Vegetable Paella

Mmm paella. This is one of those wonderful dishes that tastes so rich and savory, but is secretly healthy since it’s basically all vegetables, with no fat! It sounds like it would be intimidating to make, but it’s actually quite easy enough for a weekday meal!

Ingredient
1 cup uncooked rice of your choice (Arborio, brown, basmati, etc.)
vegetable broth
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves fresh minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground Turmeric
dash of curry powder
dash of ground cayenne pepper
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 cup green peas
1/2 cup fresh broccoli florets, chopped small
salt & pepper
chives, for garnish
lettuce or spinach leaves, if desired

Instructions
Cook the rice you chose according to the directions on the package, but cook it in vegetable broth instead of water. This will infuse a lot more flavor into the rice.

While the rice is cooking, in a large skillet or shallow pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 1-1.5 minutes, or until fragrant. Add in the chickpeas, onion, tomatoes, peas, and broccoli. Sautee for 7-10 minutes, or until onions are somewhat translucent.

Add in the rice and stir to mix.

After the rice is mixed in, then add your turmeric, curry powder, and cayenne. Stir well, and then add salt & pepper to taste. The turmeric is what gives the dish that wonderful bright yellow color.

You can always add a dash more olive oil or vegetable broth if it seems the mixture is getting too dry. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 more minutes, until the flavors have been absorbed into the veggies and rice. Always taste before serving!

Place a handful of spinach leaves or a large lettuce leave on a plate, then scoop about 1-1.5 cups paella on top. Garnish with chives. Enjoy!!