Paella and vegetarian are two words that don’t often fit together. Let alone on the barbecue. Paella is a traditional Valencian recipe. Often prepared with seafood, chorizo or even rabbit.
If you are looking for a vegetarian dish, this is definitely worth it! Preparing the paella on the barbecue provides it with a nice smoky flavour.
The special thing about paella is that once the broth is added to the rice, you are not allowed to stir it anymore. This creates a crusty edge at the bottom, the so-called “soccarat”.
We add butternut squash to the vegetables. Keep in mind that the pumpkin takes a long time to cook.
We prepared this dish by grilling it directly on a kamado at a temperature of 200 ℃.
Wine tip
Because paella is a dish with many different flavours, a wine with a lot of tannin, alcohol or a lot of fruit is less suitable for this dish. Paella can be combined with both white and red wine.
If you choose red wine, a tempranillo or garnacha can be chosen. These wines are not or hardly aged in wood, so they are not too heavy and do not clash with the flavours of the paella.
If you do go for white wine, then a Verdejo is a good combination. Especially if the paella is made with fish and shellfish. If you want to surprise your guests, try serving a cava with the paella.
Grilled vegetarian paella
Ingredients
Rice
- 1 tsp saffron
- olive oil generously
- 1 onion
- 1 red pointed pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp parsley finely chopped
- 1 tomato peeled and diced
- 300 gr paella rice
- 100 gr chickpeas
- 30 ml white wine
- 350 ml vegetable stock
Vegetables
- 8 small peppers
- 1 bottle gourd in small cubes
- 1 zucchini in small cubes
- 1 onion in eight pieces
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 1 tbsp rosemary
- 1 tbsp thyme
- 1 tbsp oregano
- oil
- 30 grams peas
Other
- 1 cup apple wood chips
- barbecue skewers
Instructions
- Place the wood chips in a bowl of water and let them soak for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the barbecue at a temperature of 200℃.
- Meanwhile, prepare the broth in a saucepan.
- Cut the butternut squash into 2cm cubes and thread the pieces onto the barbecue skewers. An entire pumpkin will be too much, so you can use a quarter to a half in another dish the next day. Sprinkle the pumpkin with some oil and with the rosemary, oregano and thyme. Finally season with some salt and pepper.
- Mix the saffron with 2 tablespoons of warm water in a small bowl and let it soak for 5 minutes.
- Throw the wood chips on the coals. Place the pan on the grid and pour in some oil. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 1 minute. Meanwhile, place the skewers with pumpkin on the grid. These should be done in about 45 minutes. At least until they are soft.
- Then add the bell pepper, parsley and tomato. Bake for 4 minutes.
- Add the rice and cook for 1 minute until the grains are glossy.
- Add the chickpeas and fry them for 1 minute as well.
- You cook the saffron mixture and the white wine for 1 minute as well.
- Then add half of the broth and let it cook for 20 minutes. After 10 minutes add the other half. From here on, keep in mind not to stir the rice any more. Add the peas for the last 5 minutes.
- Thread the other vegetables onto skewers too and sprinkle them with some oil and with the other herbs and season with some salt and pepper. Place the vegetables on the grid and grill for 5 minutes on both sides. Make sure the zucchini is soft.
- Remove the skewers from the vegetables and add them to the paella. Also add the remaining spices.
- The paella is ready when the rice grains are soft and have absorbed all the broth. Enjoy your meal.
