Vegetable & Herb Paella with White Wine & Fresh Mint

Recipe details

Yield

5 people

Prep time

35 minutes

Cook time

50 minutes

Total time

1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups Bomba rice (or short-grain paella rice) (Bomba absorbs stock beautifully without going mushy)
• 5 cups Vegetable stock, warmed (check label is dairy-free and soy-free)
• 3/4 cup Dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio work great)
• 1/2 tsp Saffron threads, steeped in 2 tbsp warm water for 10 minutes
• 2 tsp Smoked paprika (Spanish pimentón is ideal)
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric (gives extra golden colour)
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper (for a gentle heat kick)
• 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt (plus more to taste)
• 4 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 tbsp Margarine (for finishing richness)
• 1 large Yellow onion, finely diced
• 5 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large Red bell pepper, deseeded and sliced into thin strips
• 1 large Yellow bell pepper, deseeded and sliced into thin strips
• 1 medium Zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 1 1/2 cups Cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 (14 oz) can Canned artichoke hearts in water, drained and quartered (not marinated — check label is soy-free)
• 3/4 cup Frozen peas (added at the end, straight from frozen)
• 1/2 cup Roasted red peppers (jarred), drained and sliced into strips (for garnish and extra sweetness)
• 1/2 cup loosely packed Fresh mint leaves, roughly torn (the star finishing herb — don't skip it)
• 1/3 cup loosely packed Fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 2 medium Lemon, 1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges for serving
• 1 tbsp Coconut aminos (adds subtle umami depth without soy)
• 1 medium Fresh red chilli, thinly sliced (optional, for extra heat)

Instructions

1. Pour 2 tbsp warm water into a small bowl. Add 1/2 tsp saffron threads and set aside to steep for at least 10 minutes. While it steeps, measure out your spices into a small dish: 2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, and 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Set aside.
2. Place your 5 cups vegetable stock in a medium saucepan over low heat and keep it warm while you cook — hot stock is key to a great paella.
3. Finely dice 1 large yellow onion. Place your largest cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add 3 tbsp olive oil and let it shimmer. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes until soft and just starting to turn golden.
4. While the onion softens, mince 5 cloves garlic. Deseed and slice 1 large red bell pepper and 1 large yellow bell pepper into thin strips. Slice 1 medium zucchini into 1/4-inch rounds. Set all the prepared vegetables aside.
5. Add the minced garlic and sliced bell peppers to the pan with the softened onion. Stir in the spice mix (smoked paprika, turmeric, cayenne). Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until the peppers have softened slightly and the spices are fragrant.
6. Add the sliced zucchini rounds to the pan and stir to combine. Pour in 3/4 cup dry white wine and let it sizzle and bubble. Cook for 2 minutes, scraping up any golden bits from the bottom of the pan, until the wine is mostly absorbed.
7. Add 2 cups Bomba rice to the pan. Stir everything together so the rice is coated in the oil and spiced vegetable mixture. Toast the rice for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly.
8. Add the saffron water (the liquid AND the threads) into the warm stock pot and stir. Pour the warm saffron stock — all 5 cups — into the pan along with 1 tbsp coconut aminos. Stir once to distribute everything evenly, then DO NOT stir again from this point on. This is the paella promise — no more stirring lets the magical crust (socarrat) form on the bottom.
9. Arrange the drained and quartered artichoke hearts and halved cherry tomatoes across the top of the rice, pressing them in gently. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a lively simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook uncovered and undisturbed for 18–20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is nearly cooked through.
10. While the paella cooks, halve 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes if not already done, drain and quarter the artichoke hearts if not already done, and drain and slice 1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers into strips. These are your beautiful garnishes. Also roughly tear 1/2 cup fresh mint and roughly chop 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley. Set herbs aside.
11. Scatter 3/4 cup frozen peas and the sliced roasted red pepper strips over the top of the paella. Do not stir. Cover the pan tightly with foil and cook for a further 5 minutes. The peas will steam through and the bottom crust will form.
12. Remove the foil. To develop the socarrat (the golden crust), turn the heat up to medium-high for exactly 2–3 minutes. You should hear a gentle crackling from the bottom — that's the good stuff. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn.
13. Remove from heat. Add 1 tbsp margarine and squeeze over the juice of 1 lemon. Let the paella rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
14. Scatter the torn fresh mint and chopped parsley generously all over the top. Lay the roasted red pepper strips across the surface decoratively. Add sliced fresh red chilli if using. Serve directly from the pan with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing. Encourage everyone to scrape up the golden socarrat from the bottom — it's the chef's reward.