Recipes

Arroz a Valençiana

Serves 4

| Prep Time: 15 minutes

| Cook Time: 30 minutes

| Total Time: 45 minutes

You may need: Azorean Acafroa

Discover The Recipe

Arroz a Valençiana is a fantastic way to enjoy all the flavors of the Mediterranean coastline. Filled with fluffy rice, seasonal vegetables and spicy vegan sausage, this unpretentious dish will leave you totally satisfied.

Arroz a Valençiana is an adaptation of paella, a dish that originates in the Valencia region of Spain. Many other cultures around the world have created versions of this classic dish, including many countries in Latin America and the Philippines.

Usually, the Portuguese version of this dish features a variety of the spectacular seafood available in the region, and a delicious Portuguese sausage called chouriço. For this vegetarian friendly version, we have replaced the meat with vegan sausage and a variety of hearty vegetables.

The secret to making Arroz a Valençiana or paella for that matter, lies in using the perfect rice! We have used traditional short grain Spanish rice from the Valencia region (called Bomba) to get the perfect texture. This style of rice absorbed all the delicious flavors in our Azorean Açafroa spice blend, and won't get mushy! Our spice blend is a fragrant and spicy mix of safflower petals, paprika, black pepper and thyme, with a kick of cayenne and zesty lemon!

Ingredients

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup Bomba paella rice
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
1 Tbsp Piquant Post Azorean Açafroa spice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 pinch black pepper (optional)
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup Brussels sprouts, halved
1/2 cup red pepper, diced
1/4 cup English peas, frozen
2 vegan sausages, cut into bite sized pieces
2 cups vegetable stock
Garnish with parsley, basil, and lemon slices

Notes

This dish is traditionally cooked in a paella pan, which is a shallow, two-handled carbon steel pan. You can make this dish in a cast iron skillet or a wide sauté pan, but make sure it is completely oven safe because the whole pan goes into the oven to cook the dish. This recipe calls for a round pan that is anywhere between 10” and 12” wide.

Depending on the size of the dish, you may need to use more or less liquid. You are basically trying to just cover the rice and vegetables before putting it into the oven. All of liquid should be absorbed by the rice and the rice should be completely cooked at the end of the cooking time.

Don’t skip the final cooking step, which is to finish it on the stovetop! This step gives you a delectable crispy bottom which is a nice contrast in textures.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a 10” cast iron skillet or sauté pan, heat the olive oil and add the onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until the onion becomes translucent. Add the tomato paste, rice, smoked paprika, Piquant Post Azorean Açafroa, salt and pepper. Sauté for 1-2 minutes to toast the rice briefly.

Add the broccoli florets, Brussels sprouts, red pepper, peas, sausage, and vegetable stock. The vegetable stock should just cover the rice. Bring the mixture to a boil and transfer to the oven. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and transfer to the stove top. Turn on the heat to medium and cook for 2-3 minutes in order to crisp the bottom. Now this dish is ready to serve once the bottom is crisped.

Garnish with fresh basil, parsley and lemon wedges. Serve immediately.

Alternatives & Substitutions

If you have trouble getting the Bomba rice (we ordered ours from Amazon; or you can get at Walmart), don’t worry there are other great choices that are readily available! We recommend using a short grain rice like Calrose, which is readily available in most grocery stores.
We used Impossible Foods Spicy Italian Sausage, but there are lots of varieties available on the market. Feel free to experiment with your favorite one. You can also substitute mushrooms for the vegan sausage as well.
Almost any variety of vegetables are delicious in this dish! In the summer you can use tomato and zucchini, in the spring radishes and asparagus, and in the fall try it with butternut squash and Brussels sprouts!
If you love our Azorean Acafrao, we have so many delicious recipes to share with you! Our Vegan Fondue is not to be missed. Try our Sopa de Tomate with Tosta Mista, or our Caldeirada, our Azorean Mushroom Risotto, or how about our Arroz a Valenciana and Shrimp Mozambique recipes?