{"id":17835,"date":"2016-06-24T13:04:50","date_gmt":"2016-06-24T19:04:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.blissfulbasil.com\/?p=17835"},"modified":"2021-04-27T12:44:50","modified_gmt":"2021-04-27T18:44:50","slug":"mushroom-paella-vegan-gluten-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blissfulbasil.com\/mushroom-paella-vegan-gluten-free\/","title":{"rendered":"Mushroom Paella + Tips for Making Paella"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are few dishes as flavor-packed, comforting, and vibrant as paella. This vegan mushroom paella packs a rich punch of flavor thanks to a sofrito base, hearty mushrooms, and artichoke hearts. It's cooked to perfection with lots of tender rice at the center of the skillet and that delectable golden-brown paella crust at the edges.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Vegan<\/a><\/p>\n

There are few dishes\u00a0as flavor-packed, comforting, and vibrant as paella. A quick google search for \"paella\" or even \"vegan paella\" unveils\u00a0thousands of recipes, each of which approach the dish with a subtly different technique. That said, there seem to be a few elements that most consider to be fundamental to the dish . . .<\/p>\n

1| The type of pan matters. Paella is the Valencian word for \"pan\", which makes perfect sense given that this rice-based dish\u00a0is a one-pan meal. There is such a thing as a \"paella pan\" but a cast iron skillet works well too.<\/p>\n

2| All paellas start with a\u00a0sofrito<\/em> (i.e., flavor base) of chopped or julienned veggies cooked in oil.The vegetables caramelize as they cook in the oil, taking\u00a0on deeper, richer flavors. Thus, the sofrito serves as an important flavor building block in\u00a0paella. A basic sofrito\u00a0almost always\u00a0includes tomatoes and garlic but onions and red bell peppers are sometimes added\u00a0as well.<\/p>\n

3| Unlike stirring-intensive, one-pan rice dishes (e.g., Risotto), for paella, once you add\u00a0the rice and broth to the pan, you stir it once and leave it alone. Risotto = stir it like it's hot; Paella = forget it exists.<\/p>\n

4| Speaking of rice, short-grain, highly-absorbent rice is vital\u00a0to achieving the right texture, look, and feel. If you use a longer,\u00a0less\u00a0absorbent type of rice, you run the risk of creating a mushy, gummy paella. No one wants that. Bomba<\/em>\u00a0is often the go-to paella rice in Spain; however, Arborio rice works well too.<\/p>\n

5|\u00a0The\u00a0Socarrat.\u00a0<\/em>Considered by many to be the most delectable portion of paella,\u00a0socarrat<\/em> is the crunchy, golden-brown rice crust that forms along the bottom and sides of the pan as the rice cooks. Depending on the type of pan and the heat used, the\u00a0socarrat<\/em> either naturally develops throughout cooking (another reason not<\/em> to stir)\u00a0or<\/em> the heat is turned up for the last 60 seconds of cooking to gently caramelize and toast the rice on the bottom of the pan.<\/p>\n

6| Saffron. The thread-like spice flavors the dish and infuses it with that beloved golden hue. It's all too appropriate that saffron\u00a0is considered to be the \"gold standard\" paella spice\u00a0given its steep price tag. I was grateful to find\u00a0a teaspoon of saffron for $2.99 at a small neighborhood grocer, so I did use it for this recipe. However, feel free to omit or substitute with a pinch of ground turmeric.<\/p>\n

\"Vegan<\/p>\n

I had mushroom\u00a0paella on my to-make list for nearly\u00a0a year, but always felt intimated by the dish. However, after a prolonged period of\u00a0dilly-dallying, a surge of determination washed over me late last week, and I decided that this would be the week I'd finally\u00a0tackle it.<\/p>\n

Now that I'm on the flipside of my paella woes, I've realized that there's nothing to fear (except maybe the sudden urge to devour an entire skillet full of the stuff).<\/p>\n

\"Vegan<\/a><\/p>\n

To make this vegan mushroom paella, you'll start by dry cooking the mushrooms. I used a combination of baby bella (i.e., cremini), button, and porcini mushrooms, but feel free to mix and match as you please.<\/p>\n

Dry cooking intensifies the mushrooms' flavor, ensures a hearty, meaty texture, and seasons the pan to boot. Once the mushrooms are just about done cooking,\u00a0you'll season them with a bit of olive oil and parsley. Then, scoop them out of the pan and set aside.<\/p>\n

\"Vegan<\/a><\/p>\n

Next, you'll get to work on that flavorful sofrito.<\/p>\n

I made the sofrito\u00a0with a combination of julienned red bell pepper and red onion, diced tomatoes, and lots of garlic to\u00a0infuse the paella\u00a0with as much flavor as possible.<\/p>\n

Cook those veggies until they're tender and caramelized.<\/p>\n

\"Vegan<\/a><\/p>\n

Next, stir in quartered artichoke hearts and cook for just a minute or two more before adding the Arborio rice. Gently stir-fry the rice until it just begins to turn\u00a0translucent. Then, add plenty of vegetable broth, a small amount of water, and a generous pinch of saffron. Stir once and leave it alone.<\/p>\n

The rice will begin to puff up about 10 minutes into cooking. At that point, you'll add the mushrooms back to the pan and gently stir and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, or until the rice is tender.\u00a0Then, remove\u00a0the pan from the\u00a0heat, loosely cover it with foil, and allow the paella to rest for 10 minutes.<\/p>\n

And the last step?\u00a0Uncover that beautiful paella and season it to taste with sea salt, fresh parsley, and a generous spritz of fresh lemon juice. Perfection.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Vegan<\/a><\/p>\n

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\ud83d\udcd6 Recipe<\/h2>
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4.56<\/span> from 9<\/span> votes<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Mushroom Paella<\/h2>\n
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There are few dishes as flavor-packed, comforting, and vibrant as paella. This vegan mushroom paella packs a rich punch of flavor thanks to a sofrito base, hearty mushrooms, and artichoke hearts. It's cooked to perfection with lots of tender rice at the center of the skillet and that delectable golden-brown paella crust at the edges.<\/span><\/div>\n
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<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Course <\/span>Bigger Bites, Main Dish, Paella, Rice<\/span><\/div>
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Cuisine <\/span>Gluten-Free, Vegan<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
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<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Prep Time <\/span>15 minutes<\/span><\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/div>
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Cook Time <\/span>55 minutes<\/span><\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/div>
<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Total Time <\/span>1 hour<\/span><\/span> hour<\/span> 10 minutes<\/span><\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
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<\/g><\/svg><\/span> Servings <\/span>6<\/span> to 8<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

Ingredients<\/h3>