Paella Soup
with cauliflower rice / summer squash / shrimp / mussels
Paella is a popular Spanish rice dish made with fresh seafood, but it can be time-consuming to prepare. This recipe has all those great flavors and fresh seafood (but without the rice) for a paleo-friendly soup version. This meal was last featured in 2022.
Smarts: Mussels are quick-cooking shellfish, but feel free to skip them if you're looking to simplify.
Ingredients
- Cauliflower florets - 12 oz
- Butter - 1 Tbsp
- Shrimp, peeled and deveined - 3/4 lb
- Salt - 1 tsp
- Paprika, smoked - 1 tsp
- Oregano, dried - 1 tsp
- Dried saffron (opt) - 1/4 tsp
- Red pepper flakes - 1/4 tsp
- Garlic - 3 cloves , chopped
- Bell peppers, red - 1 , chopped
- Onions, medium - 1 , chopped
- Carrots - 8 oz , chopped
- Summer squash, yellow - 12 oz , diced
- Mussels, cleaned and debearded - 1 lb
- Green onions - 2 stalks , chopped, green and white parts combined
- Oil, olive - 2 Tbsp
- Chorizo - 8 oz
- Stock, any type - 4 cups
- Tomatoes, diced and preferably fire-roasted (14 oz / 397 g) - 1 can
- Bay leaves - 2
- Lemon juice - 3 tsp
Prep
-
Shrimp - Defrost, rinse, and pat dry.
-
Cauliflower rice - (Skip if made ahead for Monday.) Pulse florets in a food processor until broken up into ‘rice’-sized bits. Cook rice in one of two ways: 1) Microwave for 4 to 5 minutes and then fold in butter. Season with some salt and pepper; or 2) Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add butter. Saute cauliflower in heated butter for ~5 minutes, until tender but still crunchy. Season to taste with some salt and pepper. Watch this video for the full how-to on cauliflower rice. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
-
Make paella spice mix - Combine salt, paprika, oregano, saffron, and red pepper flakes. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
-
Garlic / Bell peppers / Onions / Carrots / Squash - Prep as directed. Store garlic in one container. Combine bell peppers, onions, and carrots in another container. Store squash in a third container. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
-
Mussels - Clean and debeard mussels (this is usually done by your fishmonger, but in the rare case that yours did not come debearded, here’s a demo from The Kitchn). Scrub and soak in a bowl of water. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
-
Green onions - Prep as directed.
Unlock this meal along with hundreds of smart meal plans and never stress about "What's for dinner?" again
Try for freeLearn More
Make
-
Heat a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add oil and then bell peppers, onions, and carrots. Saute until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add chorizo and saute until chorizo breaks into pieces and starts to brown, 5 to 6 minutes.
-
Add squash, garlic, and spice mix and saute for 1 minute more.
-
Pour stock and tomatoes (including liquid) over vegetables. Add bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes to let the flavors come together.
-
Add mussels to soup and cover. Cook until mussels have opened up, 5 to 6 minutes. (If any mussels don’t open, simply discard them.)
-
Add shrimp to the soup. Put the lid back on and continue cooking until shrimp are opaque, 2 to 3 minutes more.
-
If cauliflower rice was made ahead, warm it in the microwave.
-
Turn off the heat under the soup. Remove bay leaves and stir in lemon juice. Taste and season with some salt and pepper and some more lemon juice if you’d like.
-
Divide cauliflower rice between bowls. Ladle paella soup over top. Top with green onions and enjoy.
Reviews
Ratings
0 reviews