Authentic Spanish Vegan Paella Valenciana Recipe - Spain on a Fork (2024)

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• -1 8oz. block organic firm tofu
• -10 green beans
• -4 cloves of garlic
• -1/3 cup exta virgin Spanish olive oil
• -1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• -1/2 cup tomato puree
• -1 cup round rice
• -2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• -1/2 cup cooked large lima beans
• -1 sacket of saffron
• -fresh rosemary
• sea salt
• lemon

1. Pat dry 1 block of organic firm tofu with paper towels, then cut it into cubes that are 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch, add the cubed tofu to a bowl, drizzle with some extra virgin Spanish olive oil, season generously with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper and toss everything together until well combined

2. Finely mince 4 cloves of garlic, cut 10 flat green beans into strips that are about 2 inches long and reserve 1/2 cup of frozen and pre-cooked large lima beans, if you can´t find these, just boil up some dry large lima beans for 20 minutes

3. Heat a paella pan with a medium-high heat and add 1/3 cup extra virgin Spanish olive oil, once the oil get´s hot, season the oil with sea salt and add the tofu into the pan, mix it with the oil and cook between 8 to 9 minutes until the tofu has a golden color to it, then remove the tofu from the pan and set aside

4. Using the same pan with the same heat add the green beans and mix with the oil, after 3 minutes make a well in the middle and add the minced garlic, 30 seconds after adding the garlic add a generous 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika and mix everything together, then add 1/2 cup of tomato puree and season everything with sea salt, mix it all together, after 3 minutes add the tofu back into pan and mix, then add 2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth and 1 packet of saffron in powder form (you can also use saffron threads if you prefer), give it all a gently mix and add 1 sprig of fresh rosemary

5. Once the broth comes to a boil add 1 cup of round rice, gently distribute the rice throughout the pan, after this no more mixing the rice, you can give the pan a quick shake once in a while, after 10 minutes lower the fire to a low-medium heat, after 3-4 minutes and there is very little broth left, hit it to a high heat for exactly 2 minutes, this is to achieve the socarrat, which is that slightly burnt rice at the bottom of the pan, cover the paella and set it aside

6. After letting the paella rest for 5 minutes, uncover it, garnish with some slices of fresh lemon and a sprig of fresh rosemary

7. Enjoy!