Vegetarian Jambalaya

Lou

2 years ago

Try this one-pot wonder for your next meat-free meal

Enjoy a tasty vegetarian jambalaya to help get your 5-a-day in.

Plus, I use a great little taste booster, Yondu vegetable umami.

It’s a great storecupboard ingredient.

It is traditionally a popular rice, meat, and vegetable dish enjoyed in the Southeast United States, especially Louisiana.

It’s inexpensive and delicious and can be tweaked however you like.

So, in this instance, we have gone for a vegetarian option.

First things first… what is gumbo?

In a nutshell, it’s a savoury stew made with meats and shellfish and some vegetables and herbs.

And the main difference between gumbo and jambalaya is rice.

In a gumbo, you serve rice separately.

But in a jambalaya, the rice goes in the pot, a bit like paella.

This recipe is from BBC GoodFood.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion (180g), finely chopped
4 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
2 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp chilli flakes
½ tsp dried oregano
115g brown basmati rice
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
400g butter beans, drained and rinsed
2 – 5 tsp Yondu vegetable umami (you need to taste as you go) (sub. 2 tsp vegetable bouillon)
large handful of parsley, chopped

Heat the oil in a large pan set over high heat and fry the onion, celery, and pepper, stirring occasionally, for 5 mins until starting to soften and colour.
Stir in the spices and rice, then tip in the tomatoes and a can of water.
Stir in the garlic, beans, and Yondu vegetable umami. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 25 mins until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid.
Keep an eye on the pan towards the end of the cooking time to make sure it doesn’t boil dry – if it starts to catch, add a little more water.
Stir in the parsley and serve hot.

To try gumbo, visit here.