Paella is a comfort meal-in-a-skillet, along the lines of other rice and vegetable pilafs like Indian biryani, Asian fried rice, Creole jambalaya, and West African theboudienne.
Our vegetable paella includes the traditional Valencian ingredients white rice, artichokes, white beans, saffron, and rosemary and not-so-traditional leeks, fennel, sweet peppers, and bay. No need to invest in a paella pan; a 10-inch cast-iron or other heavy skillet or Dutch oven works fine. If you are a beginner cook, this is a good dish to try; you’ll be rewarded with a tasty, bountiful meal to feed your family and friends.
Serves 4 to 6
Yields about 7 cups
Time: about 1 hour
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped leeks, white and tender green parts
1 tablespoon minced or pressed garlic
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1½ teaspoons salt, plus more as needed
1½ cups diced red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, or a combination
⅓ cup dry sherry
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 cup diced fresh tomatoes, or 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (15-ounce) can butter beans or cannellini beans, drained
¾ cup medium-grain white rice
¼ teaspoon saffron
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1½ cups water
1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen (optional)
In a paella pan, large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, or Dutch oven on medium heat, warm the oil and add the leeks, garlic, fennel, paprika, and salt. Cover and cook until the leeks soften. Add a few splashes of water if needed to prevent sticking. Stir in the bell peppers and sherry and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the artichoke hearts, tomatoes, beans, rice, saffron, bay leaf, and rosemary. Pour in the water and stir well. Cover with a tight-fitting lid or aluminum foil and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been mostly absorbed. Remove the lid, sprinkle on the green peas if using (frozen straight from the freezer works), cover, and steam the peas for about 5 minutes. If all the liquid has not been absorbed, remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and cover the pan with a clean dishtowel. Replace the lid on top of the towel and set aside for 10 minutes.
Just before serving, remove and discard the bay leaf and rosemary sprig. Stir to fluff the rice and distribute the vegetables and beans. Season with additional salt to taste.
A meal unto itself: Start with a bowl of Spiced Nuts to generate excitement.