Jambalaya is a dish out of Louisiana and is a play on Spanish paella and french jambalaia. There are still multiple varieties of jambalaya. The two primary methods are formed from the division of the addition of tomatoes and cooking method. I prefer the flavour the tomatoes add to the dish, so I primarily cook a Creole or “red” jambalaya. The other kind is Cajun, and while delicious, tomatoes are even more delicious. Usually they also contain seafood, but vegan seafood alternatives are difficult to find, but you’re not missing much! You could add a little seaweed to get some of that sea flavour in your dish if you really miss it!
This was one of my favourite recipes growing up, except my mom made it with bacon grease and garlic sausage. I originally changed the oil to olive, doubled the vegetables, and used turkey sausage for years, but I realized I love it as much with a good vegan sausage.
The flavour comes from the long cooking times at each stage, which is why it still tastes amazing! This long cooking time makes it quite similar to a paella, though the paella is traditionally cooked over an open flame in an uncovered dish. The cooking method is another key difference between Creole and Cajun Jambalaya, with Cajun typically being a “dump” and cook kind of dish, where all the ingredients are added at once, stirred, and left to cook.
Creole jambalaya takes it a few steps further to cook the ingredients in stages to develop the flavour and brown the ingredients (similar to a paella).
To Prepare:
In a large non-stick pot, preheat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chopped vegan sausage and fry until beginning to brown, but do not overcook. Set aside in a bowl or plate. This stage is important to prevent the vegan sausage from absorbing too much liquid during the later stages, keeping it firm and chewy.
Turn down the heat to medium and add additional oil if necessary. Add the onion, green onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook for 8 – 10 minutes until the vegetables are very soft and just beginning to brown. The vegetables will first turn translucent, then sweat, and then the water will evapourate.
Add in the rice. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom to evenly toast the rice. It will turn pearly white and may begin to brown. Add the chopped tomatoes and spices, cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes, repeating the same stirring method to prevent burning and to cook the dish evenly.
Add the reserved fried sausage and stir well before adding the broth. Quickly stir to deglaze the bottom if necessary. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer before reducing the heat to its lowest setting. Cover and cook for 25 – 30 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving to loosen up any browned bits on the bottom. Serve hot on its own as a main or along with an additional dish.
Delicious Vegan Creole Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups vegan sausage/frankfurter chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 green onions chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper chopped
- 3 celery stalks chopped
- 2 cups long grain rice
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp black pepper freshly ground
- ¼-½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 medium tomatoes chopped
- 3 cups “beef” bouillon broth or vegetable broth
Directions
- In a large non-stick pot, preheat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chopped vegan sausage and fry until beginning to brown, but do not overcook. Set aside in a bowl or plate. This stage is important to prevent the vegan sausage from absorbing too much liquid during the later stages, keeping it firm and chewy.
- Turn down the heat to medium and add additional oil if necessary. Add the onion, green onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook for 8 – 10 minutes until the vegetables are very soft and just beginning to brown. The vegetables will first turn translucent, then sweat, and then the water will evapourate.
- Add in the rice. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom to evenly toast the rice. It will turn pearly white and may begin to brown. Add the chopped tomatoes and spices, cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes, repeating the same stirring method to prevent burning and to cook the dish evenly.
- Add the reserved fried sausage and stir well before adding the broth. Quickly stir to deglaze the bottom if necessary. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer before reducing the heat to its lowest setting. Cover and cook for 25 – 30 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving to loosen up any browned bits on the bottom. Serve hot on its own as a main or along with some fresh bread!
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