Vegan jambalaya is here…and welcome WiseBread readers!If you’re new here, please stay a while and read a bit about me and the blog, or check me out on Facebook and Pinterest!
Jambalaya always smells really tasty. And, other than the meat, it seems like something I would love. Rice and vegetables stewing in a pot? What could be better. But then of course there’s sausage and shrimp and chicken, so I don’t really want to eat it. And then, as if it were mocking even my thought of trying it, there’s lots and lots of celery. To which, I am sadly allergic.
So even if I thought to attempt a taste of Jambalaya, I never could. I’ve decided to beat the system and attempt to make my own. I replaced the celery with bok choy, the chicken with cubed seitan and replaced the shrimp with a tablespoon of miso paste. Those fake little “vegan” shrimp kind of freak me out, but if you like those, I’m sure they’d work too.
The Results
This is pretty good, but not perfect. I usually avoid cooking rice in the slow cooker because it tends to come out too mushy for my tastes. But I thought to myself, “30 minutes, it can’t get that bad.” Well, apparently 30 minutes is enough. It was too mushy. If I ever make this again, I’d serve cooked rice separately from the jambalaya blend, keeping them separate until the last minute before mixing it together in each bowl.
The kids didn’t seem to mind the mushiness at all, but didn’t go crazy for it either. Bug loved the “hot dogs” (the sausage pieces) and Goose apparently didn’t, since Bug also ate hers. My husband and I both thought it was OK and the flavor is pretty good, but probably not worth a repeat unless the rice was made separately.
CrockPot Vegan Jambalaya
Adapted from Slow Cooker Jambalaya.
Ingredients
8 ounces smoked vegan sausage, cut into 2-inch slices
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped (I subbed diced bok choy due to allergies)
28 ounces diced tomatoes with juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Easy Slow Cooker Vegetable Broth
1 tablespoon miso paste
1/2 tablespoon Cajun or Creole spice mix
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup rice, uncooked
Parsley, optional
Method
Spray a bit of olive oil to the bottom of a 4-quart crock.Add all ingredients, except rice and parsley. Cook on low for 4 hours.Add rice and cook on high for 30 minutes more. [UPDATE: 15-20 minutes or cooking and serving the rice separately is better.] Sprinkle with parsley if desired.
What are you having for Sunday Brunch, Breakfast or Lunch?
- 8 ounces seitan (like this), cubed
- 8 ounces smoked vegan sausage, cut into 2-inch slices
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 1/2 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped (I subbed diced bok choy due to allergies)
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes with juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup Easy Slow Cooker Vegetable Broth
- 1 tablespoon miso paste
- 1/2 tablespoon Cajun or Creole spice mix
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup rice, uncooked
- Parsley, optional
- Spray a bit of olive oil to the bottom of a 4-quart crock.
- Add all ingredients, except rice and parsley.
- Cook on low for 4 hours.
- Add rice and cook on high for 30 minutes more. [UPDATE: 15-20 minutes is better.]
- Sprinkle with parsley if desired.
