Vegetarian Paella

Ingredients

• 1 cup green beans
• half cup peas
• 3 carrots, cut into small cubes
• 2 red peppers, cut into small cubes
• half cauliflower, broken into small florets
• 1 basket chopped mushrooms
• 300 grams artichoke hearts
• 1 can white beans
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 2 heaping tablespoons chopped parsley
• 4 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 1 cup tomato paste
• an eighth teaspoon saffron
• 3 cups Arborio rice
• 6 cups vegetable broth or water
• olive oil

Preparation

Note: Arborio rice is usually used for this dish from Spanish cuisine; it is a very expensive type of rice. You can replace it with risotto rice. But regular rice is not recommended.

Note: It is preferable to replace the canned white beans with beans you cook at home.

Cook the artichoke hearts in water until soft, and cut them into quarters.
Heat olive oil in a pan.
Add the onion and fry until golden.
Add the garlic and continue frying for a minute.
Add the mushrooms and fry until they release most of their liquid.
Add the vegetables according to how long they need to cook until soft.
Add the carrot, the pepper,
Add a cup of vegetable broth and salt.
And cook for a few minutes.
Add the green beans and the peas,
Add vegetable broth or water from time to time if the pan lacks liquid.
Then add the artichoke hearts.
Add the cauliflower and the white beans.
Cook for about 10 minutes.
Add tomato paste and the rest of the vegetable broth (6 cups of broth for the 3 cups of rice).
Add the saffron and the paprika.
Finally add the rice.
Add salt to taste.
Stir once, no more stirring; instead shake the pan so as not to crush the rice.
Cook on high heat for about 8 minutes.
Lower the heat and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.
The paella is ready when there is no more liquid in the pan.
Sprinkle parsley.