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Vegan Jambalaya

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This simple vegan jambalaya is a super tasty, satisfying and nutritious vegan recipe, and a delicious dinner dish made with beans instead of meat.

Picture of a dish with homemade vegan jambalaya topped with chopped parsley

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

Step by step photos of how to make vegan jambalaya
  • 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 tbsp 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.
Photo of a skilet with cooked vegan jambalaya

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?

An overhead shot of a dish with vegan jambalaya and garnished with parsley

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!

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A square picture of a dish of vegan jambalaya

Vegan Jambalaya

  • Author: Iosune
  • Prep: 10 mins
  • Cook: 30 mins
  • Total: 40 mins
  • 6–8 1x
  • Main Dish
  • Vegan, American
★★★★★ 4.9 from 86 reviews

Servings 6–8 1x

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This simple vegan jambalaya is a super tasty, satisfying and nutritious vegan recipe, and a delicious dinner dish made with beans instead of meat.

Ingredients

  • 1–2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes (400 g)
  • 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne powder
  • 1 cup uncooked rice (200 g), I used short grain white rice
  • 3 cups water or vegetable stock (750 ml)
  • 1 cup canned or cooked chickpeas (180 g)
  • 1 cup canned or cooked kidney beans (180 g)
  • Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. Add the crushed tomatoes and cook another 5 minutes.
  3. 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.
  4. Add the chickpeas and beans, stir and cook 1 to 2 minutes more.
  5. Serve with some chopped fresh parsley on top (optional).
  6. 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 tbsp 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 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and water instead or vegetable stock.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/8 of the recipe
  • Calories: 197
  • Sugar: 2.3 g
  • Sodium: 472 mg
  • Fat: 2.7 g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 38 g
  • Fiber: 5.4 g
  • Protein: 6.5 g

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.

Hi, I'm Iosune!

Hey, I’m Iosune! I am a recipe developer, writer, and author of Simple Vegan Meals and Simple Vegan Smoothies CookBooks.

Find me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

read more

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Reader Reviews

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  2. Nancy says

    Awesome!! Very filling! New comfort food. Hubby amazed! Serving with steamed cor. On the cob for his Father’s day treat! Quick and easy! LOVE IT!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  3. Moonlight says

    I made the recipe last night and it was delicious. Definitely a keeper. I would make one adjustment to the instructions. Rice in my experience cannot be fully cooked in 15 minutes. As an experienced cook this didn’t cause me a problem, though dinner was later than planned. I used brown rice. The package directions say to cook the rice for 45-55 minutes. And that was exactly how long it took to fully cook the rice. I wouldn’t want an inexperienced cook to think they just can’t make rice and miss out.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • Iosune Robles says

      Hi! So glad you liked it 🙂 Yes, you’re right. Depending on what rice did you use it will take more time to be fully cooked or not. That’s why we specified in our recipe: “Cook over medium-high heat for 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked.”
      Have a nice day!

      Reply

  4. Nicole says

    I made this on Wednesday and at the end I added vegetarian chorizo sausage cut up in it… amazing. Your recipe is phenomenal! My husband and I love flavor and This didn’t lack it at all. Our taste buds were alive… Thank you so much for sharing. 😁

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  5. Kate says

    Great recipe! I did it exactly as written and it’s a fabulous flavor! I’m excited to have such a tasty alternative to the meat version. Thanks so much for sharing 😊

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  7. Sherry says

    I’m thinking of making this tomorrow for dinner. My family is really picky and mostly meat eaters unless it’s covered with cheese. Do you think if added cheddar and mozzarella cheese to this it would taste good?

    Reply

    • Iosune Robles says

      Hello Sherry! We are vegans so I can’t help you on this, sorry. Try to cover it with vegan cheese 🙂 I am sure that they will love it! Have a nice week!

      Reply

  8. Harilal's says

    Thank you for an amazing vegan recipe. Harilal’s is a famous Indian Vegetarian Restaurant and we would like to appreciate you for encouraging people to try more vegan dishes.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  9. Katie C says

    I made this last night and it was delicious! 5 stars. I did substitute the kidney beans and chickpeas with tofu and vegan sausage, I most certainly will make again. Thank you

    Reply

  10. Patty Grasher says

    This was super delicious. I did not have Chickpeas so just doubled the kidney beans. We also added a tablespoon of Cajun seasoning which blended in well with the other seasoning. Yummy! This is a MUST SAVE recipe.

    Reply

  11. Eileen Bedinghaus says

    The only addition I made was some vegan chipotle sausage and frozen corn. It was amazing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  12. Lily says

    I made that last night and it was AMAZING! I replaced peppers with the fire roasted ones, I also added dry celery in the end. And skipped chickpeas, because I didn’t have them and it’s just so good.thank you for the recipe. Especially I love that you have videos for your recipes, which makes the process so easy!

    Reply

  14. Melanie says

    My two teen kids and husband enjoyed this. Thanks for another great option for the whole family. I used one large can of bean medley (540ml / 19oz) and it came out delicious.

    Reply

  15. Alexis F says

    Absolutely delicious! So much flavor and made with pantry staples. Can’t wait to make it again! Thank you for sharing 🙂 (ps I am absolutely a carnivore, but didn’t even notice the lack of meat)

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  16. Neesha Roman says

    Amazing. I added corn and white beans. However is my brown rice not cooked or overcooked. It seems to not get done. But the flavor in this recipe is great

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  17. Karin says

    Simply delicious! I made this for dinner, using short grain brown rice. I had to cook it about 50-60 minutes because of that, but the chewiness of the rice makes it so worth it. My two sons, who are not vegan, LOVED it! The flavors/spices are perfect.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  18. Kavya says

    Yes, i did make this recipe and it came out wonderful. Being an indian we never made such a unique combination. I jist loved it amd my family members too.

    Reply

  22. Melissa says

    So delicious and easy to make! Just dump it all in a slow cooker and magic happens. Even the non vegans loved it! Thank you or this recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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