Vegetable Paella With Chorizo

Name: Vegetable Paella With Chorizo
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow or white onion (about 1/2 small onion); 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 1/2 cups medium-grain paella rice, such as Bomba or Calasparra (about 10 ounces); 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika; Kosher salt and black pepper; 3 1/2 cups 1-inch cauliflower florets (about 10 ounces); 2 1/2 cups halved brussels sprouts, quartered if large (about 10 ounces); 1 cup fresh or frozen peas (about 5 ounces); 1/4 pound/4 ounces cured Spanish chorizo sausage, skin removed, sliced 1/4-inch thick; 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth; Chopped scallions and lemon wedges, for serving

By Kay Chun

Total Time: 45 minutes
Rating: 4(1,736)
Comments: Read comments

This weeknight paella comes together in just three basic steps: Sweat the aromatics, bake until tender, then return to the stovetop to cook until the rice becomes crunchy. It becomes even more weeknight-friendly if you take advantage of store-bought pre-cut vegetables to cut down on prep time. For a more protein-rich dish, season a dozen medium shrimp with olive oil, salt and pepper and nestle them into the paella during the last 5 minutes of baking. If preparing the dish for vegetarians, skip the chorizo, swap in vegetable broth and add an extra pinch of paprika, if desired. The only non-negotiable step is finishing the paella over direct flame on the stovetop so the rice at the bottom of the pan forms a delectable crust, also known as soccarat.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½cup finely chopped yellow or white onion (about ½ small onion)
5garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2tablespoons tomato paste
1½cups medium-grain paella rice, such as Bomba or Calasparra (about 10 ounces)
½teaspoon smoked paprika
Kosher salt and black pepper
3½cups 1-inch cauliflower florets (about 10 ounces)
2½cups halved brussels sprouts, quartered if large (about 10 ounces)
1cup fresh or frozen peas (about 5 ounces)
¼pound/4 ounces cured Spanish chorizo sausage, skin removed, sliced ¼-inch thick
3½cups low-sodium chicken broth
Chopped scallions and lemon wedges, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a 12-inch cast-iron or ovenproof skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until lightly caramelized, about 2 minutes. Stir in rice, paprika and remaining 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until well combined and rice begins to toast, about 1 minute.
Step 2
Stir in cauliflower, brussels sprouts, peas, chorizo and broth, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered and without stirring, until rice is tender and all of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Step 3
Transfer paella to stovetop and cook over medium heat, without stirring, to crisp up the bottom layer of rice, 2 to 3 minutes. You will hear it crackle; be careful not to burn. Let stand for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with scallions and serve with lemon wedges.

Ratings

4 out of 5

1,736 user ratings

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Comments

Ron Nemirow6 years ago

The amount of rice the recipe calls for leaves a uselessly small amount of rice in the sack of Arroz Bomba I had (0.5 kilo), and so I used the entire sack, increased the stock by 1/4 cup, and doubled the smoked paprika. It was very popular. This is a very forgiving recipe. Next time I make it, I’ll add green olives and anything I feel like.

Emily6 years ago

Good, simple paella. You will get better soccarat with high heat and a longer cook time than 2-3 minutes. Also only add enough chicken stock to cover the rice. I didn't need the whole 3.5 cups stock.

Max D.6 years ago

Sure, it’s not authentic, but all my three kids ate it up and asked for seconds, and they are not fans or cauliflower or Brussels sprouts. Fun to make and a joy to eat. P.S. we ended up adding shrimp. Good suggestion.

Kristen3 months ago

This was awesome! I used fresh (not cured) chorizo because that's what was available. I sauteed it at the start, removed to a plate, then started the veg in the same pan and carried on from there. Kids liked it other than the one who picked over the chorizo because it's "too 'picy".

Kalpana6 months ago

I have made this several times now. Here are the changes I have made which make this into a fantastic dish. 1. This uses too much stock. For 2 cups of rice, use 3 1/2 cups of stock. 2. Create stock using saffron. Boil the water, add two pinches of high quality saffron, and use that instead of the regular stock. Salt that water liberally. 3. Use mushrooms, bell peppers, black olives, and green beans instead of Brussels sprouts and cauliflower.

LindaL7 months ago

This was very tasty. I was not really able to get it "crispy," but maybe I need to fry it a bit more on the stovetop.

Kalpana6 months ago

Linda, once you remove it from the oven, put it on the stovetop with high heat. The moment you start hearing the crackle, count the seconds. Remove from the heat in two minutes.

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