This Vegetarian Paella Will Transport You to Spain

Vegetarian Paella with Chickpeas, Green Beans, and Shishito Peppers

Total time: 1 hour

Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredients

• 3 cups no-salt-added vegetable broth
• Pinch of crumbled saffron
• 1 tomato, halved
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 small shishito peppers, stemmed but left whole
• 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves (3 chopped, 1 minced)
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded, stemmed, and chopped
• 1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika (pimenton)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 cups imported Spanish rice, preferably Calasparra (may substitute Arborio)
• 1/2 cup cooked or canned no-salt-added chickpeas (from one 15-ounce can), drained and rinsed
• 1 cup spinach, chopped
• 1/2 cup store-bought vegan or traditional mayonnaise

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the broth and saffron over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and cover while you assemble the vegetarian paella.
3. Set a box grater over a bowl, and run the cut side of the tomatoes across the coarse side of the grater, continuing until you're left with the skin.
4. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, then pour in the olive oil. When it shimmers, add the shishitos, searing each side for a minute or two. Use tongs to transfer them to a plate.
5. Stir in the onion, the 3 cloves of chopped garlic, and bell pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft, about 2 minutes.
6. Stir in the paprika, cumin, and salt, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the green beans, and cook, stirring frequently, until they lose a little of their crunch, about 5 minutes.
7. Stir in the tomato pulp and parsley, and cook for about 30 seconds, then stir in the rice, coating it well with the pan mixture. Stir in the broth, chickpeas, and spinach; add more salt if needed. Cook, stirring and rotating the pan occasionally, until the mixture is no longer soupy but the rice is still covered by liquid, about 5 minutes.
8. Nestle the shishitos on the rice, and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake, uncovered, until the rice is al dente, 12 to 15 minutes.
9. Remove the vegetarian paella from the oven, and cover with foil. Let it sit for 10 minutes, until the rice has fully cooked.
10. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and the remaining clove of minced garlic. Serve vegetarian paella hot, with the aioli on the side.

Recipe adapted with permission from Cool Beans: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking With the World's Most Versatile Plant-Based Protein, With 125 Recipes by Joe Yonan, copyright © 2020. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.