A smoky and satisfying meat free version of the southern US classic, this vegan jambalaya is packed full of veggies and protein.
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Jambalaya has its origins in many different places.
Although it comes from the southern United States jambalaya has its roots in Europe and Africa.
The traditional version is made with meat but I’ve made a vegan version that gets a big thumbs up from the Sneaky Veg family whenever I make it.
What is jambalaya?
Jambalaya is a one-pot dish made from rice and vegetables. Traditionally it contains meat and/or seafood too. It's a Cajun dish with its roots in the southern United States - or more specifically New Orleans.
However, its roots come from West African, French and Spanish cuisines. For example, it's similar to paella.
My version is vegan. I've used a meat substitute for protein and heaps of spicy and smoky spices to give it a delicious flavour. I hope you love it as much as we do.
How difficult is vegan jambalaya to make?
It's not difficult to make at all. It does take a while to cook but as it's all done in one pan you save time washing up at the end.
What to serve alongside jambalaya
Honestly, jambalaya is so filling that you really don't need to serve anything else with it.
However, if you're feeding a really hungry crowd you could serve it with corn bread.
It also goes well with salad - perhaps a sweetcorn or pineapple salsa. Corn on the cob is also a good addition.
What ingredients do you need to make jambalaya?
Full ingredients list, quantities and recipe in recipe card at the end of this page.
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Thyme
- Onion granules
- Garlic granules
- Smoked paprika
- Cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper
- Peppers (bell pepper, capsicum)
- Carrot
- Seitan or other vegan meat alternative
- Soy sauce
- Rice
- Chopped tomatoes
- Kidney beans
- Vegetable stock
- Flat leaf parsley
Do you need any special equipment to make this?
No - you don't need anything special just a large wok or frying pan*.
More recipes you might like
- Veggie chilli with cornbread crust
- Vegetarian paella
- Mexican rice
- Veggie fried rice
- Butternut squash and kale risotto
Pin vegan jambalaya for later
How to make vegan jambalaya
If you have made this recipe I would love it if you’d leave a comment and rating below. Thank you!
If you have made this recipe I would love it if you’d leave a comment and rating below. Thank you!
Vegan jambalaya
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion sliced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp onion granules
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper optional
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 different coloured peppers thinly sliced
- 1 large carrot cut into thin half moons
- 280 g vegan meat alternative strips eg seitan, quorn or soy (I used Oumph)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 300 g basmati rice
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 400 g of kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 800 ml hot vegetable stock
- chopped flat leaf parsley to serve
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan or wok. Ideally use one with a lid but you can cover later on with foil if you prefer.
- Fry your sliced onion until soft, then add 2 crushed cloves of garlic. Fry for a further minute.
- Add all the herbs and spices and a little salt and pepper if using. Stir well and fry for one minute.
- Put the 3 sliced peppers and sliced carrot into the pan, stir, reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for 10-15 minutes with the lid on until soft. You may need to add a splash more oil or water. Stir occasionally.
- When the vegetables are soft add 1 tbsp soy sauce, stir and add your strips of vegan meat alternative. Stir well until coated in the sauce. Cook for five minutes
- Add 300g basmati rice, a tin of tomatoes, a tin of kidney beans and 800ml vegetable stock. Stir well and ensure that all the rice is covered by liquid.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce to heat to low, cover and cook for 25-30 mins or until the rice is cooked, stirring every five minutes to avoid sticking. Turn off the heat and leave to rest for 10 mins.
- Add more salt and pepper if desired. Serve with chopped flat leaf parsley.
Nutrition
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