancy having a ‘meat free’ day.
Turmeric is an excellent match for this veggie paella. Aside from turning the rice into yellow, it can also provide a spicy and warm flavour. This is the perfect meal for a warm summer day!
Turmeric Veggie Paella
Turmeric is an excellent match for this veggie paella. Aside from turning the rice into yellow, it can also provide a spicy and warm flavor. This is the perfect meal for a warm summer day!
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 onion
- 1 red pepper
- 1 yellow pepper
- 200 gms (cherry) tomatoes
- 1/2 cup frozen green peas
- 200 gms zucchini squash
- 200 gms fresh green beans
- 150 gms mushrooms
- 200 gms brown rice
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp sweet paprika powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 gm saffron (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by chopping the onions, garlic, red and yellow pepper, zucchini squash, mushrooms and tomatoes. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan and sauté the garlic and onion for about two minutes until golden brown. Add the red and yellow pepper, tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add the frozen veggies and green beens and cook for 5 more minutes. Now add the brown rice and cook until it turns translucent. Pour in the vegetable broth (make sure it is hot), then add all the spices.
- Cook the veggie paella on medium or high heat for 40 - 50 minutes while frequently stirring. Don’t worry if your paella looks like paella soup – it takes a while for the rice to absorb the vegetable broth. You might even need to add more broth when the rice gets too hard or dry.
- Cover the paella with a kitchen towel, pour the lemon juice over it and let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.
