Spanish Vegetable Paella

Spanish vegetable paella with saffron rice, peppers, green beans, artichokes and tomatoes cooked in a wide pan until the grains are tender.

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A good paella is about rice absorbing flavour without constant stirring. Once the stock goes in, let the rice settle and cook evenly across the pan.

Ingredients

• 400 g paella rice or bomba rice
• 1.2 litres vegetable stock (hot)
• 0.5 tsp saffron threads (soaked in 2 tbsp hot stock)
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 red capsicum (sliced)
• 180 g green beans (trimmed and cut into pieces)
• 200 g artichoke hearts (quartered)
• 300 g ripe tomatoes (grated or finely chopped)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 120 g peas (fresh or frozen)
• 1 lemon (cut into wedges)
• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)

Step-by-step method

1. Warm the stock and stir the saffron into a small portion of it. Keep the remaining stock hot on a low heat beside the stove.
2. Heat the olive oil in a wide paella pan or large shallow frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, capsicum and green beans and cook for 6–8 minutes until starting to soften.
3. Add the garlic and artichokes and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the tomatoes and cook for 5–7 minutes until they reduce into a thick sofrito.
4. Add the smoked and sweet paprika and stir for only 20 seconds so the spices do not burn.
5. Scatter the rice evenly over the pan and stir for 1 minute to coat the grains in the sofrito.
6. Pour in the hot stock and saffron mixture. Add the salt, shake the pan gently to distribute the rice, then stop stirring.
7. Simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes, then reduce to medium-low and cook for another 10–12 minutes. Add the peas during the final 5 minutes.
8. When the liquid is nearly absorbed, raise the heat for 30–60 seconds to encourage a light toasted layer on the bottom. Listen for a faint crackle but stop if you smell burning.
9. Remove from the heat, cover loosely with a clean towel or foil and rest for 5–10 minutes. Finish with parsley and lemon wedges before serving.