Spanish · medium · 45 min · serves 4
How to make paella vegan
Short answer
Replace chicken, chorizo, seafood, chicken stock with artichoke and butter beans, king oyster mushroom scallops, saffron vegetable stock. The method is unchanged and takes about 45 minutes for 4 servings.
What makes the classic version non-vegan
- Chicken
- Chorizo
- Seafood
- Chicken stock
Swap table
| Instead of | Use | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | Artichoke and butter beans | Traditional Valencian style is nearly vegan already |
| Seafood | King oyster mushroom scallops | Sear hard |
| Chicken stock | Saffron vegetable stock | Infuse the saffron first |
Method
- 1Infuse saffron in warm stock for 10 minutes.
- 2Fry onion, pepper and garlic in olive oil, then add smoked paprika and tomato.
- 3Stir in the rice for a minute, then add stock and do not stir again.
- 4Scatter over beans, artichokes and seared mushrooms; cook 18 minutes.
- 5Rest off the heat 5 minutes to build the socarrat.
The one thing people get wrong
Not stirring is the whole technique — that's how you get the crisp socarrat at the base.
Frequently asked questions
- Can paella be made vegan?
- Yes. Replace chicken, chorizo, seafood, chicken stock with artichoke and butter beans, king oyster mushroom scallops, saffron vegetable stock. The method stays essentially the same and takes about 45 minutes.
- What is the hardest part of veganizing paella?
- Not stirring is the whole technique — that's how you get the crisp socarrat at the base.
- How long does vegan paella take?
- About 45 minutes for 4 servings — a medium recipe.
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