Quick Summary: A slow-carb jambalaya using cauliflower rice, andouille sausage, and shrimp, flavored with a homemade jerk seasoning blend. Dairy-free, gluten-free, and adaptable for Pesco Mediterranean diets. Prep: 15 min | Cook: 30 min | Serves: 5
Jump to: RECIPE | What is Sofrito? | Substitutions | Step-by-Step | Jerk Seasoning Blend | FAQ
Jambalaya was one of the comfort food recipes I adapted when I was working as a slow-carb diet coach. The deep, robust flavors in a classic jambalaya come from the sofrito and spice blend, not the rice, which makes it easy to swap in the slow carb option of cauliflower rice .
This version uses a homemade jerk seasoning that adds Caribbean warmth alongside the Cajun base. It’s also compliant with the Pesco Mediterranean diet if you skip the sausage, and replace with extra shrimp.
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What is Jambalaya?
Jambalaya is a popular Louisiana-origin dish of Spanish, West African, and French influence, consisting of meat (usually smoked sausage), seafood (usually shrimp), and vegetables mixed with rice and seasoned with a cajun spice blend.
In this version I have switched the Cajun spice blend for a Caribbean jerk seasoning blend.
What is Sofrito and Why Does It Matter?
Jambalaya starts with a “sofrito”. Sofrito is a base made of finely diced vegetables sautéed in oil until fragrant and is commonly used in Spanish, Italian, and Latin American cooking.
In Cajun cooking, sofrito is generally made up of finely diced onion, celery, and sweet bell peppers. The vegetables are sautéed with some olive oil until tender and aromatic and then combined with Cajun spices and perhaps herbs.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Like many stews or soups, jambalaya can be easily modified.
If you are vegetarian, use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock and exclude the meat. If you are following the Pesco Mediterranean diet, exclude the sausage and replace it with more shrimp.
If you hate seafood, include chicken and sausage but leave out the shrimp.
There isn’t any dairy or gluten if that is a sensitive area for you.
Just be sure to include the sofrito and the jerk or cajun spice blends as the base and let your creativity and tastes range from there!
How to Modify Jambalaya to be Slow-Carb or Diet Friendly
When I worked as a diet and health coach, I was constantly on a quest to offer people alternative ideas for defining comfort food.
The mouthwatering sauce of a jambalaya, made with a sofrito, spices and herbs, is so robust that it allows the non-compliant ingredients to be modified and still give you the luxury of comfort food.
I have substituted cauliflower rice for white rice in this slow-carb version, which keeps the integrity of the jambalaya’s texture without losing any flavor.
The ingredients and cooking methods are also compliant with the Pesco Mediterranean diet, which is the “diet” I continue to love and recommend for health and sustained fat and weight loss.
The Slow Carb Diet (aka Tim Ferriss’s 4-Hour Body Diet), is the lifestyle where most of my clients saw sustainable weight loss. Here is a comprehensive article about the similarities and differences between Low Carb, Slow Carb, and Keto diets.
If you want detailed information specifically about the slow carb diet, I have pulled that information together in an ebook that you can purchase, called A Guide to Fat Loss Through a Slow Carb Diet.
How to Make Low-Carb Jambalaya (Step by Step)
Homemade Jerk Seasoning Blend
For making your own jerk seasoning spice blend, whisk together the following ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (or other spicy powdered pepper)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed chile pepper
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
More Related Recipes:
For recipes that use the jerk seasoning, try one of these:
- Sheetpan Dinner (Traybake) with Jerk Rub Seasoning
- Jerk Tomatillo Slaw (for Mexican or Caribbean dishes)
For recipes that have similar Southern stew flavors try this Seafood Gumbo
FAQ
Cauliflower rice replaces white rice. Everything else, including the sofrito, spices, sausage, and shrimp, is naturally slow-carb.
Yes. The recipe includes a DIY Cajun blend in the notes. Jerk seasoning adds Caribbean warmth with allspice and thyme; Cajun is more straightforward heat.
Yes, if you replace the sausage with additional shrimp and use a seafood-friendly broth.
Yes. Reduce the cooking time slightly since fresh shrimp cooks faster. Add them at the very end and cook just until pink.
Roasting it separately before adding to the pot helps. The recipe calls for 10 minutes in the oven with oil and spice, which removes excess moisture and adds flavor.
As a previous diet and health coach for 5 years, I modified tons of high-flavor recipes for my clients. Peruse this category of over 40 slow carb diet recipes to find more options to try for a slow carb lifestyle.
Low Carb Jambalaya
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 – 16 ounces cauliflower rice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 3 teaspoon jerk seasoning divided (see notes for DIY blend)
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2 cups bell peppers chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika smoked or regular
- 12 ounces andouille sausage sliced into coins
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes Rotel tomatoes with chile peppers is good
- ½ cup chicken broth more if you want a soup
- 12 ounces shrimp medium, frozen
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Empty bag of cauliflower rice onto a sheet pan and drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp jerk (or cajun) spice. Mix together with your hands and place in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven after 10 min. and set aside.3 tablespoons olive oil, 12 – 16 ounces cauliflower rice, 3 teaspoon jerk seasoning
- In a dutch oven or large pot, sauté the chopped onion in remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil for 2-3 minutes over med-high heat (until it starts to become translucent). Add the chopped celery and peppers to the pot and sauté everything together for another 5-7 minutes until soft and thoroughly mixed together (this is the sofrito).3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 onion, 2 stalks celery, 2 cups bell peppers
- Add the garlic, 1 teaspoon paprika and 1 tsp Jamaican Jerk seasoning (or seasoning of your choice) to the pot of sofrito and stir for about 1 minute to blend flavors.4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon paprika, 3 teaspoon jerk seasoning
- Add the sausage coins to the pot for 2-4 minutes to cook through (they will turn pink). (Or replace with additional shrimp in the next step if adhering to Pesco Mediterranean diet).Then add the tomatoes and the chicken broth and heat all the way through, stirring everything together as it cooks. If you want the stew to be more of a soup, add additional chicken broth. Taste for salt and seasoning.12 ounces andouille sausage, 28 ounces diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup chicken broth
- Add the shrimp and cauliflower rice, cover the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes or until shrimp is no longer pink.12 ounces shrimp
- Serve garnished with parsley or green onions. White beans and pickles are good side dishes. Serve in large bowls with an extra empty plate to discard the shrimp tails.
Notes
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed chile pepper
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
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- 2 tablespoons garlic powder.
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- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning (or oregano)
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- 2 tablespoons paprika.
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- 2 tablespoons salt.
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- 1 tablespoon black pepper.
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- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper.
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- 1 tablespoon onion powder.
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