Spain on a Fork > All Recipes > Main Dishes > Making a SPANISH PAELLA for 4 PEOPLE for under $10
All Recipes, Main Dishes / February 2, 2020

Making a SPANISH PAELLA for 4 PEOPLE for under $10

In this post, I´m going to show you how to make a Spanish paella for 4 people for under $10. Yup, you read that correctly, an authentic flavored Spanish paella for less than an Alexander Hamilton bill. This Paella is loaded with flavors, made with simple ingredients and comes together in 45 minutes.


Okay, I live in Spain, and the ingredients here to make this paella are a lot cheaper. However, I did do my research in the American market to come up with the prices for each ingredient. It wasn´t easy, but it was kinda fun 🙂 .


Here are the average prices for each ingredient I used in this Paella:
*1/3 cup EVOO .64 cents ($8 liter) 4.22 cups in a liter $1.90 a cup divided by 3
*1/2 onion .25 cents ($1.99 lbs) 4 medium onions in 1 lbs
*5 cloves garlic .15 cents ($3.49 lbs) .25 cents per head
*12 button mushrooms $1.38 (8 oz container at walmart)
*1 tsp sweet smoked paprika .11 cents ($5.20 4 oz container) 12 tsp is 1oz $1.30
*1/2 cup canned tomato sauce .42 cents ($.83 15oz can of hunts)
*1 cup large lima beans $1.08 (2 lbs $12.99) 2 cups per lbs $6.50, 1 cup dried $3.25 = 3 cups cooked
*2 cups round rice $1.00 (avg price 5 lbs bag $6.00) 2 1/2 cups is 1 lbs $1.20
*1/2 tsp saffron threads $2.40 (10 grams $48) 4.80 a gram / 1 tsp .70 grams
*4 1/2 cups vegetable broth $1.98 (1 liter/ 32 oz swanson)


TIPS & TRICKS to make these recipes: I used a paella pan to make this paella, however you can use a large frying pan instead. Make sure to use round rice, very similar to medium grain rice. Try to find a Spanish olive oil, they are usually the cheapest priced ones. The saffron threads I used where from Golden saffron. In my opinion, the BEST high-quality saffron when it comes to price to quality ratio.


Key Ingredients & Cookware I used in this Recipe:
PAELLA PAN
SAFFRON THREADS
EXTRA VIRGIN SPANISH OLIVE OIL
SWEET SMOKED SPANISH PAPRIKA
SPANISH SEA SALT

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Watch the Video Below on How to Make A SPANISH PAELLA for 4 PEOPLE for under $10

SPANISH PAELLA for 4 PEOPLE for under $10

Course Main Course
Cuisine Spanish
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings 4
Author Albert Bevia @ Spain on a Fork

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 onion
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 12 button mushrooms
  • 1 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika
  • 1/2 cup canned tomato sauce
  • 1 cup cooked lima beans canned or frozen
  • 2 cups round rice
  • 1/2 tsp saffron threads
  • 4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  • sea salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat a paella pan with a medium-high heat and add in 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, after 1 minute season the oil with sea salt and add in 12 button mushrooms that have been cut into quarters, mix the mushrooms with the olive oil, after 2 minutes make a well in the middle and add in 1/2 onion that is finely diced, mix the onions with the olive oil, 2 minutes later add 5 cloves finely minced garlic over the onions and continue to mix, after 30 seconds add in a generous tsp of sweet smoked Spanish paprika and mix it all together, then add in a generous 1/2 cup of canned tomato sauce, 1 cup of precooked lima beans and season everything with sea salt & black pepper, once again mix it all together until well combined

  2. About 1 minute after adding the tomato sauce and lima beans, add in 4 1/2 cups of vegetable broth, pinch in 1/2 tsp of saffron threads and give it a gentle mix, once it comes to a boil let it boil for an extra minute to let the saffron infuse, then add in 2 cups of round rice and give it a gentle mix so everything is evenly distributed, after this step don´t mix the rice again, as it distrups the way it cooks, after 10 minutes and you can start seeing the grains of rice, lower the fire to a low-medium heat, after simmering for 4 minutes are there is virtually no broth left, hit it back to a medium-high heat to achieve the socarrat (caramelized rice underneath) for about 60 seconds, remove the pan from the heat and cover with a dishcloth, after 5 minutes uncover the paella and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley, enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Get the Saffron Threads I used to make this Spanish Paella

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2 Comments

  1. Isha

    Hola! So after going through many of your vegan recipes, I decided on this one! Vegan Paella. Honestly I was a little skeptical it would taste as amazing as you told, but am glad I was wrong! It did taste amazing with all the flavors combined, especially the olive oil taste . I did not go for the caramelized layer as my mom doesn’t like it, and substituted eggplants for the mushrooms. I also tried your vegetable broth recipe for this and man, it was other worldly delicious! Love from India 🙂 Keep giving out more vegan recipes!

    16 . Aug . 2020
    • Spain on a Fork

      I am so happy to hear that!!! truly appreciate your comment 🙂 much love

      16 . Aug . 2020

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