Slow Cooker Jambalaya

You’ve been asking for more slow-cooker and Instant Pot meals, so here I go!

I have wanted to make a delicious jambalaya since the days we lived in Alabama for my husband’s grad school program. Southern food is so flavorful! The part that tripped me up was how to add the meat. I don’t like faux meats and processed ingredients. Without it, however, I thought it would be lacking. However, the kidney beans are enough if you don’t want a sausage-like component.

About the “Sausage”

For this recipe, I tried vegan sausage for the first time. The Field Roast brand is highly recommended on vegan food blogs, and my regular grocery store has it. I was pleasantly surprised by the ingredients. It’s soy-free, weird-ingredient-free, and mostly made of wheat gluten and seasonings. It’s super high in protein (you add 100 grams to the recipe when you add a package of it!). I liked the chipotle variety, but it is a bit spicy so you can choose the smoked apple flavor if you prefer.

Cajun Seasoning

As for the cajun or creole seasoning, I chose the one at my store that didn’t have anything but spices, but you can use any. There is salt included in it, which is why there is no additional salt in the recipe.

How to Serve Jambalaya

This does make a large batch, so if you’re only feeding 1-2 people, I would half it. It will take a little less time to cook, too.

Serve this with a large salad or steamed vegetables, and fruit on the side for a complete meal. Or if you’re going for very Southern, some steamed collard greens or okra and some hush puppies!

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Slow-Cooker Jambalaya

Full of flavor and filling, this easy whole-grain, protein-rich dish will be a fall/winter staple when you want cozy, warm food.

Course Main Course

Keyword jambalaya, slow-cooker jambalaya, vegan jambalaya, whole food plant based

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Servings 8 servings

Author Faith Ralphs

Equipment

• 1 slow cooker (Crock-Pot)

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 TBSP cajun seasoning (I used Slap Yo Mama)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups brown basmati rice (or any brown rice)
• 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes

Add after cooking

• 1 15-oz can kidney beans
• 1 package vegan sausage (I like Field Roast brand, Chipotle or Smoked Apple), optional but recommended

Instructions

• 1. Chop the vegetables.
• In a pot, boil the water and vegetables together.
• Get the slow cooker out, and add the rice and spices to it. Pour in the can of diced tomatoes.
• Once the water and vegetables are boiling, pour it into the slow cooker. Cook 2-3 hours on high, or until rice has absorbed all the liquid and is tender.
• Open the vegan sausage and chop into small pieces. Drain the kidney beans and rinse them. Add the chopped sausage and beans to the slow cooker, stir all together, and serve.