Vegetable Paella with Halloumi

This is the best recipe for Vegetable Paella with Halloumi! A variety of colourful vegetables are cooked with Spanish rice and spices.

The best part? Crispy pieces of halloumi that create the most incredible bite!

It is perfect for gatherings but is also easy enough to make as a mid-week meal.

I first tried authentic Spanish paella during a 3-day Spanish getaway. It was a warm afternoon in Placa Reial, Barcelona.

The restaurant served the paella on the table directly in the pan and it was DELICIOUS! I made a mental note that one day, I had to make it at home for myself!

This recipe follows the authentic recipe to a certain degree - the spices and cooking techniques. The only difference here is the addition of halloumi.

Although halloumi is not strictly authentic, it is so delicious in this recipe! The halloumi provides surprising saltiness and bite in each mouthful.

It blends in beautifully with the lively flavours of the vegetables.

What is paella?

Paella is a Spanish rice dish, originating in Valencia, and is one of the most identifiable dishes in Spanish cuisine.

The authentic recipe is made with meat or seafood but there are plenty of vegetable only variations out there, thus vegetarian alternatives.

It is flavoured with broth or stock, sweet paprika and saffron. Often, rosemary sprigs are added to flavour the dish and then removed.

Paella is traditionally made in a traditional shallow and wide paella (the Valencian word for pan) but it is acceptable to use a skillet.

What vegetables go into paella?

I have seen paella made with a large variety of vegetables. In most vegetarian paella recipes, I have found red pepper and artichokes consistently.

I have used a mix of asparagus, red peppers, artichokes and carrots. The base is made from onion, garlic and fresh tomatoes.

Vegetables can be added depending on seasonal availability.

Best rice for vegetable paella

Good paella calls for special rice! The best rice for paella is short-grain rice that has the ability to absorb the flavours of the stock and spices without going mushy.

Bomba rice, or arroz bomba in Spanish, is the most common rice used for Paella. Bomba rice is a short-grain Spanish rice and is often sold as "Paella rice" on packets.

You can find paella rice in some supermarkets and online. I'm lucky that my local supermarket keeps it in stock but you may have to.

Calasparra rice is another short-grained Spanish rice that is used for Paella. This too is available in some more specialist supermarkets but easily online.

An easier to find alternative is Arborio rice which is used for risotto. This rice becomes creamy when stirred so it is essential that you do not stir your paella.

Can I make this vegan?

Yes, this paella is so easy to make vegan.

There are a few ways you can achieve this:

1. Omit the halloumi entirely - the base of the paella is vegan and the only dairy part of the dish is the halloumi
2. Use a vegan/plant based halloumi cheese
3. Use butter beans or other white beans in replacement of the halloumi.
4. Try pieces of Quorn.
5. Tofu - drained, cut into cubes or sticks and sautéed until crispy.

Love Instant Pot recipes? Here is my Instant Pot Paella recipe that is so easy to make , simple and vegan.

Ingredients for Vegetable Paella with Halloumi

Full ingredients with measurements are available in the recipe card below at the end of this post

Paella rice - it is worth the effort to buy short-grain round rice as this leads to perfect textures for paella.

Selection of vegetables - I have used artichoke, asparagus, carrots, red pepper. You can also use other vegetables if you wish.

I have chopped the artichoke into 2inch lengths. The carrots and pepper are cut into cubes. I used artichoke from a jar.

Halloumi - I have cut the halloumi into cubes. I grilled the halloumi directly in the paella pan to save on washing up. You can also use grilling cheese.

Luckily, I had some leftover Halloumi from making Salt and Pepper Halloumi Fries

The base - onion, garlic and tomato.

Olive oil - I have used extra virgin olive oil

Vegetable stock - I used a vegetable stock cube - check to see whether your stock cube contains salt as this will depend how much you add later.

Paprika - I used sweet paprika but you can use smoked paprika or hot paprika depending what you have to hand.

Saffron - I always buy Spanish saffron from South Asian grocery stores. As an alternative, you can use turmeric. Turmeric will provide the yellow colour but you will only need a pinch as it will otherwise lend its own flavour which is peppery.

Salt - to season

Herb - fresh parsley to garnish the paella.

Lemons - for the juice and garnish.

