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?
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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.
Ameetav Nangrani says
This recipe is amazing and really simple to make. We love this recipe and infact just cooked it again with black rice.
Iosune says
Hi Ameetav! So glad you guys love it 🙂
Dotsie march says
I made the jambalaya everyone loved it
Iosune says
Hi Dotsie! I'm so happy to hear that 🙂
Ameetav Nangrani says
Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe. We added thai green chillies to give it an extra kick.
Iosune says
Sounds great 😀
Anders Fischer says
I have made this recipe almost every week for at least half a year, and it's absolutely one of our favorites. We make it with brown rice and cook it for a little longer than this recipe says, but the results are amazing. Doubling the ingredients is genius as it yields food for three days or more if we're in a hurry at home. I'd recommend this recipe to anyone (and I do!). Also, the tahini really takes it to a different level!
Iosune says
Hi Anders! So glad you like it so much 🙂 Thanks a lot for your comment!
chevonne says
Did you have to change the amount of water? or is 200g wholegrain rice still ok for 750ml of stock? thanks
Iosune says
Hi Chevonne! If you use another kind of rice you'll probably need to add more or less water. Brown rice needs more water, just read the package directions 🙂
Hunter says
I just made this recipe! It was super delicious, the only thing I changed was that I added some spinach and I left out some of the spices we didn't have. I will definitely be making it again!
hunter says
I forgot to say! I also used quinoa instead of rice. Nice texture and extra nutrients 🙂
Iosune says
Hi Hunter! Sounds great 🙂
Ms. Karen Chin says
Everyone loved it! I can’t wait to make it again! Not everyone in my family can eat bell peppers so we substituted yellow and green Zucchini. We used celery instead of carrots. And I tossed in a package of soy chorizo (Trader Joe’s) to give it more of a jambalaya feel. The flavors just all work well together and loved how I tossed in what I had on hand and it still worked!
Iosune says
Hi Ms. Karen Chin! I'm so happy to read that 🙂 Sounds amazing!
Simon says
How the hell do you people make this recipe? I tried it 3 times now and everytime i get essentially a Soup.
Which is obvious since it has WAY too much Liquid to absorb, what are you people doing to say its successfull ?
Linh Tran says
maybe add more rice to absorb the liquid
Iosune says
Hi Linh! Thanks for your comment 🙂
Iosune says
Hi Simon! This recipe is super popular and it works really well. Have you used the same ingredients? Maybe your rice needs less water....
kate says
Use okra or file powder!!!! That's what I use to thicken up the dish, plus it adds more flavor.
Iosune says
Hi Kate! Thanks a lot for your comment 🙂
maggie says
how much would you say one seving is?
Iosune says
Hi Maggie! I'm not sure, maybe a small bowl or something like that. I usually eat this with some extra veggies 🙂
Krista says
Quick and easy recipe. I like that it's all done in one pot. The flavors are amazing! I like to add some vegan sausage to it and use black beans and kidney beans.
Iosune says
Hi Krista! Thanks a lot 🙂 So glad you like it!
Kimberly says
Amazing dish. I used it on top of smoked sweet potatoes and the combo of the two tastes amazing.
Iosune says
Hi Kimberly! Thanks a lot 🙂 Sounds so good!
Charity says
I used fresh tomatoes, added zucchini, and 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika and 1/2 tsp of regular paprika. Delicious!!! I will definitely keep this on the rotation. Great bang for your buck recipe as it offers several servings.
Iosune says
Hi Charity! Sounds so good 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Diana says
I don’t know which rice brand you used, but organic rice takes longer to cook than 15 minutes. By the time the rice cooked, all the vegetables turned into mush. Extremely disappointed by this recipe and the money I wasted. Good flavor but I would recommend to cook your rice before adding it into the pot.
Iosune says
Hi Diana! I'm so sorry the recipe didn't work for you, but as you can read in the comments, our readers love it so much and it's actually one of our most popular recipes 🙂 Have a nice day!
Shannon Miller says
Just making it for second time.. very tasty dish
Iosune says
Hi Shannon! I'm glad to hear that 😉 Have a nice day!