Vegan Jambalaya
New Orleans can be a hard place to find vegan and gluten-free options when going out to eat. For those of us who want a taste of the classic Cajun trinity of onion, celery, and bell pepper, we’ll probably need to cook it ourselves. This jambalaya isn’t the traditional version with meat and butter, but it’s still a tasty meal inspired by the flavors of Louisiana. Plus, it’s low in fat, easy to make in just one pot, and ready to serve in under an hour.
Ingredients
Categorized for easy shopping list creation:
| PRODUCE | |
|---|---|
| Onion | 1 |
| Red Bell Pepper | 1 |
| Orange Bell Pepper | 1 |
| Jalapeno | 1 |
| Celery | 3 sticks |
| Garlic | 4 cloves |
| Peas, frozen | 1 cup |
| Okra, frozen | 1 cup |
| DRY GOODS | |
|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp |
| Jasmine Rice, uncooked | 1 cup |
| San Marzano Whole Tomatoes | 28 oz can |
| Kidney Beans | 15 oz can or 2 cups cooked |
| SPICES | |
|---|---|
| Smoked Paprika | 1 tsp |
| Dried Thyme | 1 tsp |
| Dried Oregano | 1 tsp |
| Cayenne Powder | 1 tsp |
| Onion Powder | 1 tsp |
| Garlic Powder | 1 tsp |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp |
| Sea Salt | 1 tsp |
Step by Step Instructions
Prepare all ingredients, then heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced vegetables and minced garlic, cooking for 10-15 minutes while stirring occasionally. Cook until the vegetables are softened and fragrant, and the onions turn golden.
Add the rinsed jasmine rice and the spice blend to the pot. Stir to combine and cook for about 1 minute, allowing the rice to toast slightly.
Pour in the 1.5 cups of water and the canned tomatoes (crushing them as they are added). Stir well and increase the heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to just above low (the setting between low and 2). Cover the pot and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
Gently fold in the kidney beans, peas, and okra into the pot. Be careful not to over-stir, as this can make the rice mushy. Cover and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
After simmering, turn off the heat and let the pot sit, covered, for 10 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld and the rice to finish cooking.
Remove the lid and serve the jambalaya warm.
Cooking Tips
Toast the Rice for Better Flavor and Texture – Lightly toasting the rice with spices before adding liquid makes the spices more aromatic and helps prevent mushy rice. Stir frequently to avoid sticking.
Adjust the Spice Level to Your Taste – Control the heat by modifying the amount of cayenne powder and jalapeño. I like to keep the jalapeño seeds in but for a milder version, remove them.
Keep the Lid On After Cooking – Letting the rice rest with the lid on allows it to finish cooking and prevents it from sticking to the pot. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes before removing the lid for the best texture.
Final Thoughts
If you have leftovers and prefer not to use a microwave, reheat on the stovetop by adding a splash of water to the pot and warming over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
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Vegan Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 orange bell pepper diced
- 1 jalapeno diced, optionally remove seeds
- 3 celery sticks diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup jasmine rice uncooked, rinsed
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cayenne powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1.5 cup water
- 28 oz San Marzano whole tomatoes
- 2 cups kidney beans cooked, rinsed
- 1 cup peas frozen
- 1 cup okra frozen
Instructions
Prep Ingredients
- Dice the onion, bell peppers, jalapeno (optionally remove seeds), and celery, and mince the garlic. You can place all these ingredients in the same bowl, as they will be added to the pot at the same time.1 onion, 1 red bell pepper, 1 orange bell pepper, 1 jalapeno, 3 celery sticks, 4 garlic cloves
- Measure and rinse the jasmine rice thoroughly.1 cup jasmine rice
- Open the canned tomatoes and measure the water.28 oz San Marzano whole tomatoes, 1.5 cup water
- In a small bowl, combine all the spices.1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp cayenne powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp sea salt
- Measure the kidney beans, peas, and okra into a bowl.2 cups kidney beans, 1 cup peas, 1 cup okra
Cook
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.1 tbsp olive oil
- Add the onions, bell peppers, jalapeno, celery, and garlic. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant. The onions should be golden before moving on to the next step.
- Stir in the mixed spices and rinsed rice. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring to coat the rice with the spices.
- Pour in the water and canned tomatoes, stirring well and crushing the tomatoes.
- Increase heat to bring the mixture to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to just above low (on my stove, this is setting 2). Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Gently fold in the kidney beans, peas, and okra, being careful not to disturb the rice too much, as over-stirring can make it mushy. Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Before opening the lid, turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Then, remove the lid and serve!
