Wake up your taste buds with this one pot wonder.
Jambalaya is a one pot meal with deep roots in New Orleans history. Every house in Louisiana has their own family recipe and each one swears it has the best version. I have never been to New Orleans but I have tried many an iteration of this incredible dish and I have to say that this Vegan Jambalaya recipe definitely stands up to anything I have tried in the past. Good enough to close your eyes and make you believe you are knee deep in the bayou.
This vegan jambalaya is not just a recipe, no, its an experience. A labor of love, so to speak, one that pays off in bowl after delightful bowl of flavor and heartiness. It’s like a warm hug, from the inside. Brimming with incredible spices like cayenne, bay leaf, thyme, oregano and black pepper. Every spoonful is another bite of homemade comfort, transporting me back to my grandma’s kitchen and that warm cozy feeling of a home cooked meal. This quick and easy one pot dish is loaded with savory Cajun spices and is so delicious you won’t even notice that there is no meat in it.
A brief Jambalaya history
Jambalaya is said to originate from Louisiana and is the product of Spanish, French and West African cultures and cuisines combining together to make one stellar dish. The name itself, some say, is a combination of French Jamon or ham and Aya/Yaya or rice in west African. The meal itself is inexpensive and typically made from whatever ingredients you have on hand. Making this dish incredibly diverse with limitless options for ingredients. This vegan jambalaya recipe, is a treasure trove of healthy ingredients all blending in perfect harmony and stacked with vitamins and nutrients. Like potassium, calcium, protein and iron, it even has vitamins A,C and B6.
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper diced
- 20 button mushrooms quartered
- 1 can 14 oz crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons smoky paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce or to taste
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
- 1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- Fresh chopped parsley, green onion, or cilantro for garnish
How to Make Vegan Jambalaya
Step 1: Start by heating a large pan over medium-high heat. Add a splash of water to sauté the onion and garlic until soft, adding more water as needed to prevent sticking.
Step 2: Add the diced celery and bell peppers to the pan, cooking until they begin to soften.
Step 3: Move the sautéed veggies aside and place the quartered mushrooms in the pan. Cook until they’re nicely browned.
Step 4: Combine the crushed tomatoes, vegetable stock, herbs, spices, Tabasco sauce, soy sauce, and a dash of black pepper with the veggies and mushrooms in the pan. Stir in the uncooked rice and kidney beans.
Step 5: Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the pan, and let it simmer. Stir occasionally until the rice is cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed, which should take about 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 6: Once the rice is tender, taste and add salt if needed. Serve your jambalaya hot, garnished with fresh herbs and extra Tabasco sauce on the side for those who enjoy a spicier dish.
FAQs & Tips
You can absolutely make this dish ahead of time, in fact letting it marry overnight only enhances the bold flavors of this scrumptious dish. Make the Vegan Jambalaya just like the recipes states, then cool it down and place it in an air tight container and store in the fridge for up to five days. This dish also freezes incredibly well and can last up to three months when frozen.
Creole typically refers to New Orleans or city cuisine with its roots in the French side of cooking. Using butter, tomatoes, and fancier cuts of meat like pork, shrimp and sausages. Cajun typically refers to country, or rustic cuisine, using oils instead of butter and wild game instead of the harder to come by meats. Creole jambalaya sometimes omits the tomatoes.
They are very similar but they are not the same, gumbo uses a spice called Filé powder as well as okra. Both of which are not something you typically find in Jambalaya.
No they are not. Jambalaya does however take influence from paella with the addition of rice from the Spanish immigrants whole settled in Louisiana.
Jambalaya is a one pot meal, typically using whatever ingredients the people had on hand. This and the fact that each home had its own version of this dish add to the fact that there isn’t one end all be all recipe for this incredible meal. It also opens up the door for many a great iteration of this classic meal.
Serving Suggestions
Our Vegan jambalaya recipe is meant to be a stand alone one pot dish, but that doesn’t mean you can’t jazz it up with some incredible sides. Garlic bread is a hands down favorite of mine, there is something magical about the way a soft piece of fresh baked bread pairs with this meal. I love adding a nice bright salad on the side, not only does it add a nice texture and palette cleanser, it boosts the nutritional value of this meal, making it even healthier.
A few more delicious sides you might like this Grilled Corn Salad with Fresh Herbs, or this Kansas Chopped Salad with Peppercorn Ranch. If you love this meal just the way it is maybe give one of our desserts a try. Our Lemon Cupcake recipe, is a bright and tangy after meal treat and this Chocolate Chia Pudding is sure to satisfy the chocolate lover in every family.
Vegan Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper diced
- 20 button mushrooms quartered
- 1 can 14 oz crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons smoky paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce or to taste
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
- black pepper to taste
- 2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
- 1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- fresh chopped parsley green onion, or cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Start by heating a large pan over medium-high heat. Add a splash of water to sauté the onion and garlic until soft, adding more water as needed to prevent sticking.
- Add the diced celery and bell peppers to the pan, cooking until they begin to soften.
- Move the sautéed veggies aside and place the quartered mushrooms in the pan. Cook until they’re nicely browned.
- Combine the crushed tomatoes, vegetable stock, herbs, spices, Tabasco sauce, soy sauce, and a dash of black pepper with the veggies and mushrooms in the pan. Stir in the uncooked rice and kidney beans.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the pan, and let it simmer. Stir occasionally until the rice is cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed, which should take about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Once the rice is tender, taste and add salt if needed. Serve your jambalaya hot, garnished with fresh herbs and extra Tabasco sauce on the side for those who enjoy a spicier dish.