Paella Pan

The dish is called Paella though the name actually comes for the word for the special pan the rice is cooked in.

A paella pan is a wide, shallow circular pan with sloping edges. This unique shape is designed specially for paella to achieve a thin layer of cooked rice without leftover water or steam.

The thin layer of rice means that pressure does not develop on the bottom of the rice causing starch to be released from the grains.

Traditionally, paella pans are thin and made from iron. This allows them to be extremely heat sensitive, going from HOT to simmer. This allows the much coveted socarrat to form.

I like to use my Seasoned Carbon Steel Double Handle Paella Pan from Samuel Groves for perfect results.

The pan is compatible with all heat sources - including induction. Their whole range of carbon steel products are pre-seasoned so you can use them directly out of the box.

The pan feels solid and well built though is easy to handle thanks to the ergonomic stainless-steel classic handle.

The handle is designed to be the optimum length for weight distribution and ease when cooking.

The Seasoned Carbon Steel collection come with a lifetime guarantee and qualify for Samuel Groves's Pans for Life scheme.

Samuel Groves is a Birmingham-based manufacturer of kitchen equipment starting in 1817.

Fast forward to the 21st century, they continue to develop new products and utilise new materials with expertise and quality without compromising on traditional skill.

Every product is hand-finished.

How to make Vegetable Paella with Halloumi

Full printable recipe in recipe card below.

Thankfully, vegetable paella is a one pot recipe! Everything is cooked in the paella pan allowing tonnes of flavour to keep building!

The most important tip is to NOT STIR whilst the rice is cooking! This is to prevent starch release from the rice.

The steps are straightforward:

1. Prepare your ingredients
2. Sauté the base ingredients
3. Add the vegetables, add rice and stock
4. Cook
5. Finish off on high heat for a socarrat base

What is socarrat?

Socarrat is the crispy crust that forms on the bottom layer of the rice. The rice is not blackened or burnt but rather toasted or caramelised. It gives the rice a delicious smoky, nutty flavour and adds texture.

It is achieved by turning up the heat during the final moments of cooking.

Here are the step by step instructions

The first step is to prep all of the ingredients - the onion and garlic needs to be finely chopped. I sliced the all the veggies and the halloumi needs to be toasted on all sides.

Heat a dry paella pan to cook the halloumi. Toast the halloumi on both sides for about a minute or until golden-brown. Remove the halloumi from the pan to continue with the recipe.

(I actually forgot to pan-fry the halloumi before I added the veggies and I didn't want to waste a new pan! I therefore pushed the vegetables to one side and cooked the halloumi in the pan.)

Heat the pan and add olive oil. Tip in the onion and garlic and sauté for about a minute. I then added in the carrots and cooked for another minute. Carrots are probably the toughest vegetable in this list which is why they are added in first.

I then added bell pepper and tomatoes, asparagus and artichoke and let the veggies cook until they are approximately half cooked. Tip the halloumi back in.

Sprinkle over the paprika and saffron and salt. Add the paella rice and pour over the stock. I used a rice to water ratio of 1:1.5 - for 1 cup of rice, use 1 and ½ cups of stock.

Ensure the rice is submerged in the water, give the rice and vegetables a stir to mix them evenly. This is the final time you will be stirring the rice!

Allow the rice to cook until the water is absorbed and the paella rice is cooked al dente. Keep a check as you may need to add an extra few tablespoons of water.

Socarrat

Cover the rice with a lid, foil or kitchen towel and let it sit for 10 minutes.

After this, you can turn up the heat again and allow the bottom later to crust up and form the socarrat. Once you hear popping, turn off the heat. The paella is ready to serve.

Serving

Paella is great served alone because it is filled with rice and vegetables - definitely a filling meal in its own right!

However, it also pairs wonderfully with so many side dishes. These options are great especially if you will be serving to many guests.

Simple green salads are a great option if you want all the focus to be on the paella. A refreshing drink like this Virgin Cardamom Mojito will go nicely.

Why not end the meal with a sweet such as a Vegan Basque Cheesecake.

Other Rice Recipes

• Burnt Garlic and Tofu Fried Rice

• Cilantro and Lime Mexican Rice

• Takeaway style Pilau Rice

• Coconut and Pineapple Thai Fried Rice

• Instant Pot Chickpea Pulao Rice

As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

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