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Quick and Easy Paella is a great quick meal. I think Spanish Paella is a great special dish; it’s fancy and filled with yumminess. But, I think most people aren’t going to take the time to get a Paella pan and cook up a big batch of the seafood & rice stew.
Thus, enter the Quick and Easy Paella made with orzo instead of rice. All the flavors of Paella, but easier and more accessible to many people, and, my version has lots of veggie goodness.
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Recipe suggestions
This basic recipe is vegan, budget-friendly, and pretty quick.
I love to make this for my husband to take to lunch with him. I prep everything the day before, package it in a dish, and it’s an easy way for him to have a healthy yummy lunch that he can eat at his desk (though I’d prefer he get away from his desk, I know how he really is so I try to make sure it’s easy to eat). For his lunch, I’ll throw in some shredded chicken. For me, I like it in the simple vegan version.
If you’d like to add more protein to the dish, I suggest cooked shrimp, clams, chicken, or tofu will work well.
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Quick and Easy Vegetarian Paella Recipe
Quick and Easy Paella
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil , or light tasting oil of your choice
- ½ medium yellow onion , diced
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 pinch saffron threads , optional
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dry white wine
- 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
- ¼ cup chopped jarred red peppers
- ¾ cup canned artichoke quarters , drained
- Fresh parsley or chives for garnish
Instructions
- In a large cast iron skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook until onion is soft and starting to brown, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If onion starts cooking too quickly, add a little water to the pan to slow the cooking. Add orzo and cook until orzo starts to toast, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, smoked paprika, saffron, salt, and pepper. Cover skillet, reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid is absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add white wine, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Add peas, chopped red pepper, and artichokes, and toss to combine, cooking until veggies are warmed through, about 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley or chopped chives.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Melanie
This looks like a delicious dish! Added veggies are always a plus!
Meagan
This looks so incredibly good! I really want this for dinner tonight. I’ll be trying this out for sure!
naptimecreationsemily
that look SOO good! the flavors in this type of rice are amazing!
Stephanie Pass
That looks like a gorgeous dish! I’ve never had paella. Off to check it out!
Debra
This sounds delicious! Looks so good!
Scott
I have never had paella, will have to stop over and check out the recipe!
Debra
I think my husband would love this. It looks so good!
Sandra @ A Dash of Sanity
This would be fun! I haven’t had paella in a really long time!
Carisa
Oh YUM!!
Caitlin
I’ve only had paella a few times and first learned about it on Top Chef – I think it is super delicious and I love your recipe and think it sounds like it would be great with chicken:)
Maggie @ The Love Nerds
There is a restaurant by us that makes amazing paella and we love it, so I’m excited I can make a homemade version now! Thank you!
Kristin
That needs to land on our dinner menu STAT! Yum!
Rebecca Hubbell
This looks great and super flavorful, adding to our weeknight meal plan!
rachjyerkes
I love paella and don’t make it nearly enough. I need to add this to my life! Thanks.
Adrienne Grace
Just to follow up, I did make this and added shrimp. With the exception of the 17-year-old boy (no surprise there,) it was a hit! In fact, there was a request to add it into “regular rotation.” 😀
Nicole Neverman
What a fantastic idea to use orzo instead of paella rice! It sounds really tasty and makes this dish so much more accessible to the everyday kitchen 🙂
Culinary Flavors
I love paella but it is a pain in the neck to make it! Thanks for sharing this easy tweak!