Vegetarian Paella is without a doubt the easiest way to cook for a crowd and keep things veggie based (and inexpensive!) Trust me, you need this and you can thank me later!
4ouncesshiitake mushroomsstemmed and halved or quartered
Kosher salt
6garlic clovesthinly sliced
2teaspoonspaprika
1teaspoonhot smoked Spanish paprika
½cupdry sherry
3cupsshort-grain rice
6-8cupslow-sodium vegetable broth
½teaspoonsaffron threads
8green onionsboth ends trimmed
Freshly ground black pepper
3lemonsquartered
Instructions
Heat the olive in a 15-inch paella pan over medium-high. Add onion, bell peppers and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the eggplant and mushrooms and cook caramelized, about 8 minutes more. Add garlic and paprikas and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Carefully add sherry, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring constantly, until pan is almost dry, about 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is coated and starting to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in 6 cups of broth and saffron and season with salt. Bring broth to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until rice is nearly full cooked. If the rice is still al dente, add an extra cup of broth and continue to cook. Remove from heat (cover with foil) and let rice steam 10 minutes.
While paella cooks, heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high. Separately, toss green onions with 1 tablespoon of oil and season with salt and pepper. Char the green onions, turning occasionally, until greens are charred and bulbs are tender, about 5 minutes. Char or grill lemons until charred, about 1 minute per side.
Tuck the green onions into the paella. Squeeze lemon juice on top. Place remaining lemons alongside the paella and serve.
Notes
A paella pan is super flat and wide, so just use your largest skillet if you don't have the exact pan.