This traditional Spanish vegetable paella recipe is one of my favorites. It's a typical dish from Murcia, where they still make paellas on an open fire! This is a vegetarian paella recipe, and the perfect addition to your next barbecue.
Love paella recipes? Don't miss these reader-favorite ones for prawn and chorizo paella and black paella.
Introduction
Whether you call it paella or not, we all agree that Spanish rice dishes can be exceptionally good. This easy vegetable paella recipe is a bit different than the "classic" paella, but the earliest Spanish paellas were actually made with rabbit and snails--no seafood or chorizo in sight!
My favorite Spanish paellas come from the region of Murcia, where gigantic paella pans are set atop burning grapevines and used to make some of the most delicious family-style meals imaginable.
This vegetarian paella recipe (Arroz de Verduras a la Murciana) is a rice dish that makes use of all the fresh and delicious vegetables that are grown in Murcia. Colorful, healthy and mouthwatering, this easy vegetable paella recipe is one of the simplest I've encountered, and it is truly delicious.
Ingredients
Curious what you need to replicate this Murcian vegetable paella in your own home? Not surprisingly, you'll need a lot of veggies, but this recipe comes together in a snap. Let's chat about the key ingredients...
- Rice: Like in any paella, it's best to use a Spanish short-grain rice, such as Bomba, as it will absorb three times its weight in liquid without going soggy. If you must substitute, use another short-grain variety such as Arborio--although the texture won't be the same.
- Saffron: Although this spice is expensive, it can't be replicated with anything else! It adds a mild flavor and a beautiful yellow hue to the rice.
- Fresh Veggies: I used a variety of veggies that are available in Murcia, but you can change these up according to what's seasonal in your area. I recommend trying tomatoes, mushrooms, green beans, red pepper, artichoke hearts, and asparagus.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Murcian-Style Vegetarian Paella
If you’d like to see the full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe card.
- Heat some olive oil in a paella (a wide, shallow pan with handles; or use the biggest skillet you own). Add the mushrooms and cook then until they're softened, then remove them with a slotted spoon. (image 1)
- Add the garlic cloves to the hot oil and cook them until they're browned. (image 2)
- Mash the garlic cloves in a mortar and pestle along with the parsley and saffron. (image 3)
- Add all of the vegetables to the pan and sauté them in the remaining hot oil. (image 4)
- Add the garlic paste and mushrooms to the veggies. (image 5)
- Pour in one cup of stock and simmer the mixture for 20 minutes. (image 6)
- Add the rice and remaining 4 cups of stock to the pan, then stir until just combined. (image 7)
- Bring the paella to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is al dente and has absorbed the liquid. (image 8)
- Let the rice rest, covered with a kitchen towel, off the heat for 5 minutes. Then place the paella over high heat. When you hear a sizzle, let it cook for 30 seconds, then remove immediately. It shouldn't smell burnt! This creates the amazing soccorrat crust on the bottom. (image 9)
- Serve this Murcian-style vegetable paella right away and enjoy! (image 10)
Recipe FAQs
A paella (pronounced pi-EH-yah) is a traditional Spanish rice dish made from short-grain rice, vegetables, and meat such as rabbit and snails cooked in a wide, shallow pan. One of the key ingredients is saffron, which gives the rice its flavor and distinctive yellow hue.
Vegetable paella is made with many of the same ingredients as a non-vegetarian paella. This Murcian-style paella includes vegetables like mushrooms, tomatoes, red pepper, and artichoke along with the traditional ingredients of short-grain rice, stock or broth, saffron, and olive oil.
There are a few "secret ingredients" when it comes to making a perfect, authentic Spanish paella. It's important to use a short-grain Spanish rice, like Bomba, because it can absorb three times its weight in liquid without getting soggy. It's also important to use real saffron instead of food dye, which is the dupe that many touristy restaurants unfortunately use.
Also, another key to a perfect paella isn't an ingredient; it's a cooking technique needed to achieve the crispy browned crust on the bottom called soccorrat. Read the recipe below to see how to achieve this!
Serve
This Murcian-style vegetable paella is a hearty meal all on its own! However, if you want to make it into a huge spread, I recommend rounding it out with a vegetarian tapa and a glass of cava sangria. If you have any room left, munch on a few mantecados for dessert!
Expert Tips
- While you can make this recipe in a skillet, using a paella (a special wide, shallow pan with handles) gives the best result, as does cooking on a gas stove or any sort of open flame.
- Can't find Spanish paella rice? Substitute with Arborio--although realize it won't be the same.
- You can use whatever kind of mushrooms you have available, although try this with wild mushrooms if you can!
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Murcian Style Vegetable Paella
Ingredients
- 2 cups short-grain paella rice like Calasparra or Bomba
- 1 cup mushrooms diced
- 2 ripe tomatoes peeled and diced
- 1 sweet red pepper cut into thin strips
- 2 cups green beans cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 bunch asparagus cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 artichoke hearts quartered
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon saffron threads
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 5 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock if you are not vegetarian
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a paella (a wide, shallow pan with handles) or the largest, widest skillet you have. Add the diced mushrooms and cook until softened and browned, then remove them with a slotted spoon and set them aside.
- In the same oil, fry the cloves of garlic until they're browned and tender. Remove the garlic from the pan and mash it in a mortar and pestle with the parsley and saffron.
- Add all of the remaining vegetables to the pan and sauté them in the hot olive oil for 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic paste and the mushrooms (along with any juices) back to the pan, then pour in one cup of stock and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
- Add the 2 cups of rice and 4 remaining cups of stock to the pan. Stir to combine, then bring the mixture to a boil.
- As soon as the liquid starts to boil, turn the heat to low and let it cook for 15-20 minutes. Don't stir during this time! When the rice is al dente and the liquid is absorbed, it's finished.
- To get the beloved "socarrat" (the caramelized, lightly burnt crust on the bottom of the paella), put a kitchen towel over the finished rice and let it rest for 5 minutes. Remove the towel and put the paella over high heat. Any liquid at the bottom of the pan will start to evaporate. When you hear a sizzle (in Spain we say it sounds like rain), let it caramelize for about 30 seconds. It should not smell burnt, however. Then, remove and serve immediately.
Notes
- I highly recommend cooking this in a paella (a wide, shallow pan with handles made specifically for this dish), and if possible, over a gas stove or open flame. It makes a huge difference!
- Can't find Spanish paella rice? Substitute with Arborio--although realize it won't be the same.
- You can use whatever kind of mushrooms you have available, although try this with wild mushrooms if you can!
Nutrition
Photography by Giulia Verdinelli
Lily
Hi, would love to try your recipes. Please could you explain how much you mean by a cup? I am from England
Thanks 🙂
Bona Fide Foods
The rice of Calasparra of the Region of Murcia has properties that other rice of the zone do not have. It is the best rice in the world, famous for its quality and essential for dishes such as paella. Do not miss the opportunity to taste it!
Amy
This is really interesting! I'm moving to Spain very soon and I'll definitely be trying this! thank you! (without the pork though - yuck!)
Elaine Scanlan
Love this recipe Lauren - I must admit I never eat the traditional version, but I'm always transfixed by the snail stalls in Spanish markets, particularly when there are dozens of the things trying to slither away. Think I'll stick to the pork!
Lauren Aloise
I'm not a big snails fan either, but I do love the chicken and rabbit version!
Michelle Elle
OMG your paella looks/sounds so delicious! I'm personally a big fan of the black paella (squid/octopus ink paella?). I need to buy a paella so I can make a paella!
Lauren Aloise
Yum! You definitely need a paella in your life 🙂 And I agree the squid ink one is delicious, but can be messy at home!