Quinoa Seafood Paella

Author and celebrity chef Ingrid Hoffman says, "My apologies to Spain, but I love this version of paella more than the original; the quinoa seems to soak up the flavor more than the rice or arroz bomba that is used in the classic Spanish dish. I find paella to be such an easy and beautiful dish to present when serving multiple people. One key ingredient is saffron. I use Persian (Iranian) saffron, which I buy online, because I prefer it to the commercial versions you find at the supermarket. It has so much flavor, so a little goes a long way. I store it powdered in my fridge and use it in stews, soups, rice, veggies, etc."
To get this recipe in Spanish click here.
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- Prep time
- 20 min
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- Cook time
- 33 min
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- Servings
- 8 Servings
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- Serving size
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1 cup
Ingredients
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extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp
- 1 tbsp
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onion(s) (finely chopped)
- 1
- 1
-
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red bell pepper (thinly sliced)
- 1
- 1
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green bell pepper (thinly sliced)
- 1
- 1
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garlic (minced)
- 4 clove
- 4 clove
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tomato paste
- 1 tbsp
- 1 tbsp
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Spanish saffron threads
- 1 tsp
- 1 tsp
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uncooked quinoa (rinsed)
- 1 cup
- 1 cup
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low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cup
- 2 cup
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canned diced tomatoes
- 1 (10-oz)
- 1 (10-oz)
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coarse salt
- 1/4 tsp
- 1/4 tsp
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wild, never frozen, large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 30 shrimp)
- 1 lbs
- 454 g
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calamari rings
- 1 lbs
- 454 g
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flat leaf parsley (chopped)
- 3 tbsp
- 3 tbsp
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lemon (cut into 8 wedges)
- 1
- 1
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Directions
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Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet or paella pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell peppers, and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.
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Add the tomato paste and saffron to the skillet, stirring until well mixed. Add the quinoa, broth, tomatoes, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes.
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Tuck the shrimp and calamari into the quinoa mixture. Cover and cook until the shrimp and calamari are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat; sprinkle with parsley and garnish with lemon wedges.