Roast Fennel and Aubergine Paella

Roast Fennel and Aubergine Paella

Roasted fennel and aubergine in saffron rice — a vegetarian paella that celebrates.

Total
35 min
Serves
4

A vegetarian paella that doesn't miss the meat: roasted fennel, aubergine, peppers and courgette folded into saffron rice cooked with paprika, white wine and stock, finished with peas and lemon. The roasted vegetables add smoky depth; the saffron does the rest. It's a celebration paella for the meat-free table.

Ingredients

  • 6 small Baby Aubergine
  • 4 small Fennel
  • 1 thinly sliced Red Pepper
  • 1 medium Courgettes
  • 1 finely chopped Onion
  • 300g Paella Rice
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • pinch Saffron
  • 200ml White Wine
  • 700ml Vegetable Stock
  • 100g Frozen Peas
  • 1 chopped Lemon
  • Handful Parsley
  • pinch Salt
  • pinch Black Pepper

Instructions

  1. 1 Put the fennel, aubergine, pepper and courgette in a roasting tray. Add a glug of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss around to coat the veggies in the oil. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, turning a couple of times until the veg are pretty much cooked through and turning golden.
  2. 2 Meanwhile, heat a paella pan or large frying pan over a low– medium heat and add a glug of olive oil. Sauté the onion for 8–10 minutes until softened. Increase the heat to medium and stir in the rice, paprika and saffron. Cook for around 1 minute to start toasting the rice, then add the white wine. Reduce by about half before stirring in two-thirds of the stock. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes without a lid, stirring a couple of times.
  3. 3 Stir in the peas, add some seasoning, then gently mix in the roasted veg. Pour over the remaining stock, arrange the lemon wedges on top and cover with a lid or some aluminium foil. Cook for a further 10 minutes.
  4. 4 To ensure you get the classic layer of toasted rice at the bottom of the pan, increase the heat to high until you hear a slight crackle. Remove from the heat and sit for 5 minutes before sprinkling over the parsley and serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories
350
Protein
9 g
Fat
7 g
Carbs
60 g

Adapted from homestylemag.co.uk. Rewritten and re-photographed by MealIdeas.

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