Cajun Jambalaya with Andouille, Shrimp & Okra Recipe

Back in college and in the years immediately after, my meals were neither healthy nor particularly tasty. I remember a stretch when I seemed to have forgotten how to cook anything better than the simplest convenience dishes. Like many people, I assumed making a proper dinner from whole ingredients would be costly and time-consuming. The usual routine was boiling a box of pasta, stirring in a jar of sauce and tossing in some sausage. Sometimes we’d attempt a “healthy” chicken stir-fry, only to smother it in store-bought marinades full of sugar. For a special treat, we’d reach for a boxed mix and make jambalaya.

I don’t miss those quick fixes, but I do miss the comfort of jambalaya. When Foodbuzz pledged to donate to the Greater New Orleans Foundation for Gulf-inspired posts, it felt like the perfect reason to recreate it—this time without the boxed mix. A glance at the ingredient list on the box confirmed why: excessive sodium and mysterious additives. This version is all real food and full of authentic flavor. Yes, there’s a bit of chopping involved, but it’s not any harder or much slower than relying on prepackaged mixes. The result is healthier and far more satisfying, so skipping shortcuts is worth the small extra effort.

Cajun Jambalaya with Okra, Andouille and Shrimp

Prep Time:
5 minutes

Cook Time:
25 minutes

Total Time:
30 minutes

Servings:
6 servings

Calories:
244kcal

Author:
Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• ½ lb. shrimp cleaned with tails removed
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbs oregano dried
• 1 tsp thyme dried
• ¼ lb. Andouille sausage sliced into rounds
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• ¼ cup chopped green pepper
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 4 plum tomatoes chopped
• 3 cups fat-free chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp Tabasco sauce plus more to taste
• 1 cup quick cooking brown rice
• 1 cup okra sliced into rounds
• 2 tsp fresh basil chopped
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• In a bowl, combine the shrimp, cayenne, oregano, and thyme. Toss to coat.
• Set a heavy pot over high heat and add the andouille. Cook a few minutes until it begins to brown and crisp. Add the onion, green pepper, celery, and garlic and cook 3–4 minutes until the vegetables soften. Add the tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, and Tabasco.
• Slowly stir in the rice. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes. Add the seasoned shrimp and okra, then cook another 5–10 minutes until the shrimp is cooked through and the rice is tender.
• Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with additional Tabasco so diners can adjust the heat.

Nutrition Facts

Cajun Jambalaya with Okra, Andouille and Shrimp

Amount Per Serving

Calories 244
Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g17%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Polyunsaturated Fat 6g

Cholesterol 102mg34%

Sodium 866mg38%

Carbohydrates 18g6%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 17g34%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.