One-Pot Vegan Paella | Seafood Inspired Easy Dinner Recipe

Calling all seafood and former seafood lovers!

This ocean inspired vegan paella is so satisfying and totally whole food plant-based! It’s also one-pot, low-fuss, and full of simple ingredients you are mostly likely to have on hand.

What better way to celebrate the start of spring than with a bright, fresh meal enjoyed alongside most of a bottle of white wine. (You need 1/3 cup for the recipe).

How To Make Vegan Paella:

It’s all about the sofritas and the socarrat. Sofritas is a mixture of onion, tomato, garlic, peppers, and spices, cooked down to a deeply flavorful paella base. Socarrat is the crispy bottom of the paella that forms when cooking. Remember not to stir the rice or the bottom won’t get crispy!

This version delivers classic seafood flavors, minus the seafood: Tender hearts of palm combined with Nature’s Charm marinated banana blossoms and oyster mushroom calamari rings make this vegan paella extra special.

You’re going to love this recipe:

1. No paella pan needed:  You can use a regular large skillet for this recipe.  I used a cast iron skillet but any 12-14″ pan will do, preferably not non-stick.
2. One-pot meal: Easy breezy cooking and clean up.
3. It’s adaptable: This traditional paella can be adapted many ways! Other versions could combine the banana blossoms and vegan calamari with vegan chicken, and sauteed vegan sausage. For this version, brown the vegan chicken and sausage lightly before adding the rice. A fabulous vegetable paella could include shitake mushrooms, artichoke hearts, olives, and roasted red peppers. A good rule of them for a veggie paella is to saute heartier veggies like mushrooms, asparagus, etc. before adding the rice. More tender veggies like artichoke hearts and hearts of palm can be nestled on top after the rice cooks a bit.

To save this recipe for later, pin the photo below! For more incredible banana blossom and mushroom recipes, check out my Vegan British Fish N Chips and my Mole Mushroom Tacos!

Where to find the marinated banana blossoms and vegan calamari:

If you’re in the US, you can order the vegan calamari rings here. Use regular banana blossoms and either marinate them using this recipe (minus the dill).