This mushroom and asparagus paella is a vegetarian rice dish built on a dark, concentrated sofrito and finished with a proper crispy socarrat. Earthy mushrooms and tender green asparagus carry the flavour, so you get a satisfying paella with no meat or seafood. It serves three and takes about 40 minutes.
New to paella? Our step-by-step guide for beginners covers the pan, rice and stock basics behind every recipe on this site, including this vegetarian version.
Watch the video recipe
What you need
Wild mushrooms give the deepest flavour, but cremini or portobello work well too. Look for firm green asparagus with tight tips.
Chopped Tomatoes
Onion and Garlic
Fresh Asparagus
Wild Mushrooms
Mushroom and Asparagus Paella Recipe
Ingredients
- Paella rice (Bomba or another short-grain Spanish rice), 300 g
- 900 ml hot vegetable stock, kept hot on a side burner
- 300 g mushrooms (wild, cremini or portobello), sliced
- 200 g green asparagus (about 1 small bunch), woody ends snapped off and cut into 5 cm pieces
- 2 medium ripe tomatoes, grated or finely chopped, skin discarded
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 10-12 saffron threads, crushed and steeped in a little warm stock
- 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika (pimentón de la Vera)
- 1 packet paella mix (optional)
- 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt, to taste
Directions
- Sear the vegetables (5 minutes). Heat the olive oil in the paella pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and the asparagus pieces and sear until they pick up some golden colour. Take out the asparagus tips and a few good-looking mushroom slices and keep them aside for the garnish. Leave the rest in the pan.
- Build the sofrito (8 minutes). Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion to the pan with the mushrooms and cook until translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, without letting it burn.
- Add tomato and spices (5 minutes). Push everything slightly to the edges to make a well in the centre. Add the paprika (and the paella mix, if using), followed straight away by the tomatoes so the paprika does not burn. Cook until the tomato water has evaporated and you have a dark, jammy, concentrated sofrito.
- Toast the rice. Add the rice and stir for 1-2 minutes to coat every grain in the oily sofrito and toast it lightly.
- Add the stock. Pour in the boiling hot stock and the steeped saffron. Stir gently one last time to spread the rice evenly across the pan. Do not stir again.
- Simmer. Cook on high heat for 8-10 minutes, then lower the heat to low for another 8-10 minutes. In the last 5 minutes, arrange the reserved asparagus tips and mushroom slices on top.
- Make the socarrat. For the caramelised rice crust, turn the heat to medium-high for the last 1-2 minutes, until you hear crackling and smell a rich, nutty aroma.
- Rest. Taste a grain: the rice should be about 90-95% cooked, with a little bite. Take the pan off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes, covered with a clean kitchen towel, before serving.
Tips for the best mushroom and asparagus paella
- Do not crowd the pan when searing: golden mushrooms taste far better than pale, steamed ones.
- Keep the stock hot. Cold stock slows the cooking and makes the rice uneven.
- Let the sofrito get properly dark and jammy before the rice goes in. This is where most of the flavour comes from.
- Hold back the best asparagus tips and mushroom slices for the top so the paella looks as good as it tastes.
Frequently asked questions
Is this paella vegan?
As written, it has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs, so it is vegan as long as your vegetable stock and paella mix are too. Check the labels.
Can I use other vegetables?
Yes. Green beans, artichokes or red pepper all work. Add them at the same time as the asparagus so they get a little colour before the sofrito.
What is the secret to a good paella?
Good ingredients (real saffron and a short-grain rice such as Bomba or Calasparra), a well-reduced sofrito, hot stock, no stirring once the rice is in, and a short blast of heat at the end for the socarrat.
More vegetable paellas
- Ultimate Vegan Paella for a heartier plant-based version with tofu
- The best saffron brands for paella
- Bomba rice explained
