A vibrant, plant-powered twist on a Spanish classic. This Mushroom Kale Paella is filled with earthy mushrooms, tender kale, and fragrant spices for a deeply satisfying one-pan meal that celebrates connection and longevity.
4-5 cups mushroom broth (can sub vegetable stock, if desired)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
24 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 ½ tsp salt, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups uncooked paella rice (such as Bomba or Calasparra, or other short grained white rice, such as arborio)
1 pinch saffron threads
1 bunch kale, such as Lacinato, tough stems removed and leaves chopped (about 4-5 cups)
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional)
Fresh lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
In a small pot, heat the mushroom broth over low heat until warm.
In a paella pan, large 12” skillet or 12” cast iron pan, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until mushrooms are tender and liquid has mostly evaporated. Remove mushrooms and any remaining liquid from pan, and set aside in a shallow bowl.
Heat remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and saute for 4 minutes. Add garlic, uncooked rice, remaining 1 tsp salt, black pepper and saffron and saute for 1 minute.
Add 3 cups warm mushroom broth to pan and stir to combine with rice mixture. Lower heat and gently simmer, uncovered and undisturbed, for 10 minutes. Add remaining 1 cup of broth and cooked mushrooms. Stir thoroughly to combine. Top rice mixture evenly with chopped kale. Continue to gently simmer, uncovered and undisturbed, for an additional 15 minutes. At this point, the broth should be completely absorbed and rice will be cooked through, and kale semi-wilted. If the rice is not tender, add additional stock, ¼ cup at a time, until rice is fully cooked. Once cooked, stir mixture so that kale is incorporated into the paella, fully wilted and tender. Remove from heat, cover and let sit for 5 minutes.
When ready to serve, stir in fresh parsley and season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve hot, with lemon wedges.
