Paella Primavera

Name: Paella Primavera
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 2 cups of broccoli florets; 1 diced zucchini; 1/2 red onion finely chopped (optional); 1/2 each of orange and yellow peppers (you can sub with red and green too); 1 cup (240 ml) of spanish rice (I subbed with basmati) essentially, you need a short grain white rice.; 1 1/2 tsp of crushed saffron; 10 green olives, pitted and chopped; 10 red olives, pitted and chopped; cherry tomatoes (about 10 if available) OR; 2 finely chopped romas; 3 big cloves of garlic; 1/4 cup (60 ml) of finely chopped onion chives; 2 tsp of olive oil; 2 tsp parsely; 1 tsp of patatas bravas mix or essentially paprika (cannot help it – need a bit of spice); salt and pepper after cooking and before serving; Water – about a cup (use discretion as different rice cook differently)

If you think a classic paella is too “fishy”, here’s a lovely and colorful vegetarian version.

byPriya Mahadevan

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I stumbled upon a version of this recipe in a vegetarian magazine, and I must tell you, it was an extreme surprise and an uncontrollable delight – It was a veggie version of the Paella. That’s right folks, no squid, octopus or any other sea creature in it – my heart danced, really – and i was thinking if I am describing this dish to a person who has no clue what a paella is, what would I equate it to?

In Indian terms, I would say a flavorful biryani or pulao/pilaf – We all know Spain is the capitol of Saffron, that exclusive and amazing spice which we Indians have verily adopted into our cuisine. Or perhaps Saffron has also been a spice that was used widely in India – whatever the case, it is in fact the essence of this flavorful rice dish. As my luck would have it, my beautiful onion chives have these violet blossoms on them right now.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I substitute something for the saffron if I do not have it?

The notes say turmeric can be used as a substitute for saffron if unavailable, though the article calls saffron the essence of the dish for both its authentic flavor and the characteristic golden color it gives the rice.

Does this recipe need Spanish rice, or can I use another variety?

The notes explain that Spanish rice (a short-grain white rice) is best for an authentic paella texture, but the recipe itself uses basmati as a substitute and notes it works well. The key is using a short-grain white rice.

What makes this a paella without seafood or meat?

The article explains that the dish follows the fundamental paella structure — short-grain rice cooked with saffron-infused broth in a wide pan until liquid is absorbed — just substituting vegetables (broccoli, zucchini, peppers, olives, tomatoes) for the traditional seafood. The author compares the result to a flavorful Indian biryani.