March Recipe of the Month: Golden Paella with Shrimp, Mussels & Black Soybeans

Brighten up your table this spring with a burst of Spanish flavor!

Can’t book a trip to Spain? Bring the taste of Spain home instead!

Paella is the heart of Spanish cuisine, a dish passed down through generations with family recipes as treasured as heirlooms. Legend has it that farm workers in Valencia created paella by gathering mature rice from the fields, tossing in whatever vegetables and leftover meat they had, and cooking it over an open fire. Simple, rustic, and undeniably delicious.

Arkansas Meets Spain: Local Ingredients, Big Flavor

You can recreate this iconic dish with Arkansas-grown soybeans and rice! Fresh mussels, which I found at a local seafood market for a reasonable price, added an authentic touch. Not a mussel fan? No problem—just leave them out. Paella is like our gumbo—use what you love and what you have on hand.

Easy Saffron Substitute if the Price Makes You Gasp!

I’ll be honest—the sticker shock was real when I bought saffron threads. It’s the most expensive spice in the kitchen.

If you don’t have saffron you can still get that golden color by using turmeric, though the flavor will be different. Smoked paprika can help. It mimics saffron’s depth.

Try this swap: ¼ teaspoon turmeric + ½ teaspoon smoked paprika for a budget-friendly alternative.

A New Take on Tradition

This is NOT a family recipe. Growing up, I loved collecting mussel shells along riverbanks. Of course we never actually ate them. A couple of years ago I decided to walk on the wild side and give this ancient dish a modern, slightly healthier spin—mussels and all!

Smart Ingredient Swaps for Every Diet

I’ve learned a thing or two about ingredient swaps. No pork chorizo for me! Instead, I use skinless smoked turkey sausage, which has half the fat of pork or beef sausage. Small changes like this add up over time.

Cooking for vegetarians or vegans? Skip the seafood, chicken, sausage, and broth. Fun fact: Traditional paella recipes originally used water, relying on saffron and spices for flavor. Black soybeans make this paella a protein-packed plant-based meal. You can also add colorful bell peppers and vegetable stock for extra flavor and texture.

Dig In & Enjoy!

Whether you keep it traditional or put your own spin on it, paella is a celebration of bold flavors and fresh ingredients. Serve it up and savor every bite!

Shrimp, Mussel, & Black Soybean Paella

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 6

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 smoked skinless turkey sausage (6 ounces), sliced

• 1 small onion, thinly sliced and chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic, diced

• ½ cup diced tomatoes

• 1 cup of uncooked arborio or other short grain rice

• ½ t. crumbled saffron threads dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water

• 1 ½ cups of chicken broth (or vegetable broth or water)

• 1 pinch of salt

• 1 pinch of black pepper

• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 pound of large shrimp, shelled and deveined

• 1 ½ cups of cooked black soybeans

• ¼ cup dry white wine

• 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

• ½ pound of fresh, washed mussels

• 1 - 14 ounce can of sliced artichoke hearts

• 1 ½ cups of cooked chicken (dark meat is the best)

• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

• 1 green onion, chopped

Directions:

Prep: Cook, Chop, Squeeze, Shell, Rinse, Slice, Mix, Open, Pour, and Set Aside!

• Pre-cook and rinse black soybeans. I cook and freeze mine in batches to use with a range of dishes.

• Chop pre-cooked chicken. I use rotisserie chicken to save a step.

• Rinse, shell, and devein fresh shrimp

• Squeeze lemon juice and chop your garlic, parsley, and onions.

• Rinse and lightly scrub mussels.

• Slice smoked turkey sausage.

• Mix saffron with 2 tablespoons of water

• Open your cans of diced tomatoes and sliced artichoke hearts.

• Pour ¼ cup of dry white wine for the recipe and a glass for yourself. You are ready to roll!

Step 1: Get your paella pan or other heavy ovenproof skillet (a large iron skillet works great) and make some magic.

• Cook the smoked, sliced, turkey sausage in the pan/skillet over medium-high heat and stir frequently with a spatula until browned.

• Add the onion and garlic, reduce the heat to low, and cook until onion is softened and just beginning to brown.

• Stir in the tomatoes, rice, saffron liquid, chicken broth, salt, and pepper and return the heat to medium high and bring to a boil.

• Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer without stirring for 15 minutes. The liquid will be absorbed and the rice will be al dente.

Step 2: Cook the rice and mussels WHEN the rice is done.

• In a seperate large heavy skillet, heat ¼ cup of olive oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers.

• Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, add to skillet, turning a couple of times while cooking until the shrimp is pink and cooked (about 3 minutes)

• Use a slotted spoon to add the cooked shrimp to the cooked rice.

• In a small pot, on medium high heat, add the wine, lemon juice, and mussels. Cover the pot with a lid and cook the mussels for 3-4 minutes.

• Shake the pot a couple of times while cooking.

• When the mussels are open pour the mussels and cooking liquid into the rice.

Step 3: Crossing the finish line

• Add the chopped chicken and artichokes to the rice and stir together.

• Cover the paella pan/skillet with aluminum foil and bake in the pre-heated oven for 6-10 minutes.

• Remove from the oven, uncover, and garnish with parsley and green onions.

Wow! Look at what you created.

Serve with a fresh salad and crusty hot bread.

YUM!