Vegetarian Paella
Don’t be intimidated by the number of ingredients in the paella (pi-AY-ya). This is an easy dish to make, and the results are splendid. If saffron isn’t available, substitute 1 teaspoon turmeric (but don’t dissolve in water).
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Don’t be intimidated by the number of ingredients in the paella (pi-AY-ya). This is an easy dish to make, and the results are splendid. If saffron isn’t available, substitute 1 teaspoon turmeric (but don’t dissolve in water).
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 to 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 2-inch-long strips
- 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 2-inch-long strips
- 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
- 15-oz. can vegetable broth
- 2 cups uncooked quick-cooking brown rice
- 1 tsp. saffron threads, dissolved in small amount of hot water
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp. salt
Preparation
Meal plan: To complete this one-dish meal, add a salad of mixed greens tossed with seedless orange sections and toasted sliced almonds, dressed in a low-fat vinaigrette. End with any fresh fruit left from the week.
In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Set aside half the red pepper strips for garnish. Add all remaining pepper strips to onion mixture and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes (with liquid), broth, rice, saffron mixture, thyme and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
Stir in artichoke hearts, peas, half the parsley and salt. Season with freshly ground pepper to taste and add a little water to moisten if needed. Cook, stirring, just until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Transfer paella to large, shallow serving dish and garnish with circle of reserved red pepper strips. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve hot.
Nutrition Information
- Calories 372
- Carbohydrate Content 67 g
- Cholesterol Content 0.5 mg
- Fat Content 6 g
- Fiber Content 6 g
- Protein Content 10 g
- Saturated Fat Content 1 g
- Sodium Content 611 mg
- Sugar Content 0 g