Try this delicious and easy vegetarian paella recipe for dinner tonight and you'll be pleasantly surprised about how simple it is to put together. Paella is a great veggie meal that anyone can make. It's suitable for vegans and jam-packed full of delicious, healthy veggies.
How to make a brilliant vegetable paella
The key to making a vegetable paella that your kids will love is to fill it full of things they already like. For us that includes red peppers, peas and black olives.
With R we don’t have much in the way to go on in terms of vegetables that he likes but he did eat all the olives!
I've also added in fennel and butterbeans because:
a. they are both delicious
b. both work really well in paella, and
c. it's a great chance to serve up something new for the kids to get used to.
My paella recipe is easily adaptable
You can adjust this recipe to suit you. For example, you could swap the butter beans for a meat substitute like Quorn if you prefer.
However, I do think the butter beans work really well in this dish so give them a go if you can.
If you can’t find (or don't like) fennel feel free to substitute another onion, more peppers, or another vegetable that you like.
Broad beans and green beans also work well if you’re making this in summer.
Paella brings back holiday memories
R has been asking me to make paella for him at least once a week since we went to Valencia last year.
We stayed in a tiny beach resort that only had one cafe. Every lunch time we queued up with the Spanish holidaymakers to choose our lunch from the counter. R absolutely loved the traditional paella that he had there.
I'm not sure that my version will ever be as good as the Valencian paella made in the biggest pan you've ever seen, with fresh local ingredients, and enjoyed after a busy morning playing on the beach, but it's a pretty great meal nonetheless.
Vegetable paella is a great way to eat lots of veggies
This easy vegetarian paella recipe is also a fantastic way to up your vegetable intake if you're trying to get close to eating ten a day.
And you can always add even more veggies to your paella if you want to.
If you're looking for more vegetable ideas for kids you might find this collection of 35 deliciously tempting vegetable recipes for kids useful.
Is this paella suitable for vegans?
Yes, my vegetable paella is 100% vegan friendly.
In fact it's a brilliant meal for vegans as it contains lots of healthy vegetables and a portion of protein in the form of butterbeans.
Plus it's absolutely delicious of course.
If you like this you might also like my vegan jambalaya.
Pin easy vegetarian paella for later
How to make my colourful vegetarian paella:
If you have made this recipe I would love it if you’d leave a comment and rating below. Thank you!
Easy and colourful vegetable paella
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion finely sliced
- 2 peppers red, yellow or orange, thinly sliced
- 1 small fennel bulb cut into thin strips, optional
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp saffron optional
- ½ tsp chilli powder to taste optional
- 300 g paella rice paella rice can be found in most big supermarkets
- 900 ml hot vegetable stock
- 400 g tin of butter beans drained and rinsed
- 100 g peas frozen are fine
- 1 small jar of black olives drained and rinsed
- A small handful of parsley finely chopped
- Lemon wedges to serve
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add 1 sliced onion and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes until soft and golden. Stir often.
- Add the 2 sliced peppers and sliced fennel, stir well, and continue to stir and cook for a further ten minutes until soft.
- Add two cloves of crushed garlic and the spices (1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp saffron and ½ tsp chilli powder if using). Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add 300g paella rice and stir so that it is coated in the vegetable mixture.
- Pour in 900ml vegetable stock, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and leave to bubble away for 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked. You don’t need to stir.
- A couple of minutes before the rice is due to be cooked add the rinsed butterbeans, 100g peas and the jar of olives and stir in.
- Cover with a lid or foil and leave for 10 minutes.
- Add the chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot with lemon wedges.
HAVE YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE?
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Sarah
Very good! I think i needed a touch more liquid for my rice to be 100% done. I omitted the olives and fennel, added corn as i had it on hand. My husband grilled shrimp to go with his. Healthy comfort food.
Mandy Mazliah
Glad you enjoyed it Sarah - interesting that you needed more liquid - probably different varieties vary slightly.
Julie's Family Kitchen
Ooh this look heavenly and my eldest daughter would love the black olives too.
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks Julie - my kids all love olives which I find really surprising!
Severien Vits
This looks so good, it would make a great variation to our usual fried rice!
Mandy Mazliah
Hope you enjoy it Severien!
The Peachicks Bakery
That looks lovely! The Peachicks would love this and its a great way of getting veggies in them!
Mandy Mazliah
It's a great way to use any veggies that your kids like as well! Hope you enjoy it Midge x
Juliet evans
This looks absolutely delicious. I love the addition of the fennel and the beans, perfect. My kids should eat this too, I'll definitely be trying it out on them and will let you know! Thanks
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks Juliet - I'd love to hear what you think if you do make it - hope you enjoy!
Mel - Healing Gracie's Gut
Oh yummy this sounds so delish!
Mandy Mazliah
It's a really tasty dinner Mel - thanks for commenting x
Natalia
We love paella! Need to try this colourful recipe. Thank you so much for sharing.
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks so much Natalia - hope you enjoy it!