Budget Spanish Vegetable Paella for Four

Mushrooms and lima beans make this saffron paella substantial enough to serve as a main. The recipe serves four, and pantry staples keep the shopping list short.

Choosing saffron for this recipe

If you need to buy saffron online, choose whole threads so you can measure the amount listed in the recipe.

The mushrooms and lima beans give this paella enough substance for four servings. If your pantry has a different mix of vegetables, compare the ingredients in Spanish pantry vegetable paella before shopping.

How to Make Budget Spanish Vegetable Paella for Four

1. Pour 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil into a paella pan or a large sturdy skillet one which is over a medium-high heat. After about one minute, season it with some sea salt.
2. 12 button mushrooms, which are washed and patted with some paper towels, need to cut into quarters. Add the chopped mushrooms into the pan and mix them frequently for 2 minutes.
3. Now, it’s better to make a well in the middle of the pan for adding half of an onion which is diced. Be careful, in order to avoid burning, mix everything together repeatedly.
4. After 2 minutes, add 5minced garlic and combine them for 30 seconds.
5. One teaspoon of sweet smoked Spanish paprika, ½ cup of canned tomato sauce, one cup of cooked lima beans should be added to fried garlic. Season them with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, and mix them for one minute.
6. Pour 4 ½ cups of vegetable broth, and pinch in ½ teaspoon of high quality saffron threads. The best way to infusing saffron into broth is letting it boil for one extra minute.
7. Sprinkle 2 cups of round rice around the pan and mix them gently. The rice would disrupt, if you mix them after this step. Give the pan quick shake from time to time, instead of mixing.
8. After around 10 minutes, lower the fire to a low-medium heat and let it simmer between 3-4 minutes once there is no broth left in the pan.
9. Heat the pan for 60-90 seconds over medium-high heat to create Socarrat, the famous layer of caramelized burnt rice underneath.
10. Remove the pan from the heat, and let the rice, which is covered with aluminum foil and a dish cloth, rest for 5 minutes.
11. Uncover the paella pan and sprinkle some freshly chopped parsley to make the dish more beautiful.

Use a wide skillet so the rice cooks in a shallow layer. For a tomato-and-green-bean version, see vegan paella Valenciana.