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    Home » Entrees » Vegan Paella with Quinoa

    Vegan Paella with Quinoa

    Aug 28, 2018 · Updated: Dec 3, 2022 by Dee Dine · Affliate links disclosure.

    Jump to Recipe

    This vegan paella, brimming with mushrooms, artichokes, and quinoa, is a vegan version of the popular Spanish Mediterranean seafood dish. Made plant-based by replacing rice and fish with mushrooms, artichokes, and super healthy quinoa infused with saffron, providing a powerful protein punch! Serve hot or cold!

    Overhead shot of quinoa in a vegan paella dish on a metal background.

    Vegan Paella with Quinoa

    This vegan paella is a takeoff of the traditional Spanish dish made of rice, seafood, and exotic spices such as saffron. Pronounced "pie-ay-ah", this delicious dish is a celebrated standard meal in Spain.

    Table of Contents
    • Vegan Paella with Quinoa
    • Ingredients in Vegan Paella
    • How to Make Vegan Paella with Quinoa
    • How Does Vegan Paella Taste?
    • All About Quinoa
    • Resources Needed to Make Vegan Paella
    • Tips to Make the Best Vegan Paella
    • More Vegan Comfort Foods
    • Vegan Paella with Mushrooms, Artichokes, and Quinoa

    In my early 20s, I vacationed in Mallorca, a beautiful island off the coast of Spain. I stayed at a tiny inn on the second flour of a restaurant. And I was told to place my order for the next day's paella - the only dish the restaurant served - 24 hours in advance.

    They actually cooked the rice and seafood mixture that long to build the flavors. So I decided to make a plant-based version.

    Here, I subbed the traditional paella's bomba or arborio rice for quinoa for fiber and protein and to be gluten-free, and artichokes and mushrooms replace the seafood. Saffron is the spicy star in both my new vegan version. I also added a dash of paprika and veggie broth for flavor. And quinoa is the protein star.

    Ingredients in Vegan Paella

    For rice

    quinoa
    vegetable broth
    saffron
    peas
    parsley
    paprika

    For veggies to add to rice

    artichoke hearts
    white mushrooms
    scallions
    red pepper
    tomato
    carrots
    black olives

    How to Make Vegan Paella with Quinoa

    Quinoa vegan paella is quite easy to make.

    The quinoa itself is double-cooked, but as I said, cooking doesn't change it's protein content.

    1. First prepare the quinoa, simmering it in water (1 parts quinoa to 2 parts water), similar to cooking rice. Actually here I simmered it in organic vegetable broth for added flavor.

    2. Then prepare the vegetables. I just tossed in all the veggies I had, so you can vary it up based on what's in your refrigerator. I would just pay a bit of attention to adding some color as in carrots or red peppers, and sun dried tomatoes for more flavor.

    3. Then brown the veggies in a bit of avocado oil and sauteed green onions. I used avocado oil to add a buttery quality to the mix, but you can use olive oil if that is what you have on hand.

    4. Add the browned veggies to the prepared quinoa, toss and simmer the mixture on very low heat, without stirring, just long enough to create a thin crust on the bottom.

    How Does Vegan Paella Taste?

    This wonderful dish has all the flavors:

    Saffron Spice

    Unami

    Onion

    Garlic

    Vinegrette

    and it fills so very filling with that hefty quinoa.

    All About Quinoa

    You probably already know about quinoa, but I'm going to share specifics anyway since I'm writing it up for the ingredient list in my upcoming book!

    Quinoa (pronounced “keenwah”) is a seed, not a grain. It is actually considered a pseudo-cereal (as are amaranth and buckwheat) and is actually a member of the spinach and beet family.

    No matter the label, quinoa has a high-protein content (4g of protein per ½ cup). It also has a low glycemic index, is high in magnesium, iron, fiber, and manganese. And finally, it is one of the few plants that provides all the essential amino acids.

    Quinoa can actually be eaten raw (as popped quinoa toppings on yogurt or ice cream) or cooked as in this recipe. In both situations, however, rinse it in a strainer to remove the bitter residue of saponins, a natural occurring plant-defense.

