Run Plant Based

Formerly The Raw Project - Running on a Healthy Vegan Diet

Vegan Quinoa Paella

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To me, Miko is still a puppy even though we were told he was about 5 years old when we adopted him. He has the energy and appetite of a puppy, he’s perfectly happy to eat all day and beg for everything I’m eating – even salad and broccoli.

After our evening walk, he goes back for dinner # 2 of settling for the dry dog food he left behind on dinner # 1.

And checks Leela’s bowl again in case she left any scrap behind.

And cleans both bowls. I wish I could eat like that and not gain a thing!

I was tempted to go back for seconds on tonight’s dinner because my vegan paella experiment came out quite nicely.

Vegan Quinoa Paella for Two

  • 1 Tofurkey Kielbasa link, chopped into small cubes
  • 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1/4 cup chopped leeks
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil

Sauce

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. oregano
  • 1/4 tsp. turmeric
  • 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
  1. Saute leeks and olive in a wok over medium-high heat until translucent
  2. Add dry quinoa and bay leaf and saute until quinoa is golden
  3. Meanwhile, add sauce ingredients to a high speed blender and blend to a smooth liquid
  4. Stir in chopped Tofurkey and sauce into wok and simmer covered over low heat for about 20 minutes, or until excess liquid is gone. Remove the bay leaf and serve, makes 2 servings.

I’ve become a fan of toasting dry quinoa before cooking it in liquid, it adds firmness and crunch to the texture.

You could add more veggies, like chopped tomato, celery, bell pepper, etc. My fridge is sadly void of those now, a huge grocery shopping spree is on the agenda for this weekend!

I paired it with sauteed chard for a simple veggie side.

The colors and texture are very festive, the slightly crispy quinoa worked well with the chewy Tofurkey.

But the flavors are very nice – tangy, savory, slightly spicy, and a mild sweetness from the tomatoes. And it came together in under 30 minutes which works for me!

Comments

  5. Paco plays this game where he saves half of his food for later and teases the other two because he knows he has some left and they don’t! LOL

    What do you think of those Sun Dried Tomatoes? What brand are they and can I buy them online?