This one-pot Vegan Jambalaya is crazy good! It’s deeply flavorful just like the traditional Creole dish. Made with rice, veggies, and vegan sausage, it’s hearty and comforting. Naturally gluten-free.

Have you heard of a thing called “family meal” in restaurants? It’s the meal that the entire staff shares before dinner service begins. (Think Downton Abby minus the aristocrats.) Each cook takes turns choosing and preparing a hearty dish out of everyday ingredients. In a restaurant full of experienced chefs and foodies, your reputation can hang on how it tastes. No pressure.

The Vegan Jambalaya recipe I’m sharing with you today is the dish that my daughter, Janelle, would cook for family meal on a weekly basis. As the Chef de Cuisine at Cadence, a vegan soul food restaurant in Manhattan, she leans into southern flavor with all the Cajun spices. It’s comfort food at its best and is dang delicious!

What is Jambalaya?

Jambalaya is a storied dish from New Orleans. This culinary staple has been a part of Louisiana cuisine since colonial times when Spanish settlers attempted to recreate their familiar paella from local ingredients.

Creole vs Cajun Jambalaya-

Cajun jambalaya or “red jambalaya”, like this recipe, includes tomatoes. It starts with the holy trinity of flavor which is a Creole variant of mirepoix. This is two parts onions, one part celery, and one part bell peppers. This is the flavor base in all Creole cooking. The finished dish has a reddish hue from the tomatoes. Cajun Jambalaya does not include tomatoes and is browner in color.

How to cook rice using the knuckle method-

You may be asking, “What the heck is the knuckle method?” Until recently I had no idea that it’s common practice among seasoned cooks to stick your finger into a pot of rice as you add the cooking liquid. When the tip of your finger touches the rice and the liquid is up to your first knuckle, you have the correct liquid-to-rice ratio. Bring the rice to a boil and then simmer for 18-20 minutes. Slide it off the heat and then tightly cover it to steam and finish cooking.

Since every cook’s pot and heat source vary, I’ve included liquid amounts in the recipe. But if you’re feeling adventurous, give the knuckle method a try.

Ingredients

Like all good cooking, it starts with good ingredients. Here’s a quick look at what’s in the pot and why.

Vegan sausage- Buy sausage links so you can cut them up into rounds. Beyond Sausage Plant-Based Links are certified gluten-free.

Onion, celery, and bell peppers- Just like mirepoix in French cooking, this is the main flavor base in Cajun cooking.

Garlic and spices- We amp up the flavor with a full tablespoon of Cajun seasoning. In addition to fresh garlic and onion, we also use garlic and onion powder… kind of like a blond getting highlights; sometimes more is better.

White Jasmine rice- This long-grain rice has less starch than short-grain and won’t turn to mush in the pot.

Dry white wine- adds a layer of acidity to the dish which complements the savory flavor. Pick a wine you’d enjoy having with your meal, as long as it’s not a sweet/dessert wine. All the alcohol cooks off, keeping it family-friendly.

Vegetable broth- SO much more flavorful than water.

Fire-roasted crushed tomatoes- for additional umami with that unique fire-roasted goodness.

Tips for perfect jambalaya

Rinse and dry your rice. This helps wash off extra starch on the rice, so you don’t end up with a pot of mush. Then let the rice air dry, by spreading it out on a sheet of parchment paper. This allows it to toast in the pot, adding another layer of flavor.
Finely dice your vegetables. The onions, celery, and bell peppers also known as the “holy trinity” are the main flavor base. Their purpose is to create flavor, not texture, as in a stew. You want them to disappear into the dish by cutting them up into little bitty pieces.
Don’t stir the rice while it’s cooking. The temptation to stir the rice so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot can be almost irresistible. However, gently simmering rice, unstirred, will create a slightly crispy bottom layer and a perfectly fluffy upper layer. This adds incredible texture.
Take your time. Layers of flavor take time to build, and you will thank yourself, in the end, for being a patient cook. Each step isn’t complicated, but they do take some care. Think of time as an ingredient and use it liberally.

Every dish Janelle touches turns to gold and this Vegan Jambalaya is no exception. I just know you’re going to love it too. It’s:

Hearty and healthy
Full of Cajun flavor
Can be made in one pot
Vegan & gluten-free
Very very delicious

Here’s everything you need to make this recipe:

Ingredients

4 vegan sausage links (14 oz / 400g) sliced into ½” thick rounds (such as Beyond Sausage)
¼ cup of olive oil, divided
1 large yellow onion, finely diced (2 cups)
2 teaspoons of kosher salt, divided
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 medium celery stalks, finely diced (1 cup)
½ green bell pepper, finely diced (½ cup)
½ small red bell pepper, finely diced (½ cup)
1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning (unsalted)
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (¼ teaspoon for spicy)
1½ cups (300g) of jasmine white rice, rinsed until the water runs clear and dried
½ cup (118 ml) of dry white wine
2¼ -2½ cups (532-591 ml) of vegetable broth
1 cup (237g) of fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
Green onion, thinly sliced for serving
Parsley, chopped for serving

How to make Vegan Jambalaya

Prep the rice- Place the rice in a colander and rinse it under a cold tap until the water runs clear. Then spread it out on a sheet of parchment paper to dry while you sauté the veggies.

2. Cook the sausage- Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a 4 qt., non-stick, heavy bottomed soup pot that is the same circumference as your burner. This helps the rice cook evenly. Turn the heat on medium-high. When a splash of water creates a sizzle, slide in the vegan sausage. Cook until the sausage is brown and crispy on both sides and has rendered most of its fat, around 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a plate, leaving the hot fat behind for cooking the vegetables.

3. Tumble in the onions- and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt. Sautee until soft and translucent but not browned, about 3 minutes. Plop in the garlic and cook until fragrant, one minute more.

4. Add the celery and bell peppers- Sprinkle with the other 1 teaspoon of salt. Sauté until the vegetables become a soft, cohesive mass, 10-15 minutes. You want most of the liquid to cook off to the point where it just starts sticking to the bottom of the pot.

5. Sprinkle the seasonings and toast the rice- Sprinkle in the Cajun seasoning, onion and garlic powders, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Add 1 more tablespoon of oil and stir it all around. It will smell very fragrant at this point. Pour in the rice and gently toast the grains for a few minutes.

6. Deglaze the pot- with white wine, scraping up any brown bits sticking to the bottom. Cook until it no longer smells like alcohol, about 2 minutes.

7. Pour in your liquids- Pour in 2¼ cups of vegetable stock, the tomatoes, and bay leaf. -You want the liquid to cover the rice up to your first knuckle after the rice has settled. (see blog post for details) Add ¼ cup more stock if needed. Gently stir to avoid breaking the rice grains. Bring to a gentle simmer then reduce the heat to medium-low (or hot enough to maintain a simmer).

8. Cook the rice- Without stirring cook, uncovered, until the rice is al dente (still a bit crunchy). This will take 18-20 minutes. Stick close to the stove, adjusting the heat if needed, so the liquid doesn’t absorb too quickly. Slide the pot off the heat and cover it with a tight-fitting lid. Let the jambalaya steam, for 5 minutes more, to finish cooking.

9. Fold in the sausage- Check to see that the rice grains are soft but not mushy and fold in the cooked sausage. Serve with sliced green onions and chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Storage: Keep leftovers in the fridge, covered, for up to a week.