This gluten-free, WFPB recipe for vegan Spanish baked rice is easy, tasty, and hard to turn down. I’d recommend this for anyone that loves rich, hearty dishes!
I'm obsessed with baked rice dishes and this Plant-Based Spanish Baked Rice definitely occupies my top 3 along with Rice, Potato and Nori Bake (a veganized version of an Apilian dish with mussels) and Vegan Arancini Bake (an oven version of the iconic Sicilian classic!).
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Why You'll Love this Spanish Baked Rice
This gluten-free dish is a delightfully wholesome meal that conforms with a number of really healthy diets. For one, it can be slightly adjusted to make it suitable for a WFPB (whole-food plant-based) diet - all you need to do is take out the vegan chorizo.
Recipe Inspiration
This recipe is inspired from the typical Spanish recipe for Baked Rice with Chickpeas (Arroz al Horno).
One wonderful detail of this dish is the interesting way that the rice is cooked. This technique leads to a crispy top along with a fluffy, soft rice underneath. It’s delicious, interesting, and fun too! Furthermore, a whole head of garlic (called a partridge by Valencians) is baked in the middle of the rice, so everyone can take a few cloves and squeeze out the soft insides at the table.
I promise this is one of the most foolproof techniques to cooking rice!
I used fresh peas instead of chickpeas + zucchini and bell pepper for an extra kick, as well as my Gluten Free Homemade Vegan Pepperoni (or Chorizo) for an extra level of pleasure.
Ingredients
How To Make Vegan Spanish Baked Rice
Step 1 - Prep the Vegetables
First of all, we need to make sure all the veggies are prepared. The best way to do this when making a rice dish is to ensure that everything is, at biggest, bite-sized. Therefore, we can start by cubing all the vegetables.
Step 2 - Sauté the Vegetables
Next, add roughly a tablespoon of olive oil to a pan, and then add the chopped onion and sauté until it’s translucent - this is when it’s soft and delightfully flavorsome.
Next, you can add the peppers, and sauté for three to five minutes. Then, feel free to throw in the cubes of courgette (or zucchini, depending on where you’re from), and cook for another three minutes. Finally, add the peas to the pan, stir thoroughly to ensure they’re well mixed in, and fry them for no longer than thirty seconds. Now, set the cooked veggies into a bowl, and put them aside for now.
Step 3 - Fry the Vegan Chorizo (or Skip for WFPB)
In the same pan that you just used for the veggies, add the remaining oil. Then, fry the vegan chorizo or pepperoni until it is fragrant and crispy on the outside. If you’re on a whole-food plant-based diet, you can skip this ingredient.
Step 4 - Add Rice and Spices
Now, add in your beautifully fragrant Spanish spices: saffron and paprika! Add the salt in now too, and stir the spices with the fried chorizo. Allow the spices to come to temperature over about thirty seconds, and then add the veggies back in - cook for another minute to heat the vegetables too.
Next comes the step where we bring everything together. Add the uncooked rice, sautéed veggies and chorizo, and the chopped tomatoes to a Dutch oven, a "cazuela", or an oven-safe pan. A cazuela is a traditional Spanish terracotta pan that is used for this dish.
Step 5 - Combine and Bake
In a bowl or a big glass, mix the water with the vegetable bouillon powder. Next, pour the broth over the rice and veggies, and stir it well to make sure the liquid is in every nook and cranny.
Place the garlic bulb in the center of the casserole, and bake it in a preheated oven at 200˚C (400˚F) for forty-five to fifty minutes.
Step 6 - Final Touch & Serve
After the time has elapsed, take the garlic bulb off the top of the dish, and fluff the rice up with a fork. Place it back into the oven (with the bulb) for five to seven extra minutes on grill mode.
Finally, enjoy! You can eat this straight away from the oven, or you can allow it to cool for eating on a hot day. When you’re eating, try asking people at the table to squeeze a clove or two of garlic out onto their portion of rice and mix it in. It’s a fun thing to do at a dinner party, and people are sure to enjoy it.
Tips for Success
Use a Dutch oven or cazuela: These retain heat and ensure even cooking.
Don’t skip the resting time: Letting it cool slightly before serving helps the flavours meld together.
Make it ahead: This rice is even more flavourful the next day!
How to Store
Leftovers? No problem!
Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Warm in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of water.
Cold: Enjoy as a flavourful rice salad!
Recipe
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