vegan jambalaya
serves 4 prep approx. 10 min cooking approx. 45 min
for the cajun seasoning:
- smoked paprika
- cayenne pepper
- oregano
- thyme
- white pepper
- black pepper
for the jambalaya:
- approx. 1 tbsp of the aforementioned cajun seasoning
- 1 medium to large casserole dish or cooking pot
- neutral oil e.g. rapeseed oil
- 1 or 2 packs of your favourite vegan meat substitute, ideally smoky sausage/bacon etc.
- 1 onion, 1 pepper and 2-3 stalks of celery, diced finely
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 2-6 garlic cloves (depending on your tastes), minced/diced/puréed
- 1 cheap but flavourful beer
- 400g tin of tomatoes
- 1 pint of vegetable stock
- 2 cups of long grain white rice
- salt to taste
- 1 spring onion, thinly sliced (optional)
to make the seasoning, mix equal quantities of the herbs and spices- or adjust to your liking.
in the pot, fry the “meat” in a bit of oil on a medium-high heat until browned, then remove and set aside.
add the holy trinity (onions, pepper, celery) to the pot and sautée on a medium heat until the onions are translucent. add the tomato purée, garlic and a tablespoon of cajun seasoning. cook for about a minute until fragrant. deglaze the pot with a glug or two of beer, making sure to scrape everything up, and let the beer cook off a bit.
add the rice, stock, and tomatoes, cover, and turn the heat down low. stir every so often and make sure the rice isn't sticking to the pot.
when the rice has absorbed most of the liquid, add the “meat”, and more stock or water if needed. cook for about another 10-15 minutes, occasionally stirring and tasting for salt and seasoning, until done.
garnish with thinly sliced spring onion if desired, and serve.