Vegan Jambalaya

This Vegan Jambalaya is a light twist on the classic rice and vegetables dish, without the meat but with vegan sausage! With or without the vegan sausage, this dish packs tons of flavor.

While not a completely authentic preparation of jambalaya, this version is somewhat lighter and doesn’t include meat, but it still packs a delicious punch. It’s loaded with onions, celery and bell peppers, and it’s seasoned with a delicious spice mix that you can dial up or down for “spicy heat” level.

If you’ve never tried this dish, you’re in for a treat! It’s incredibly cozy and comforting, for any time of year. You can also switch up the vegetables if you like, using peas or cauliflower for example. This dish would also be great for adding any type of bean, such as pinto bean, kidney beans, or even chickpeas.

why we are loving this dish!

This Vegan Jambalaya is a true one-pot meal! The rice cooks in the same pot as the vegetables, which is the classic method for jambalaya. In this way, the rice is absorbing all of the amazing flavors during the cooking process. I like to use vegetable broth for deeper flavor, but vegetable stock works also!

My Thai Red Curry Rice and Potatoes dish cooks in a similar method, you can check out that delicious recipe here!

This dish is versatile to include your choice of beans, vegetables, and vegan meat alternatives. You can either cook the vegetables in the one pot (for veggies that hold up well to the 20 minutes of rice cooking) or saute the vegetables separately and add them at the end.

how this Vegan Jambalaya comes together

As a one-pot meal, you’ll cook everything in either a large pan or pot.

1. First, cut and brown the sausage in the pan with some oil.
2. While the sausage cook, finely chop the onion and celery.
3. Remove sausage from pan and add the onion and celery.
4. While they cook, chop the mushrooms. Add them to the pan.
5. While they cook together, grab your spices and measure them out.
6. Add the spices to the pan, along with the tomato sauce.
7. Add the vegetable broth and rice, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, adding back the vegan sausage towards the end.
8. While the rice is cooking, chop your scallions and fresh parsley to serve.

That’s it! You can see that the dish times out really well, where you are cutting/prepping the next step as you go. Or, you can prep everything all at the beginning. Totally up to your preference!

I’m hoping you can give this Vegan Jambalaya a try, and please let me know if you do! It’s simple, so flavorful, and is a perfectly comforting meal.

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Vegan Jambalaya

This Vegan Jambalaya is a light twist on the classic rice and vegetables dish, without the meat but with vegan sausage! With or without the vegan sausage, this dish packs tons of flavor.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Keyword: jambalaya, one-pot meal, rice, vegan, vegan sausage

Servings: 5 people

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk diced
• 2 tbsp oil divided
• 3 vegan sausage links sliced
• 3 bell peppers seeds/stem removed, and chopped
• 1/4 tsp each ground thyme, cayenne and turmeric
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp each dried oregano and parsley
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup scallions thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped

Instructions

• In a large pot or pan, add 1 tbsp of the oil and the sliced vegan sausages. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat, flipping to brown on both sides but not burning. Transfer to a plate.
• Add the other 1 tbsp of oil to the pan, and add the onions and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring every so often. Add a bit of water to the pan to prevent burning, if getting too dry.
• Add the bell peppers, stir, and cook for 3 minutes.
• Add the seasoning mix and tomato puree. Stir, cook for 2 minutes.
• Add uncooked rice and vegetable broth, stir and cook (with lid on) at a gentle simmer for 10 minutes. Very gently stir, add back the vegan sauce, and cook another 5 to 10 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Make sure to have the heat low. There may be some sticking during cooking, but check and stir if needed.
• Serve with topping of scallions and fresh parsley.