Jammin' Jambalaya
Rice is such a clever little carb. It traverses flavours, cultures and cuisines. It's sweet, savoury, hot, cold...it's an all-round winner. Jambalaya is an amazing Creole dish that has roots in Mediterranean and African cuisines. It's full of spices that give it a rich, complex flavour that tickles those tastebuds and offers a range of antioxidants. The jackfruit and sausages make it super hearty, so it's ideal for winter. Comfort, thy name is jambalaya. This is an hearty, wholesome and delicious vegan rice recipe for a speedy lunch and quick dinner.
Serves
Ingredients
For the recipe
<item-todo-done>2 tsp smoked paprika<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tbsp tomato purée<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 plant-based sausages<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 x 400g can(s) of jackfruit<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4 sun-dried tomatoes<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tbsp sun-dried tomato oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 onion<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 red bell pepper<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 yellow bell pepper<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 celery stick<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>3 garlic cloves<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>10 sprigs of thyme<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 x 250g bag(s) of microwavable brown basmati rice<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 lime<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp cayenne pepper<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp dried oregano<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 x 400g can cherry tomatoes<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>200ml water<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 bay leaf<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4 spring onions<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>5g fresh parsley leaves<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> Salt & pepper to taste<item-todo-done>
Before you start
Preheat oven to 180°C | Baking tray lined with parchment paper | Fine grater (or microplane) | Large saucepan
First, prep the ingredients
- Place the vegan sausages on the lined baking tray, put the tray in the oven and cook for 20 minutes
- Drain the jackfruit, rinse under a cold tap and pat dry with a clean tea towel or kitchen paper, then roughly chop
- Thinly slice the sun-dried tomatoes
- Peel and finely dice the onion
- Trim, halve and core the peppers and cut them into 2.5cm chunks
- Trim and thinly slice the celery
- Peel and grate the garlic
- Remove the thyme leaves from the sprigs
For the rice
- Cook the rice following the packet instructions
- Cut the lime in half
Fire up the hob and start cooking
- Warm the sun-dried tomato oil in the large saucepan over a medium heat
- Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, for 4–5 minutes
- Add the celery and stir for 2 minutes
- Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes and stir for 1 minute
- Add the pepper chunks and stir for 2–3 minutes
Start combining the jambalaya
- Add the smoked paprika, thyme, cayenne pepper and oregano to the pan and stir for 1 minute to coat
- Add the jackfruit and stir gently for 3–4 minutes
- Add the tomato purée and stir for 1 minute
- Stir in the tinned tomatoes
- Add the water to the empty tomato tin and add it to the pan
- Add the bay leaf, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
Now, make the finishing touches and serve
- Take the sausages out of the oven and cut them into 2cm-thick slices
- Add the sausage slices and hot sauce to the pan and gently fold them into the jambalaya
- Add the rice to the pan and fold it into the sauce
- Thinly slice the spring onions and add half of them to the pan
- Squeeze in the lime juice and fold the juice and the spring onions into the jambalaya
- Taste and season to perfection with salt and lots of pepper
- Plate up the jambalaya, garnish with the remaining spring onions and the parsley