This simple vegan jambalaya is a super tasty, satisfying and nutritious vegan recipe, and a delicious dinner dish made with beans instead of meat.
Jambalaya is a dish from Lousiana, which has its origins in the Spanish and French cuisines, especially in the Spanish dish paella and jambalaia, a French dish from Provence.
Classic recipe is not vegan and is made with some meat or seafood, veggies, and rice, but I've made a plant-based version using chickpeas and beans instead of an animal-based protein.
It's a super nutritious dish because it contains vegetables, protein (legumes), and a healthy source carbohydrates (rice), and also so tasty because of the spices I've used.
I used to sautée my veggies in water and then I added tahini along with the legumes, but I prefer to sautée my veggies in oil now and I also omit the tahini. Both versions are so good, so make the one you prefer!
How to make vegan jambalaya – Step by step
- Add the oil to a skillet or large pot and when it's hot add the veggies and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes (photo 1).
- Add the crushed tomatoes and cook another 5 minutes (photo 2).
- Add the tamari or soy sauce and the spices and stir (photo 3).
- Then add the rice and the water or vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat for 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked (photo 4).
- Add the chickpeas and beans, stir and cook 1-2 minutes more (photo 5).
- Serve the rice (photo 6) with some chopped fresh parsley on top (optional).
Pro tips
- Oil is optional, you can sautée the veggies in some water or vegetable stock, and then add 2 tablespoon of tahini if you want when you add the legumes (step 4).
- Use any veggies, spices or legumes you like.
- Feel free to use fresh tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes. If the rice is too dry, add more liquid (water or vegetable stock).
- Add salt instead of the tamari or soy sauce if you don't eat soy.
- The classic recipe is made with long grain rice, but I used what I had on hand. Use any type of rice you prefer.
Do you cook rice before adding to vegan jambalaya
No, I don't, but you could if you want or you could also use leftover rice. In that case, just omit the water or vegetable stock and add more oil or tahini if needed.
What is served with vegan jambalaya?
You could eat it by itself as it includes veggies, carbs, and protein, but here are some side dishes that pair very well with jambalaya:
Looking for more vegan rice recipes?
- Brown Rice Stir Fry with Vegetables
- Vegan Fried Rice
- Vegan Red Beans and Rice
- Vegan Mushroom Risotto
Did you make this vegan jambalaya recipe?
Please leave a comment below, share it or rate it. You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST. I’d love to see what you cook!
Vegan Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ red bell pepper, chopped
- ½ green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 14-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne powder
- 1 cup uncooked rice, I used short grain white rice
- 3 cups water or vegetable stock
- 1 cup canned or cooked chickpeas
- 1 cup canned or cooked kidney beans
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Add the oil to a skillet or large pot and when it's hot add the veggies and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and cook another 5 minutes.
- Add the tamari or soy sauce and the spices and stir. Then add the rice and the water or vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat for 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
- Add the chickpeas and beans, stir and cook 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Serve with some chopped fresh parsley on top (optional).
- Keepleftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for 5-7 days.
Notes
- Oil is optional, you can sautée the veggies in some water or vegetable stock, and then add 2 tablespoon of tahini if you want when you add the legumes (step 4).
- Use any veggies, spices or legumes you like.
- Feel free to use fresh tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes. If the rice is too dry, add more liquid (water or vegetable stock).
- Add salt instead of the tamari or soy sauce if you don't eat soy.
- The classic recipe is made with long grain rice, but I used what I had on hand. Use any type of rice you prefer.
- Nutritional info has been calculate by using 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and water instead or vegetable stock.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published in September of 2017, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions and tips in January of 2020.
Trish says
Made this last night and it was delicious! Even my meat eater hubby loved it. The only subs I made were to add a little cajun seasoning and some vegan sausages at the end. Definitely a keeper! Lots left over too so will be freezing it for another time.
Iosune Robles says
Thank you so much, Trish! I’m so happy to hear you and your husband enjoyed it. Adding Cajun seasoning and vegan sausages sounds like a delicious twist! Great idea to freeze the leftovers for later. Enjoy!
Dee says
Delicous. This is the first time I have made Jambalaya that I liked.
Iosune says
Hi Dee! Thank you so much! I’m thrilled to hear this is the first Jambalaya recipe you’ve enjoyed. That means a lot! So glad you liked it!
Kendra Prince says
Just made this dish and it’s absolutely delicious. I used black rice instead of white rice, which worked great. Thanks for sharing the recipe to such an incredible dish.
Iosune says
Hi Kendra! Thank you so much! I'm thrilled to hear you enjoyed the recipe and that black rice worked well—it sounds like a delicious twist! 😊 Thanks for trying it out and for your kind words!
Zachary says
Great recipe! It's filling, hearty, and makes a lot for a vegan meal, which is hard to come by.
I added a little extra salt and pepper, but the taste is excellent.
I would suggest adding the spices in about 1 minute before the veggies are done (step 1) and adding the beans with the rice instead of after (my beans and chickpeas from a can were a little crunchy).
The 5-minute cook time on the veggies is perfect, they end up nice and crisp at the end instead of adding to the mushiness of the rice.
Thanks for the recipe, Iosune!
Iosune says
Hi Zachary! Thank YOU for your kind words 🙂
Becky Bradshaw says
I made this for my vegetarian friends and we all absolutely loved it. I have made it again since and you can just put any veg in it, its still amazing! It is so tasty and incredibly easy to make, I will definitely make this again.
Iosune says
Hi Becky! Thanks a lot for your comment 🙂 So glad your friends liked it!
Marianne says
Looking forward to trying this however re: you're not about not needing oil to sautee the veg, if you use water or stock that's boiling, you cannot sautee anything without either butter or oil. If you boil them the flavour and texture will be significantly different.
Iosune says
Hi Marianne! I personally prefer using oil, but water or stock are good alternatives for those who prefer to go oil-free 🙂
KATHY GROUNDS says
Hi Losune, From your ratings I am excited to try it. I would love to know what the serving size is. It seems like it would be a small serving about 8 oz. I want to make enough for a dinner with 6 adults, including an average salad, and nothing else. Should I double it? Thanks, Kathy
Iosune says
Hi Kathy! Yes, I would probably double it 🙂
Jodi Gibson says
Excellent recipe. Made two changes, only had smoked paprika and added a touch more of cayenne pepper.
Iosune says
Hi Jodi! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Have a nice day!
Macey Maddox says
This was so good! I added so more spice as we like it spicy.
Iosune says
Hi Macey! So glad you liked it 🙂