    Resources Needed to Make Vegan Paella

    There are actually paella pans that are meant to help you make the traditional paella bottom crust. That crust is a quintessential aspect of a traditional paella.

    I didn't use one, but if you want, here is a paella pan in case you are interested.

    You'll also need raw quinoa, white mushrooms, canned artichokes in water, green onions and parsley. Oh, and feel free to toss in more veggies, including red peppers, celery, cauliflower, chickpeas.

    Tips to Make the Best Vegan Paella

    1. Make your quinoa in a vegetable broth, not water for this dish.

    2. Brown some green onions and chopped garlic in avocado oil, and saute as many of the vegetables as you can in this before adding them to your quinoa paella mix.

    These two tips will give your paella a strong flavor.

    Serve this recipe as a main dish or a side.

    I hope you try this easy and delightful recipe!

    More Vegan Comfort Foods

    Vegan Meatballs
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    Vegan Artichoke Quinoa Paella

    Vegan Paella with Mushrooms, Artichokes, and Quinoa

    This vegan paella, brimming with mushrooms, artichokes, and quinoa, is a vegan version of the popular Spanish Mediterranean seafood dish. Made plant-based by replacing rice and fish with mushrooms, artichokes, and super healthy quinoa infused with saffron, providing a powerful protein punch! Serve hot or cold!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine Mediterranean, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free
    Servings 4
    Calories 366 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Veggies to Add to Paella

    • 2 tablespoon avocado oil (or use olive oil)
    • 1 clove garlic chopped
    • 1 can artichoke hearts quartered
    • 5-8 white mushrooms diced
    • 5 scallions (green onions, chopped
    • 1 red pepper diced
    • 1 tomato diced
    • ½ cup carrots shredded
    • black olives diced

    Vegan Paella Quinoa "rice"

    • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and boiled
    • 2 cups vegetable broth
    • ¼ teaspoon saffron threads
    • handful of peas
    • parsley diced
    • pinch paprika

    Useful Equipment

    • Paella Pan
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    Instructions
     

    Saute Veggies

    • Heat the oil, saute the scallions and garlic until fragrant and soft.
      Add in the artichokes, mushrooms, and other veggies and stir for a few minutes to heat the veggies and allow for slight browning on edges. Don’t over cook.

    Make Quinoa

    • Turn pan off, let the veggies rest uncovered, and prepare quinoa.
      Set 2 cups of vegetable broth and saffron threads to boil.
      Rinse 1 cup of quinoa in a sieve for a minute to clear away bitter coating, add to the pot, turn down to simmer and simmer about 5 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and you see curly tails on the quinoa kernels.
      Be careful not to burn.

    Combine and Brown

    • Transfer the cook quinoa to a serving pan or a paella pan, and fold in veggies carefully.
      Stir in a bit more vegetable broth if it seems dry. It should be sticky, so if you were to grab a handful and squeeze, it would stick together. (but don't do that, haha)
      Transfer quinoa to a serving pan, and fold in veggies carefully, and then toss in parsley, peas and paprika for color. Put the pan back on the stove, on simmer to the bottom a bit to create a flavorful crust on the bottom but don't burn it. I used a plain nonstick skillet but you can use a paella pan made for this - I linked to in above.
      Scoop and serve warm!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 366kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 9gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 866mgPotassium: 547mgFiber: 7gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 5250IUVitamin C: 67.5mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 3.3mg
    Keyword easy side, quinoa paella, stirfry, summer picnic, vegan paella
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    About Dee

    Chocolate and ginger enthusiast. Dog and bird lover. I'm probably chopping chocolate in my Washington DC kitchen right now. More about Dee and Green Smoothie Gourmet »

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    Dee Dine of Green Smoothie Gourmet

    I'm Dee, sharing delicious, science-centric recipes using nourishing plant-based foods laser-focused on nutritional impact. No matter your tastes, I hope you'll find a recipe to love. About Dee →

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