Jambalaya, the popular cajun stew, lends itself perfectly to low carb modifications without losing any of its deep, robust flavor. The rice is really the only ingredient in this popular dish that prevents it from being low carb. Using cauliflower rice solves that problem, making a stew that can be relished by any food critic, regardless of dietary lifestyle.
Jump to: RECIPE | What is Sofrito? | Ingredients & Substitutions | Modified to Low Carb | DIY Jerk Seasoning Blend | Serve with
What is Jambalaya?
Jambalaya is a popular Louisiana-origin dish of Spanish, West African and French influence, consisting mainly of meat (usually smoked sausage), seafood (usually shrimp), and vegetables mixed with rice.
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.
Getting Robust Flavor from Low Carb Food
When I worked as a low carb diet coach, I was constantly on a quest to offer people alternative ideas for defining “comfort food. Jambalaya is one of those dishes that works really well as a comfort food.
The mouthwatering flavors from low carb jambalaya start with a sofrito, made of vegetables, spices and herbs. This gives the jambalaya the robust flavor profile, and it can easily be modified to individual tastes.
This sofrito melts into the the rest of the jambalaya ingredients, enhancing the flavor and also providing the creamy texture.
Cauliflower rice stands in for white rice in the low carb version, keeping the integrity of the jambalaya’s texture without losing any flavor.
This low carb comfort food is not your bone broth with a tin of sardines, that’s for sure.
Substitutions to fit Different Tastes or Diets
Like many stews or soups, low carb Jambalaya can be easily modifed. If you are vegetarian, use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock and exclude the meat.
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!
What to Serve with Jambalaya
Serve this robust stew garnished with parsley and green onions, with white beans and pickles alongside.
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
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed chile pepper
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
If you don’t want to make your own blend, we have a jerk seasoning blend using very fresh ingredients that you can purchase.
More Recipes Using Jerk Seasoning
Sheetpan Dinner (Traybake) with Jerk Rub Seasoning
Jerk Tomatillo Slaw (for Mexican or Caribbean dishes)
Recipe for Jambalaya with Cauliflower Rice
Low Carb Jambalaya
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 oz cauliflower rice
- 3 Tbsp olive oil divided
- 3 tsp Jerk seasoning divided (see notes for DIY blend)
- 1 onion chopped or diced
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2 cups bell peppers diced and different colors
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp paprika
- 12 oz andouille sausage sliced into coins
- 28 oz diced tomatoes Rotel tomatoes with chile peppers
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 12 oz shrimp medium, frozen
Instructions
- Heat over 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 Tbsp olive oil, 12 oz cauliflower rice, 3 tsp Jerk seasoning
- In a dutch oven or large pot, saute the chopped onion in remaining 2 Tbsp 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 saute everything together for another 5-7 minutes until soft and thoroughly mixed together (this is the sofrito).3 Tbsp olive oil, 1 onion, 2 stalks celery, 2 cups bell peppers
- Add the garlic, 1 tsp paprika and 1 tsp Jamaican Jerk seasoning (or seasoning of your choice) to the pot of sofrito and stir for about 1 minute.4 cloves garlic, 1 tsp paprika, 3 tsp Jerk seasoning
- Add the sausage coins to the pot for 2-4 minutes to cook through. 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.12 oz andouille sausage, 28 oz 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 oz shrimp
- Serve garnished with parsley and green onions, with white beans and pickles alongside. Serve in large bowls with an 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
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder.
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning (or oregano)
- 2 tablespoons paprika.
- 2 tablespoons salt.
- 1 tablespoon black pepper.
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper.
- 1 tablespoon onion powder.
Nutrition
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