The rise of vegetarianism and veganism isn’t a trend to be overlooked. With the rising consciousness around the ethical and environmental impact of intensive farming practices, as well as the increased awareness around the health benefits of a plant-based diet, many people are making the switch.
This is great news for the planet but can be tricky when it comes to catering events. After all, there are certain types of people who run a mile the second they hear the word ‘vegan’.
So how can you cater an event in vegan stealth mode?
Easy! With paella. This dish lends itself to a range of modifications so you can serve a base vegan paella that will cater for vegans and vegetarians and if you have omnivorous guests to satisfy, you can always offer protein on the side.
Are you looking for a foolproof vegan paella recipe? This is the one we use and we have catered for over 5,000 events with it.
Ingredients
- 1 small brown onion, chopped finely
- 1 medium red capsicum, chopped finely
- 1 medium yellow capsicum, chopped finely
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 200g button mushrooms, halved
- 1 2/3 cups brown short-grain rice
- 4 medium tomatoes, chopped coarsely
- 2 cups (500ml) salt-reduced vegetable stock
- 2 cups (500ml) water
- 200g green beans, trimmed, chopped coarsely
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Method
Heat a large deep non-stick frying pan, brushed with olive oil over high heat; cook onion and capsicum, stirring, until onion softens.
Add paprika, turmeric and mushrooms; cook, stirring, until mushrooms are tender. Add rice; stir to coat rice in vegetable mixture.
Add tomatoes, 1/2 cup of stock and 1/2 cup of water; cook, stirring, until liquid is absorbed. Add remaining stock and water; cook, covered, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
Sprinkle beans and peas over rice. Cook, covered, about 10 minutes or until beans are tender.
Cover paella; stand 5 minutes. Sprinkle paella with parsley; serve with lemon wedges.
Food Adventure are the best rated paella catering sydney providers. Please see our home page for more information.