PaellaV the Cyprinus

This vegan paella with artichokes, smoked tofu, and sun-dried tomatoes feels like a vacation to spain! It's packed with flavor and it's perfect for summer!


🍲 7 oz smoked tofu, cut into cubes
🧅 1 onion, chopped
🧄 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
🫑 1 red bell pepper, cut into medium-sized chunks
🥒 1 medium zucchini, cut into medium pieces
🍷 1/2 cup white wine
🍲 1 teaspoon paprika powder
🍲 salt, to taste
🍲 black pepper, to taste
🍲 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
🍲 1 1/2 cups cooked peas
🍲 10-15 black olives, cut into rings
🍅 about 8 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, cut into stripes
🍲 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
🍲 1 1/2 cups bomba or arborio rice
🍲 3-5 cups vegetable broth depending on what kind of rice you use, adjust if needed
🍲 red pepper flakes, to taste
🍲 1 handfull fresh parsley, chopped
🍋 1 lemon slices, to serve


🧅1. Heat some oil in a large pan and fry the smoked tofu cubes over medium heat until brown and crispy on all sides. Put aside.

🧅2. Heat some more oil in the same pan and sauté the onion and the garlic for about 2-3 minutes. Then add the red bell pepper and the zucchini and cook for another 3 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook about 2-3 more minutes.

🧅3. Deglaze with white wine. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika powder. Dissolve the saffron in 2 tablespoons of warm water and add to the pealla.

🧅4. Add the vegetable broth (I recommend starting with 3 cups) and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid. If necessary add more vegetable broth.

🧅5. Once the rice is tender, stir in the cooked peas, the sun-dried tomatoes, the olives, the smoked tofu, and the artichokes. Cook for about 2 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve with lemon slices.


🫑 I used white wine in this recipe. So if you're not consuming alcohol or if you're making this vegan paella for kids, just sub the wine with some more vegetable broth. Also adjust the amount of red pepper flakes.

🫑 Make sure to pan-fry the smoked tofu cubes until they're nicely browned and crispy. I love crispy tofu!

🫑 The amount of vegetable broth can vary depending on the kind of rice and the heat you're using. I therefore recommend starting with 3 cups and then adding more vegetable broth later if necessary.

🫑 The vegan paella also tastes great on the next day. Its flavor even gets more intense. So if you've got leftovers, just bring them to lunch the next day. You could either heat up the paella on the stovetop again or just eat it cold.