Wicked Vegetarian Recipes

Jambalaya - The Vegetarian Way

I'm a big fan of the spicy, creole cuisine of New Orleans. One of my favorite dishes (pre-veg) was Jambalaya, usually made with sausage. Of course, the sausage is now a no-no, so I've been searching for a good veg recipe for Jambalaya. I found a great one in The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook - tweaked to personal taste. Highly recommend this book by the way, stuffed full of excellent recipes.


1-1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Diced Tomatoes, 28 oz can, with their juices
1-1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp minced fresh marjoram leaves
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 tsp salt
2 cups water
8 oz vegetarian sausage links, cut into 1-inch pieces
1-1/2 cups cooked dark kidney beans (or one 15 oz can, drained and rinsed)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Hot cooked basmati rice

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Cover and cook, stirring a few times, until softened, about five minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, thyme, marjoram, Tabasco, salt and water. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetarian sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, about five minutes.

Add the sausage to the tomato mixture, along with the beans and parsley. Cook, uncovered, for ten minutes, stirring occasionally to heat through. Add more water if the jambalaya becomes too dry. Serve hot over rice.