Comments are closed

Vegan Paella

Posted by

I was jonesing for Trader Joe’s soy chorizo. So, I decided to make paella. At least 60% of the allure of paella, in my opinion, has to do with the colors and the aromas of the dish. Given that my version obviously wouldn’t contain chicken or seafood, I had to find a way to simulate the colors of the earth and of the sea, and a complexity of textures, aromas, and flavors–veggie style. I think I did a pretty good job! …. There’s my humility talking again 🙂 ….

Vegan Paella

1 shallot diced
1/2 green pepper diced
1/2 yellow pepper diced
1/2 orange pepper diced
1/2 red pepper cut into long slices
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 jalapeno diced
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/2 package Trader Joe’s soy (it’s vegan) chorizo
1 roma tomato diced
1/4 cup raw cashews whole
1/3 cup whole black olives
1/3 cup whole green olives
1/2 can artichoke hearts (approx. 5) halved
1/2 cup brown rice
3/4 cup vegetable stock
3/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 teaspoon cumin
dash cayenne pepper
pinch saffron
1/8 teaspoon of Sazon
olive oil
lemon and/or orange wedges
salt/black pepper to taste
big bunch of parsley chopped

*Preheat over to 350 degrees F
*Combine 1/2 cup wine, 1/2 cup broth, water and saffron in small pot, heat on low


*Prep vegetables

*Cook soy chorizo in 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium for 5 minutes or until slightly crunchy
*Remove soy chorizo from pan
*Add two tablespoons of olive oil to same pan, add rice, cook 3 minutes

*Remove rice from pan
*Add two tablespoons of olive oil to the same pan, add shallot, yellow, green and orange peppers, jalapeno, carrots, salt, pepper, and Sazon

*Cook 7-10 minutes or until vegetables are soft
*Add garlic, tomato, cayenne, and cumin, cook 1 -2 minutes
*Add chorizo, rice, and cooking liquid from above

*Add to baking dish (or just keep in frying pan, if it is oven proof)

*Cover and bake for 45 minutes
*Remove from oven, add peas, cashews, red pepper slices, olives, artichoke hearts, 1/4 cup of vegetable stock, 1/4 cup of wine, and half of parsley

*Cover and bake until rice is al dente (about 20-30 more minutes)
*(leave covered until ready to serve)
*Serve with remaining parsley and citrus wedges

Written by

Tiffany M. Griffin is the woman behind Como Water, Washington DC’s premiere veg-centric cuisine consulting company. Through cooking classes, demonstrations, catering, and consultations, Como Water gives people the opportunity to learn how to prepare veg-centric cuisine that boasts maximum flavor, with minimal effort. Tiffany is quickly becoming a go-to expert on the future of veg-centric cuisine, and is a regular contributor to Como Water, the blog, as well as to vegetarian and vegan sites across the Internet. For over a decade, this self-taught, entrepreneurial expert has developed a set of tried and true techniques for making simple, delicious, and sometimes decadent veg-centric dishes. Featured on the Steve Harvey Show and other leading media outlets, Tiffany was born and raised in Springfield, MA. She then earned Bachelors degrees in Psychology and Communications from Boston College and a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Michigan. She now resides in Washington DC, where she has worked in the US Senate and at a federal agency on issues around health, food, nutrition, and international food aid/development, and of course, as the owner of Como Water. Tiffany gets culinary inspiration from the food she grew up eating, and from her travels throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Western Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa. She is dedicated to sharing her wealth of knowledge on veg-centric cuisine with others and to help others live by her mantra—love life, live long, and eat veg-centric cuisine!

Comments are closed.