Vegan Paella with Chickpeas, Bell Pepper, Olives and Mint

Ingredients

• 2 red onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• 265 g chickpeas (canned; drained weight)
• 2 pinch saffron strands
• 800 ml vegetable broth
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 tbsp Rapeseed oil
• 250 g ORYZA (Selection Paellareis de Valencia)
• 2 tsp smoked paprika powder
• 2 red bell peppers
• 125 g green olives (pitted)
• 1 Organic lemon
• 4 stems mint
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel and chop onions and garlic. Rinse chickpeas and drain. Crush saffron strands in a mortar. Warm the broth. Wash thyme, shake dry and pluck leaves.

2. 2.

   Heat oil in a paella or large skillet. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 4 minutes over medium heat. Then add rice and chickpeas, stir and cook about 5 minutes over medium heat to toast.

3. 3.

   Add hot broth, saffron, smoked paprika powder and thyme; simmer gently for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the broth is almost fully absorbed.

4. 4.

   While the rice cooks, halve bell peppers, remove seeds, wash and slice into strips. Drain olives, rinse and cut into rings. Rinse lemon under hot water, dry, grate zest and squeeze juice. Wash mint, shake dry, pluck leaves and set aside some for garnish; finely chop the rest.

5. 5.

   Fold pepper, olives, lemon zest and mint into the rice and warm everything together for 2 minutes over low heat. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper, then serve garnished with remaining mint.