Vegan Tempeh Paella
This vegan paella recipe is simply bursting with flavour and has rich, protein-packed tempeh to add that extra bite.
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When you’re in need of a one pot dish to impress guests or feed a crowd, a paella is an easy yet impressive option. The saffron adds such a beautiful yellow colour to the rice to create a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds!
Paprika is used to add a sweet depth of flavour, whilst samphire adds a saltiness that would otherwise be provided by fish.
Paella originates from the Valencia region of Spain and is arguably Spain’s most well-known dish. It is traditionally made with rice, saffron, vegetables and meat and/or seafood, but this vegan paella uses tempeh and hearts of palm to add protein and texture.
What is tempeh?
Tempeh (pronounced tem-pay) is a traditional Indonesian form of plant-based protein made from fermented soya beans, which are formed into a block. It’s much firmer in texture than tofu and it has a slightly nutty flavour.
The great thing about tempeh is that you can slice it raw and use it in stir fries, curries, pasta dishes and much more. In Asian dishes it is often marinated first with a sauce such as satay, hoisin or teriyaki. It can also be used to replace mince by crumbling it into a Bolognaise or chilli.
What are hearts of palm?
This vegan paella also features hearts of palm to replicate the texture of seafood. Some paella dishes feature muscles, prawns, squid or white fish and hearts of palm have a soft, fleshy texture which replace this element of the dish.
Hearts of palm are a white vegetable with a very mild flavour. They come from the inner core of certain types of palm trees. They have a similar look and texture to artichoke hearts and in vegan cooking, they are often seared to replicate scallops or mashed and made into ‘crab’ cakes.
Tip: You can find hearts of palm in the canned vegetable aisle of larger supermarkets and online at Cooks & Co or Amazon.
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Total Time: 55 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Calories: 406
Servings: 5
Rating:
Total Time: 55 minutes
Calories: 406
Servings: 5
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
(Servings: 5)
- 0.4 0.4 tbsp coconut oil
- 0.2 0.2 onion, finely diced
- 0.2 0.2 stalk of celery, finely diced
- 0.4 0.4 cloves of garlic, pureed
- 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 0.2 0.2 green pepper, diced
- 0.2 0.2 yellow pepper, diced
- 0.4 0.4 tsp paprika powder
- 24 24 ml white wine
- 70 70 g brown rice
- a pinch of saffron
- 144 144 ml gluten-free vegetable stock
- 80 80 g hearts of palm, drained and sliced
- 40 40 g tempeh
- 40 40 g peas
- 20 20 g samphire
- handful fresh parsley, chopped
- 0.2 0.2 lime, cut into 8 wedges
Method
- Add 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil to a paella pan or large saucepan over medium heat.
- Next, add the onion, celery, garlic, chilli flakes, peppers and paprika and sauté for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
- Pour in the white wine and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
- Add the rice, saffron and vegetable stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and leave to cook for 25-30 minutes until the rice is tender and the stock is absorbed.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the hearts of palm and tempeh until the tempeh is golden and crispy.
- Add the peas, samphire, hearts of palm and tempeh to the rice 5 minutes before the paella is ready. Mix well to ensure the ingredients are combined.
- Top with parsley and lime wedges, to finish.
Each 300g serving provides: 11g Fat, 5.3g Saturates, 61g Carbohydrate, 3.8g Sugars, 9g Fibre, 16g Protein, 1.9g Salt.
Are you tempted to have more tempeh in your life? Discover these delicious vegan tempeh recipes!
