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Cauliflower and Bean Paella

Paella de verduras—a common, versatile approach to the beloved rice dish that's prepared throughout Spain—showcases vegetables rather than merely using them to flavor the rice. This hearty version features green and butter beans—tributes to the vegetables Valencians often add to paella de verduras—plus chunky cauliflower florets.
In lieu of a meaty fond that lends a savory backbone to protein-based paellas, we retooled a Spanish sofrito to make a complex flavor base. We browned bell pepper instead of just sautéing it, swapped umami-rich tomato paste for fresh tomato, loaded up on the garlic, and omitted the sweet-tasting onion. Then we mixed in smoked paprika, saffron, and nutty-tasting dry sherry for brightness and depth.
To ensure that the rice at the surface of the paella cooked through, we covered the pan for part of the cooking time to trap moist heat that hydrated the grains. Continuing to cook the rice after the liquid in the pan had evaporated created a caramelized, crisp-chewy layer called a socarrat that added even more complexity. We let the paella rest for a few minutes before serving, which helped the socarrat layer firm up so that it was even crispier and released easily from the pan.
Servings: 4
Author: America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
  • 2½ cups 2- to 2½-inch cauliflower florets about 13-14 florets
  • ¾ teaspoon table salt divided
  • 6 ounces green beans trimmed and cut into 2- to 2½-inch pieces
  • 1 red bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon saffron threads crumbled
  • ¼ cup dry sherry
  • 1 cup Bomba rice or Calasparra rice
  • 1 15-ounce can butter beans rinsed
  • 3½ cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
  • lemon wedges optional

Instructions

Brown the vegetables:

  • Heat 1½ tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering.
  • Add the cauliflower and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower is spotty brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Add the green beans and ¼ teaspoon salt.
  • Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the green beans are dark green, 2 to 4 minutes longer.
  • Transfer the vegetables to a bowl.

Cook the sofrito:

  • Heat the remaining 1½ tablespoons of oil in the now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering.
  • Add the the bell pepper and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bell pepper starts to brown, 7 to 10 minutes.
  • Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until the bell pepper pieces are coated in tomato paste, about 1 minute.
  • Add the garlic, paprika, and saffron and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Stir in the sherry and cook, stirring frequently, until the excess moisture has evaporated and the bell pepper mixture forms large clumps, 1 to 2 minutes.

Build the paella:

  • Add the rice and stir until very well combined.
  • Off heat, smooth into an even layer.
  • Scatter the butter beans evenly over the rice.
  • Scatter the cauliflower and green beans evenly over the butter beans.
  • Gently pour the broth all over, making sure the rice is fully submerged (it's OK if parts of vegetables aren't submerged).

Cook the paella:

  • Bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the broth is just below the top of the rice, 12 to 17 minutes.
  • Cover and cook until the rice is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
  • Uncover and cook until the rice pops and sizzles and all the excess moisture has evaporated (to test, use butter knife to gently push aside some rice and vegetables), 3 to 7 minutes.

Develop the socarrat and serve:

  • Continue to cook, rotating the skillet a quarter turn every 20 seconds, until the rice on the bottom of the skillet is well browned and slightly crusty [use butter knife to test], 2 to 5 minutes longer.)
  • Let rest off heat for 5 minutes.
  • Serve, passing lemon wedges separately, if using.

Notes

  • If neither Calasparra nor bomba rice is available, use Arborio rice.
  • For a vegetarian dish, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
  • It's worth seeking out butter beans for their large size; do not substitute small white beans.
  • We've included instructions for creating a socarrat—a chewy, well-browned bottom layer of rice—but it's optional.