Seafood Jambalaya

Name: Seafood Jambalaya
Prep time: PT-468438H51M56S
Cook time: PT-468438H51M56S
Total time: PT-468438H51M56S
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1-pound raw shrimp, peeled; 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced; 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced; 3 medium stalks celery, diced; 4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced; 2 tablespoons dried oregano leaves; 1 tablespoon sweet or smoked paprika; 2 teaspoons dried thyme, chopped; 1 ¾ teaspoons kosher or sea salt; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 cup brown rice; 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes; 2 cups unsalted vegetable, chicken or seafood stock; 1 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped

By Julie Andrews |

I’ve traveled to New Orleans many times, and each time I come back inspired to make some of those NOLA favorites at home. That’s where this seafood jambalaya comes into play.

It’s a simpler version of the traditional, and only calls for shrimp instead of shrimp, sausage and chicken – you can certainly add these, but my goal was to keep this version simple, lighter and inexpensive. (Plus, I usually keep frozen raw shrimp in the freezer and it’s quick to thaw and toss into dishes like this one!)

Some people like to use a Cajun or Creole spice mixture, but I’ve opted to use a few spices and herbs I already have on hand like smoked paprika, thyme, oregano and cayenne. It’s a delicious mix with the onions, garlic, bell pepper, tomato and lemon.

You can also make this with white rice, as the cooking time will cut in half, but the brown rice gives the jambalaya a heartier texture and provides much more nutrition (hello, fiber!) than white rice.

Overall, this jambalaya is pretty stellar – tons of flavor, a healthy dose of veggies, plenty of protein and bonus – it makes your house smell AH-MAZING.