The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.
As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.
Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.
Chicken & Ve'duja Paella with Brown Rice & Olives
A Spanish classic bursting with smoky depth. Starring succulent free-range British chicken and warm vegan 'nduja - you'll simmer them with vibrant peppers, sweet onions and warm smoked paprika for a rich, flavourful paella. Finished with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon for the perfect balance.
High protein
1/3 daily fibre
5 plants
Serving size
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 10g chicken stock powder (Chicory Extract, Yeast Extract, Natural Flavouring, Salt, Onion Powder, Chicken Stock Powder, Rapeseed Oil.)
- 30g pitted green olives (Green Olives, Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt, Lactic Acid (E270))
- 40g vegan 'nduja (Red peppers (26%), Rapeseed Oil, coconut oil, haricot beans, chilli peppers (14%), paprika, red wine vinegar, sunflower oil, salt, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper, acidity regulator: citric acid)
- 40g baby spinach
- 250g cooked short grain brown rice (Cooked Wholegrain Risotto Rice 97% (Water, Risotto Rice), Sunflower Oil, Salt.)
- 300g British Free Range chicken thighs
- 1 unwaxed lemon
- 2 tsp smoked paprika & oregano blend (smoked paprika, oregano)
- 1 handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 pepper
- 2 garlic clove
Nutritional Information
Calories: 663
Protein: 40g
Carbs: 64g
Fat: 29g
Ingredients
- 10g chicken stock powder (use half) (Chicory Extract, Yeast Extract, Natural Flavouring, Salt, Onion Powder, Chicken Stock Powder, Rapeseed Oil.)
- 30g pitted green olives (use half) (Green Olives, Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt, Lactic Acid (E270))
- 1 handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley (use half)
- 1 pepper (use half)
- 1 unwaxed lemon (use half)
- 250g cooked short grain brown rice (use half) (Cooked Wholegrain Risotto Rice 97% (Water, Risotto Rice), Sunflower Oil, Salt.)
- 2 tsp smoked paprika & oregano blend (use half) (smoked paprika, oregano)
- 40g baby spinach (use half)
- 150g British Free Range chicken thighs
- 40g vegan 'nduja (use half) (Red peppers (26%), Rapeseed Oil, coconut oil, haricot beans, chilli peppers (14%), paprika, red wine vinegar, sunflower oil, salt, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper, acidity regulator: citric acid)
- 1 onion (use half)
- 2 garlic clove
Nutritional Information
Calories: 668
Protein: 41g
Carbs: 65g
Fat: 29g
Chicken & Ve'duja Paella with Brown Rice & Olives
A Spanish classic bursting with smoky depth. Starring succulent free-range British chicken and warm vegan 'nduja - you'll simmer them with vibrant peppers, sweet onions and warm smoked paprika for a rich, flavourful paella. Finished with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon for the perfect balance.
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Cooking Instructions
Before you start
- Pull out a large frying pan, a sieve & a measuring jug
Sizzle the chicken
- Dice the chicken into 3cm pieces
- Heat the large frying pan with 1 tsp oil on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook for 7 mins, until golden. Season with salt and pepper
Prep time
- Meanwhile, on a separate board, dice the onion. Dice the pepper into 2cm chunks. Halve the olives
- Quarter the lemon. Finely chop or crush the garlic
- Add the onion and pepper to the chicken and cook for another 5-6 mins, until the veg is softening
Build the paella
- Add the vegan 'nduja (add less for less heat), garlic and paprika & oregano blend to the pan, and cook for 2 mins, until the chicken is cooked through
- Add the rice, olives, stock powder and 100ml water (50ml for 1 person). Stir to combine, breaking up the rice with a wooden spoon. Cook for 2 mins, until thickened
- Roughly chop the parsley. Rinse the spinach, then stir into the pan, along with half the parsley. Cook for a final 1 min, until wilted
Plate up
- Check your chicken is cooked through by cutting a large piece in half; the flesh should be white and the juices running clear
- Squeeze in the juice from a lemon wedge into the paella. Season to taste with salt and pepper
- Share the chicken paella between bowls. Sprinkle over the remaining parsley. Garnish with the remaining lemon wedges, for squeezing over
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