I love chorizo!! All of it!! I love the Spanish variety which is the dried and cured type. It is incredible for grilling, for soup, for eating with cheese or for adding flavor to rice or pasta dishes. If you have a hard time finding it, you can always order it on Amazon. I love the Mexican variety which is spicy, greasy and usually made with Beef or Pork. This type can be found anywhere. And I actually love soy chorizo which is...well made with soy. I have found that it has really good flavor and I often toss it in with my scrambled eggs in the morning...I have just never thought of cooking with it for some reason.



So when I found this recipe for a paella style rice dish made with soy chorizo I decided to give it a try. And I loved it!! This recipe has great flavor from the soy chorizo and the saffron and although this recipe is far from a traditional paella, it really made me happy. It is colorful, festive, had good flavors and tasted fresh and zesty.

To begin with, brown the soy chorizo in a skillet. Remove from pan.


Next saute the onions in olive oil until soft and tender. Add the garlic and saffron, which is the most expensive spice on the planet, but seriously well worth it because it has a distinct taste that is truly unique only to...well saffron.



Next add the rice and bell pepper. Stir in the wine and cook until reduced. For some reason I love the smell of wine cooking. It was in this step that my house started smelling incredible, between the onions, saffron and wine...mmmm...I was just happy.


Add the vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a simmer, cooking for approximately 20 minutes.


Finally, add the edamame. The recipe calls for frozen, however I used fresh from Trader Joe's and that worked equally as well.

Serve with parsley and green onions on top.

Beautiful, healthy and really flavorful!! This is definitely one to try if you are a Vegetarian or if you just wanted to make a Vegetarian meal or if you just want a really colorful dish for the table. Enjoy!!

Here is the actual recipe:

6 ounces meatless soy chorizo (such as Soyrizo)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/4 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 large)
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup Valencia or other medium-grain rice
1 cup (1/2-inch) pieces red bell pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups organic vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans), thawed
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onions


Preparation

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add soy chorizo to pan, and cook for 12 minutes or until browned, crumbling and stirring occasionally. Place in a small bowl, and set aside.

2. Return pan to medium heat. Add olive oil, swirling to coat. Add yellow onion; cover and cook for 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add saffron and garlic; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup rice and bell pepper; cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in white wine, and cook for 2 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring frequently. Add vegetable broth and salt; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

3. Return soy chorizo to pan, and stir in edamame. Cook for 5 minutes or until edamame is thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and 1/4 cup green onions.