I miss being on vacation in Spain. There was so much to see, do and, most important, taste. From breakfast buffets to multi-course meals, Jason and I ate very well during our 11-day getaway.
At the onset of our trip, we shared two common goals: (1) indulge in an array of tapas and pintxos and (2) enjoy authentic paella. We achieved the first mission – no sweat. As proof, here’s a glimpse of the nibbles we noshed on.
Fried goat cheese with strawberry jam, grilled squid with green sauce and ham croquettes at Q’ tapeo! in Seville
Toasted bread with tomato and caramelized onions and free tapas with the purchase of every drink at Tendido 1 in Granada
Assorted pintxos at Bilbao Berria in Barcelona
Unfortunately (or not, depending on how you see it), Jason and I will have to make a return visit to Spain to satisfy our second objective. While we dined on paella twice during our travels – at a tourist trap in Toledo and in a hotel restaurant – I’m convinced neither was a fair representation of the dish. So, as our journey came to a close, I bought two bags of Bomba rice (an ingredient I had never used before) at El Corte Inglés with the intention of trying my hand at the Valencian specialty when I got home …
And that’s exactly what I did (after rushing to Sur La Table to buy a proper pan). My vegetarian paella may not be perfect, but it hits the spot, especially when served with homemade Romesco sauce.
Recipes adapted from Fine Cooking and The Guardian.
- 4 medium tomatoes (about 1¼ pounds), cored and cut in half crosswise
- 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
- 2 tablespoons + ¼ cup olive oil, divided
- 3 tablespoons blanched almonds
- 3 tablespoons blanched hazelnuts
- 1 dried ancho chile
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, cut into ¼"-thick strips
- 1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into ¼"-thick strips
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¾ cup Bomba rice
- 1 teaspoon saffron
- 2½ cups vegetable broth, divided
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- sea salt
- 1 15 oz. can water-packed whole artichoke hearts, drained, halved lengthwise and grilled (see notes**)
- 12 cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 8 Kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges (for serving)
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place tomatoes and half of the garlic, cut side down, on the baking sheet; drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake for 80 minutes; then remove from the oven and set aside.
- Meanwhile, remove 1 tablespoon garlic from the remaining half head of garlic and put in a food processor.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a fry pan over medium-high heat. Add almonds and hazelnuts and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel to cool; then add to the food processor.
- In the same fry pan, add ancho chile and cook over high heat for 10 seconds on each side until lightly browned. Then soak in hot water until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain, remove stem and seeds and add to the food processor.
- When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, remove and discard skins and add to the food processor. Squeeze out roasted garlic and add to the food processor. Add salt and purée all the ingredients.
- Add remaining ¼ cup olive oil and process until smooth. Then add red wine vinegar and process until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Heat olive oil in a paella or large shallow fry pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add bay leaves, smoked paprika, turmeric and cayenne pepper and cook for 1 minute.
- Add rice; cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Then add saffron and ½ cup broth; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Scatter the chickpeas over the rice and add remaining broth and ½ teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer, without stirring, until the liquid is almost absorbed, 30-40 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Scatter the grilled artichoke hearts and tomatoes over the rice, cover pan tightly with foil and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove foil and scatter the olives and parsley on top. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and Romesco sauce.
**To grill the artichoke hearts, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush cut sides of artichoke hearts with olive oil. Place in the pan, cut side down, and cook until grill marks are visible, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
[…] Vegetarian Paella with Romesco Sauce Two of a Kind Cooks […]