Description
Hearty jamie oliver vegetarian paella celebrates Spain’s culinary traditions with colorful seasonal vegetables and aromatic rice. Delightful spices and fresh ingredients create a satisfying meal that connects home cooks to Mediterranean cooking.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 medium onion
- 4 spring onions
- 1 green pepper
- 1 tomato
- 8 Padron peppers
- 120g (4.2 oz) green beans
- ½ bunch parsley
- 250g (8.8 oz) cooked brown rice
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 pinch saffron
- 150 ml (5 fl oz) vegetable stock
- 1 handful mixed olives
- 1 lemon
- 1 lemon wedge (for serving)
- olive oil
Instructions
- Charring Aromatics: Heat a dry skillet and blacken spring onions for 2-3 minutes, creating smoky depth. Remove and set aside.
- Vegetable Preparation: Mince garlic, onion, green pepper, tomato, and parsley stalks into fine, uniform pieces for consistent flavor distribution.
- Sautéing Base: Drizzle olive oil in the skillet and cook minced vegetables over medium heat until they become translucent and release their aromatic essence, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Pepper Transformation: Add padron peppers to the skillet, allowing them to soften and caramelize over 7 minutes, developing a rich, complex flavor profile.
- Bean Blanching: Quickly boil green beans for precisely 3 minutes, then drain and reserve, maintaining their vibrant color and crisp texture.
- Rice Integration: Introduce brown rice to the vegetable mixture, increasing skillet temperature to intensify flavor and create a golden, slightly crispy bottom.
- Liquid Infusion: Dissolve saffron in hot water, then pour into the pan along with vegetable stock. Simmer until liquid evaporates completely, typically 10-15 minutes, creating a concentrated, aromatic base.
- Flavor Enhancement: Fold in mixed olives, sprinkle freshly grated lemon zest, and squeeze lemon juice to brighten the dish’s overall taste profile.
- Final Assembly: Gently incorporate cooked green beans, charred spring onions, and fresh parsley leaves, ensuring even distribution of ingredients.
- Serving Presentation: Transfer paella to a serving plate and garnish with a lemon wedge, adding a final burst of citrusy freshness.
Notes
- Char Strategically: Achieve deep flavor by carefully blackening spring onions and vegetables, which develops rich, smoky undertones without burning.
- Precision Chopping: Cut vegetables uniformly to ensure even cooking and consistent texture throughout the paella.
- Liquid Management: Control moisture by allowing stock to fully evaporate, creating the signature crispy bottom layer (socarrat) traditional in authentic paella.
- Temperature Control: Gradually increase skillet heat when adding rice to enhance flavor complexity and prevent sticking or burning.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: UK
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 0mg