• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Simply Healthy Family

For the love of food, family and feeling good

  • Recipes
  • Tools & Gadgets
  • How to
    • FAQ
  • Tastes
  • How long is it good for?
  • Food Substitutes
  • About

What To Serve With Paella? Five Great Paella Side Dishes

Last Updated on May 31, 2022 by Simply Healthy Family - Team

What To Serve With Paella? Five Great Paella Side Dishes

Simply Healthy Family may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page.

Paella might just be the most popular Spanish dish of all time. This rice dish is well loved throughout the world. If you are wondering what to serve with paella, then read on and find out which dishes go well with it.

 

What is Paella?

A pan of Paella

A pan of Paella

Paella is a Valencian rice dish that comes in numerous types like vegetarian paella, seafood paella, mixed paella and Valencian paella.

The latter is said to be the original recipe. It is made of white rice, meat, green beans, white beans, snails, and seasoning. All kinds of paellas use olive oil. Another common ingredient, albeit seasonal, is artichokes.

Non-Spaniards like me typically associate paella with Spain. In fact, many people think that it is the national food of the said country. However, Spaniards usually say that paella is a regional dish.

Best dishes to serve with Paella

Paella is a heavy dish. In fact, it is usually served by itself. But while paella can stand on its own, there are certain dishes that you can serve with it. My top recommendations are:

1

Caesar salad

A plate of Caesar Salad and a fork

A plate of Caesar Salad and a fork

I believe Caesar salad is the best complement to paella. Their flavors blend well. Caesar salad gives a very fresh flavor that goes well with the meaty flavor of paella. Serve these two dishes, and you’ve got a tasty and complete lunch or dinner.

Aside from being delicious, Caesar salad is very healthy. The lettuce found in Caesar salad has high levels of carotenoids that protect the body against free radical damage. It is also rich in folate and saponins that can help prevent cancer.

2

Bread

Slices of Bread on the chopping board

Slices of Bread on the chopping board

This may surprise you. After all, why serve another carbohydrate-heavy food when paella is already loaded in carbs?

Sure, both bread and paella are packed in carbohydrates. But bread, especially a crusty one, can offer a great change in texture when you serve it with paella.

A warm baguette should be good enough to be paired with paella. Add warm olive oil to the bread, then eat the paella in the crust without cutlery. It’s an authentic Spanish dining experience that you should try.

3

Fried Sweet Plantain slices

In Spanish, they call these Plantanos Maduros Fritos. These are delicious, sweet plantain slices which were fried to perfection. Many Spaniards say this is the best side dish to be served with paella.

This side dish is also very easy to prepare. You can cook one in less than 10 minutes! No kidding!

Ingredients

 green bananas

green bananas

  • 2 ripe sweet plantains
  • A cup of vegetable oil
  • Salt

Step by step guide

frying pan with slices of banana

frying pan with slices of banana

  • Heat oil in a frying pan placed over medium heat.
  • Peel the plantains. Cut them into slices about half an inch thick. Add them to the frying pan.

A bowl of fried slices of banana

A bowl of fried slices of banana

  • Cook on each side for about 2 minutes, or until the plantains have turned golden brown. Remove from the frying pan and place into a plate lined with paper towel to remove excess grease.
  • Add salt then serve warm as a side dish.

4

Fried Pimientos de Padron

A bowl of Fried Pimientos De Padron

A bowl of Fried Pimientos De Padron

If you haven’t heard of this dish, then don’t worry. It’s not the most popular dish from Spain, after all. This is a type of Spanish chili that is often fried and eaten. If you want to have an all-Spanish party, then I suggest that you serve this dish with seafood or beef paella.

This is chili that’s slightly fried in olive oil. It makes for a great side dish with paella.

In Spain, people usually wash the chili then dry it thoroughly before cooking. They then heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet. The peppers are then added and fried for about 2-3 minutes or until their color turns brown.

The fried pimientos de padron are then sprinkled with salt before serving. Some say it goes well with bread.

5

Roasted red peppers

Roasted Red Peppers on the chopping board

Roasted Red Peppers on the chopping board

The problem with the preceding side dish is that sourcing pimientos de padron can be quite difficult. Instead of using Spanish chili, you can roast red peppers instead to go along with the paella.

What I love about roasted red peppers is that they provide a smoky taste to the paella. This side dish can also add texture to the paella.

Like in the other side dishes I have shared, this roasted red peppers recipe is so simple to do. In fact, all you need are some red peppers.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil then place the peppers on their sides. The stems of the peppers should point sideways. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Then bake the peppers for about 20 minutes.

You’ll know that the peppers are done when they are slightly collapsed, and the skin charred and soft.

Conclusion

Paella may be considered a complete dish by itself, but that doesn’t mean that you can pair it with other side dishes. You can serve paella with Caesar salad, roasted red peppers, and bread.

If you want an authentic Paella party, you can serve it with fried Pimientos de Padron or fried sweet Plantain slices.

Whatever side dish you choose from this list, I can assure you that you will enjoy paella even more.

Related Posts

How to cook canned oysters

How To Cook Canned Oysters: Three Easy Ways

How To Reheat Shrimp: Three Easy Ways To Reheat Already Cooked Shrimp

How To Reheat Shrimp: Three Easy Ways To Reheat Already Cooked Shrimp

What Does Snapper Taste Like and How to Make It Fabulous

What Does Snapper Taste Like and How to Make It Fabulous

fillet trout

How to Fillet a Trout – An Easy Step-by-Step Guide

What Does Mahi Mahi Taste Like_ Learn More About Mahi Mahi

What Does Mahi Mahi Taste Like? Mahi Mahi Flavor Guide

How to Cook Salmon in a Toaster Oven

How to Cook Salmon in a Toaster Oven

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

The 15 Best Recipes For Bone-In Chicken Breasts

31 Healthy And Nutritious Air Fryer Recipes

25 Easy Leftover Steak Recipes For Midweek Meals

20 Easy To Make Leftover Taco Meat Recipes

27 Juicy And Delicious Air-Fryer Chicken Recipes

Footer

Keep In Touch

  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy & Disclaimer

Disclaimer

All information on this website is intended for entertainment and educational purposes only. It is not a replacement or substitute for professional medical advice and/or treatment. Consult with your own doctor for information and advice on your specific questions.

All wallpapers and backgrounds found here are believed to be in the “public domain”. Most of the images displayed are of unknown origin. We do not intend to infringe any legitimate intellectual right, artistic rights or copyright. If you are the rightful owner of any of the pictures/wallpapers posted here, and you do not want it to be displayed or if you require a suitable credit, then please CONTACT US and we will immediately do whatever is needed either for the image to be removed or provide credit where it is due.

All the content of this site are do not gain any financial benefit from the downloads of any images/wallpaper.

 

We’re an affiliate!

Simplyhealthyfamily.org is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Additionally, Simplyhealthyfamily.org participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.

We do not specifically market to children under 13.