Healthy Vegetarian Jambalaya Dinner (copycat Purple Carrot)

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An Easy Healthy Vegetarian Dinner

Savory healthy vegetarian jambalaya is delicious, filling, and full of sausage flavor with plant based sausage and brown rice. You will not believe this dish is vegetarian because it is so good and tastes like reals sausage. You can increase the heat or make the dish milder whichever way your family likes.

Healthy Vegetarian Jambalaya is a one pot and one fry pan recipe and that is all you need to make this cajun inspired jambalaya. Tomatoes lots of veggies and rice for a complete dinner that is inspired by the Louisiana Creole-style dish. If your family loves spice and a rice dish you will love this recipe.

If you would like more vegetarian main dish recipes check out this post: Healthy Asian Tofu Tacos with Coleslaw

Variations of Vegetarian Jambalaya

Plant Based Sausage

There are several plant based sausages but the one my family likes the best for sausage flavor is the Beyond Sausage. Look in the refrigerator section of plant-based foods to find your favorite for this your family healthy vegetarian Jambalaya

Variation of Veggies

The three basic veggies needed for all jambalaya recipes are onion, celery, and bell pepper are known as the “holy trinity” in New Orleans recipes.

This easy recipe adds spinach to the basic three of onion, celery, and bell pepper. But you can also add okra, parsley, and red beans.

How To Make an Easy Healthy Jambalaya

• You will be surprised that you can make a rich, filling jambalaya so quickly.
• Get all the veggies chopped and ready before you start cooking.
• Start the vegetarian jambalaya by cooking the Beyond Sausage with a little olive oil in a saucepan. The sausage will cook in the large pot, but it tastes best if precooked for 5 to 7 minutes
• Now you will be building the flavor in a large soup pot or cast iron dutch oven. Sautee with olive oil the onion, celery, and bell pepper until tender. Add the garlic and salt and pepper.
• Add the rice sessions, tomatoes, and water. Make sure to mix well and cover.
• To make sure the rice is cooked, cook for 25 minutes, when the rice is tender, add the cooked sausage, and spinach.

4 Basic Steps – Tips & Tricks

I do not want you to be hesitant to make this dish. It is so easy. Here are the basic steps in a nutshell.

1. Cook the Beyond Sausage. This can be done right before you start dinner. You can also cook the sausage at noon when you are making lunch or the night before and put the cooked plant based sausage in the fridge.
2. Cut up all the veggies. Cutting the veggies before you start making the recipe is much easier. Have them all chopped in a bowl on the counter. Or again do the chopping at lunch or the night before in a container in the fridge.
3. In your large pot start sautéing all the veggies. Add the liquids and the rice and cook for 25 minutes.
4. Add the cooked plant based sausage and the spinach, and enjoy!

Healthy Vegetarian Jambalaya

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Savery healthy vegetarian Jambalaya, filling, full of plant based sausage flavor. Simple 4-step recipe.

• Author: Crafting a Family Dinner
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Cuisine: Creole
• Diet: VegetarianDiet

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 tablespoons of olive oil (2 for the sausage and 2 for the onion, garlic, and peppers)
• 1 package of Beyond Vegetarian Sausage (4 sausages)
• 1 onion, large diced
• 2 green bell peppers, diced
• 2 stocks of celery diced
• 2 teaspoons of garlic minced or pre-minced
• Salt and pepper
• 1 and 1/2 cups of brown rice
• 4 cups of water
• 1/4 teaspoon of chipotle powder
• 2 cans of 14 oz diced tomatoes
• 2 handfuls of fresh spinach (ruff chop)

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Instructions

1. 1. Cut the sausage links into bits size discs and cut in the disc in half.
   2. Dice the onion, celery, pepper, and garlic.
   3. In a saute pan add 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat, add the sausage, and brown for about 5 to 7  minutes. Set aside.
   4. In a large soup pot or 6 to 7-quart enameled cast iron-covered casserole dutch oven, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the onions for 3 minutes and then add the peppers, celery and garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook until tender about 3 to 4 minutes
   5. After about 4 to 5 minutes when the veggies are softened add the rice, chipotle powder, cans of diced tomatoes, and water. Cover and cook for 25 minutes for brown rice.
   6. When the cooking time is done and the rice is cooked not hard add the sausage to the Jambalaya and heat for 2 more minutes.
   7. At this point, you add the chopped spinach to the large pot and cook for 1 minute, or you can add a small handful to each serving bowl. (we like our spinach less cooked so I just add a little to each bowl as I serve)

Notes

1. If your family does not like spicy foods leave out the chipotle powder or if you like more spice you can add up to one teaspoon.
2. If you want to use white rice use 1 1/2 cups of white rice and 2 1/2 cups of water. You will then cook for 15 minutes.

Keywords: healthy, vegetarian, jambalaya

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