Artichoke And Asparagus Paella

Veggie PaellaIt’s National Vegetarian Week and the theme of the week is Share. “Sharing food brings people together,” Lynne Elliot, Chief Executive of the Vegetarian Society, said. “Feasts and meals mark special occasions while festivals offer a variety of tastes to try. National Vegetarian Week is all about delicious veggie food and sharing – getting people to come together to cook and share. Whether you decide to make veggie dishes for a community group, work colleagues or friends – sharing food can make a moment. There’s no better way to celebrate veggie food and discover how you can be kinder to animals, the planet and yourself.”

So we’ve got together with the Vegetarian Society to share this fabulous Paella recipe which is the perfect sharing dish.

Serves: 4-6

Preparation : 15 minutes
Cooking: 25 minutes
Vegan

INGREDIENTS
200g basmati easy cook rice
½ tsp turmeric powder
30g flaked almonds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
200g asparagus spears, cut into 3-4 cm pieces
280g jar of artichokes in oil
20g capers
50g gherkins, finely chopped
50g black olives, pitted
200g button mushrooms, halved
1 tbsp tomato purée
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
100g sun dried tomato paste
1 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to garnish

METHOD
1. Put the rice in a large pan of water with the turmeric and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes then drain thoroughly.

2. Toast the almonds by gently cooking in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes – set the almonds to one side.

3. While the rice is cooking in a separate large frying pan heat the oil and gently fry the onion for 5 minutes.

4. Add the garlic and asparagus and continue to cook for five more minutes.

5. Take the artichokes, drain the oil from them and slice in half.

6. Add the artichokes, capers, gherkins, olives, mushrooms and tomato purée and continue to cook for 5 minutes.

7. Once the rice is cooked and drained add to the frying pan. Stir in the tomatoes, sundried tomato paste and half the tarragon.

8. Serve straight away garnished with the remaining tarragon, toasted flaked almonds and lemon wedges.

©The Vegetarian Society 2015

  • Belinda Wanis, aka Miss B, is a Belle About Town who likes to bring a little bit of style into every aspect of her life. An experienced journalist with over 20 years in the industry she turned to the web, creating Belle About Town in early 2010, to fill a gap for tech-savvy stylish women who want the best life has to offer at their fingertips. She loves a decadent cocktail bar, a beautifully cut dress, cultural getaways, quality over quantity and is partial to Asian-fusion food. A globetrotter, who has lived in Australia, the UK and Denmark, she enjoys holidaying in the sun and you can often find her on a beach in Thailand or on shopping breaks in Sydney or New York. But her first love is, of course, London!

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