Source: Stijn Nieuwendijk on Flickr.com
When I was growing up I was one of those weird kids who liked vegetables. Among my favorites were peas, which at the time I called bowling balls. And I have to say – things haven’t changed much over the years. I may have dropped the silly name, but I still adore peas and am always looking for ways to sneak them into my favorite dishes. Whether it’s stir-fry, soup, salad or pasta, peas seem to find their way onto my plate more often than not.
While you can certainly buy frozen peas all year round, spring is the best time to get them fresh from the ground. There’s something so satisfying about opening a crisp, green pod and revealing the nutritious little gems inside. Not only are peas extremely low in fat, they’re also a great source of vitamin K, manganese, dietary fiber, vitamin B1, copper, vitamin C, phosphorus, and folate.
Because peas are so tasty and nutritious, you can enjoy them as often as you’d like on your vegan meal plan. Not sure where to begin? We suggest starting with this recipe for Vegan Paella. It only takes 10 minutes to prep and 30 minutes to cook, making it a perfect dish for when you’re short on time.
Vegan Paella
From My Wife Makes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 2½ cups vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon saffron threads
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large red onion, sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 cup brown mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup Bomba rice
- 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 cup green peas
- 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- Salt/pepper
Instructions
- Get the full instructions (and see gorgeous photos of this dish) by clicking here.
Becky Striepe
So funny - my sister and I were weird in the same way. We loved Brussels sprouts the most! Your paella sounds fantastical!