Quick Vegan Spanish Rice Recipe

There are times that vegan recipes are very repetitive, or it also happens that they are very summery recipes. 

Luckily there is the fantastic vegan Spanish rice, to give a new twist to your imaginary book of vegan recipes.

Unlike other vegan recipes, this Spanish rice recipe is very inexpensive to make and anyone can make it, even if you’ve never touched a pot.

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This recipe is easy to make and has been accompanying Andalusians at lunch and dinner for centuries.

Continue scrolling down this article where we will show you how to make Arroz Rojo and a little more about its history.

Background of the Dish

This Spanish vegan rice dish has been around for centuries, in fact, it was created after the colonization of America when the tomato was brought to Spain from that continent.

Also known as Spanish red rice, this is mainly a rice and tomatoes recipe, which gets its name thanks to the color that the tomato juice gives to the rice. 

While it tends to boom in popularity during the fall or winter, it’s a great recipe to add vegetables for the summer if you’ve had enough of salads.

The popularity it has gained in recent years is due to the fact that it is a fairly cheap and easy side dish to make, which makes it stand out from other vegan dishes.

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Things You’ll Need for Vegan Spanish Rice

To make this red rice you only need tomato and rice as the main ingredients, the rest are replaceable. Also, a good size pot will be of great help.

If you want to get down to business trying other Spanish rice recipes, then you should try and make the Spanish rice pudding and the Spanish rice and beans recipe.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup (200g) long fine rice
• 2 onions (chopped)
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 chili (chopped)
• 2 Roma tomatoes (chopped)
• 1 stalk of celery (chopped)
• 1 3/4 cups (410ml) of water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/3 teaspoon pepper
• 1/3 teaspoon salt

How to Make Vegan Spanish Rice – Step by Step Guide

1. To make this vegan Spanish rice recipe, grab a medium saucepan and preheat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add rice and cook for 5 minutes, stirring it so it doesn’t burn.

2. While you toast the rice, prepare the vegetables. Add the onions, carrots, and the chillis. Saute for 5 more minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.

3. Meanwhile, blend tomato, celery, 1 3/4 cups water, and chicken broth in a blender. Blend on high speed until everything is mixed.

4. Add the tomato mixture to the pot with the rice and mix well. Add the smoked paprika, cumin, pepper, and salt, and mix well. Lower the temperature and simmer with the lid on for 5 minutes. Try to see if it is well salted and continue cooking until all the liquid evaporates. It takes about 14-17 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. When ready to serve, toss the vegetables on top of the rice so everything is combined. Serve the red rice hot.

Substitution of Ingredients

You can make different substitutions in the ingredients of this vegan rice, and it will still taste great. 

For example, you can use different colored tomatoes, or change the chiles for other bell peppers. 

You can even remove them completely if you don’t like their flavor, although it wouldn’t continue to be the classic Spanish red rice.

If you are not vegan, you can easily transform it into Spanish chorizo ​​rice or you can try the Spanish rice and beans with pork or the Spanish chicken and rice recipe.

Just follow all the steps of the recipe, but cook some Spanish chorizo ​​in a saucepan, then add it to your rice cut it into small pieces and it will be fantastic.

You can also join this red rice with the famous Spanish lentils Recipe to make a very Andalusian winter stew, full of proteins and vitamins, and very filling for your stomach.

Try the healthy keto Spanish rice recipe, the Spanish saffron rice, and the quinoa Spanish rice if you just want something delicious and good for your health.

Tips on Serving Vegan Spanish Rice

This Arroz Rojo recipe is for making a pretty healthy Spanish rice, but if you want you can play around a lot when you serve it, which will make it a little less healthy.

You can toast your favorite bread with olive oil and minced garlic, to accompany your rice in a very Andalusian way. 

Unlike other vegan rice dishes, this one also goes very well with cheese, so you can add vegan (or regular) cheese, grated on top.

How to Store Vegan Spanish Rice

This Spanish rice vegan can be stored in different ways, both in the refrigerator and in the freezer, which makes it a great meal if you are a fan of meal prep and want to have a wide variety of meals for your whole week.

You have to follow this red rice recipe to the letter, then you let it come to room temperature and you can store it in a covered container for 3 days in the refrigerator or for 30 days frozen in the freezer.

Recipe Card: Vegan Spanish Rice

You can’t get enough of Spanish rice? Have a look at our Google Story here.

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