Low FODMAP chorizo and vegetable paella

All of this lovely warm and sunny weather has me thinking back to the last time we went on holiday to Spain. We have the sun and the heat! The only thing we’re missing from my typical Spanish holiday retreat is a beach and a traditional paella. Now I can’t do anything about the beach considering I live well inland but I can solve my hankering for an amazing chorizo paella!

When we last visited Spain, we went to a market and while everyone else was gathering around the many gluten laden churro stalls, I made a beeline for the pots and pan stall. You would never believe the size of the biggest paella pan they sold – it must have made enough paella to feed 20 or 30 people at least! Anyway, I was just about to move into a new flat and decided that I definitely couldn’t live without a paella pan in my life.

Fast forward a few years and a few failed attempts, paella is still one of my favourite dishes to eat but also to cook. I always feel an amazing sense of accomplishment when I am eating my paella or serving it to others too!

Anyway, onto the recipe you all came here for!

This paella is honestly super easy to make! The prep only takes about 5 minutes and then you’re good to go. You do need to stir it every 5 or so minutes but it’s minimal effort for the amazing dinner you are rewarded with in the end!

Chorizo has recently been added to the Monash University FODMAP app and has been classified as Low FODMAP in portion sizes of 60g or less. Now this is a huge game changer for me because I could eat chorizo on or with just about anything! I seriously love the spicy, seriously meaty flavour that the chorizo adds to so many of my favourite dishes. So, as a mini celebration of both chorizo making it to the low FODMAP listing and the almost Spanish feeling weather, I’ve decided to post one of my favourite recipes ever – the Low FODMAP chorizo and vegetable paella!

FODMAP considerations

While 60g of chorizo has been added to the safe list, there is a warning that if you know your tummy and know that garlic is a big trigger for you, it’s maybe best to either start in much smaller quantities or give it a miss altogether because I am yet to come across a garlic free chorizo! If any one knows of any, I would seriously love to know about it!

This isn’t really a huge issue for this recipe though because there are plenty of substitutions you could make to still make a delicious paella and even a vegan/veggie one if that’s the diet you follow. For example, you could change the chorizo for chicken chunks, low FODMAP sausages, vegan low FODMAP sausages, bacon, prawns or even just more low FODMAP veggies.

Anyway, enough chat – let’s get down to business with the delicious recipe!

Low FODMAP Chorizo and Vegetable Paella (serves between 2 and 3 depending on serving size) 

You’ll need:

• 1tbsp garlic infused oil (I use with the aldi or tesco version)
• 60g chorizo (or a substitute such as cubed chicken breast, low FODMAP sausages, vegan/veggie sausages, prawns)
• 1 carrot (chopped into 1cm pieces)
• A handful of green beans or mangetout (chopped into 2cm pieces)
• 70g of canned sweetcorn
• 1 tsp paprika powder
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• Low FODMAP stock cube and 500ml boiling water
• 200g risotto rice (I tend to use arborio but a paella rice will definitely work too!)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Lemon juice to serve (optional)
• Saffron paella mix (entirely optional – I just got mine from Spain last time I was there and need to use it up)

Method:

1. In a paella pan or a large frying pan, lightly fry the chorizo until it just begins to cook. 
2. Add in the tomato puree, paprika and crumble in the stock cube. Stir well to ensure the ingredients are well mixed. This is when I would also add in a small amount of saffron paella mix that I bought from Spain but this is entirely optional.
3. Add in the risotto rice and fry for 2 minutes to let the rice soak up the spice flavours. 
4. Add in the chopped vegetables and pour in 500ml of boiling water. Stir gently and cover the pan.
5. Allow the dish to simmer for 20-25 minutes (based on when the rice is fully cooked) making sure to stir every few minutes from the outside in to avoid the rice sticking to the bottom. 
6. Add extra water if and when necessary. 
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze in some lemon juice before serving (optional).
8. Eat immediately while hot and enjoy!

Thanks for reading my latest post and I hope you really enjoy making your very own low FODMAP Chorizo and Vegetable Spanish Paella! If you do give this recipe a try, please show me your tasty creations by tagging me on Instagram using @learningtolovelowfodmap.

Enjoy the sunny weekend,

Amy xx