The Soup Diva

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I love Cajun food. While Creole has its own culinary heritage, it is of similar African, French, Spanish, and Jamaican roots and flavors. Creole jambalaya differs from Cajun by the addition of tomatoes; I did still use the Cajun step of browning the meat first (because, well, why wouldn’t you?) Finishing in the oven ensures even heating so the bottom doesn’t burn and the rice doesn’t get mushy. This recipe makes a mess o’ jambalaya for a big ol’ crowd, but you can certainly half it for a smaller crew.

• 1 lb smoked sausage (or andouille if you can find it), sliced
• 1 lb boneless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, & tail off (fresh or thawed)
• 32 oz chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 small can crushed tomatoes [or salsa!]
• 2 cups jasmine rice
• 1 pkg diced onion, celery, and bell pepper (in produce or freezer section)*
• 6 cloves garlic (1 tbsp minced)
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 1-2 tbsp hot sauce
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste

Brown sausage in large Dutch oven or other pot; add chicken and stir often until chicken is browned but not cooked through. Remove meats and add vegetable mixture and garlic, drizzling olive oil over as needed. Saute vegetables until soft, stirring regularly; then add tomatoes and stir until half of liquid has evaporated (it should resemble a soffritto). Pour in broth, Worcestershire, and seasonings and heat to bubbling, scraping any remaining brown bits into the liquid; add rice and stir well, then stir in sausage and chicken. Cover and place in 350⁰ oven for 1 hour or until rice has absorbed the liquid and is cooked through. Add shrimp to top and re-cover; allow to sit until shrimp is done. Stir jambalaya well before serving.