Kickin’ Jambalaya with Cauliflower Rice

Football season is depressing AF this year. Both cowboys & patriots are in it to possibly win it and the thought of that happening to either team makes me lose my appetite.

Which basically is unheard of.

So therefore I am probably lying.

Which I am, sadly.

SO I retract the losing my appetite statement. That was little aggressive.

In fact, all of this just makes me want to eat more. Nothing like a foul mood to encourage some unhealthy eating. But see, it doesn’t always have to be unhealthy. And being that I am fully prepared for what could happen to me, basically eat entire contents of my home during tomorrows game day, I have decided that I needed to prepare a healthier option that I can go to town on.

Something with heat, meat, and substance. Without poppin buttons (bc I will 100 percent be poppin’ bottles). Kickin’ Jambalaya with Cauliflower Rice.

Recipe Notes:

Since this recipe calls for cauliflower rice vs good ol’ fashioned grain rice, I reduced the amount of liquid that was needed for a standard jambalaya. What I would recommend, if wanting to make grain rice for someone who is going to complain about cauli rice, is to just prepare a separate batch of grain rice to pour soup over. But if you know they are even going to complain about THAT then I would increase the vegetable stock by 1.5 – 2 more cups in the jambalaya so then if you cook the rice in it, it has enough liquid to absorb with out jeopardizing the texture of the actual soup. You will also need to increase cooking time until rice has reached desired texture (as cauliflower only takes a good 8-10 minutes to do this).

I omitted the shredded chicken that jambalaya usually calls for as I am weird about mixing too many different meats together, especially surf & turf. Since shredded chicken really doesn’t add much flavor to the soup, I kept with just the smoked andouille sausage (which is a MUST) and shrimpies, because how can you have jambalaya without either of those!? Or you can always sub in smoked chicken sausage which almost kills two birds, one stone, and also wards of extra fat calories that you normally would be getting from the pork. But this recipe is already pretty healthy to begin with, so a little pork fat can’t hurt.

I love to make this soup earlier in the day (especially on game days, cough, tis the season, cough) as the longer it simmers and sits, the longer the spices have time to meld together creating some dope flava and heat. You can even make the soup the day before, keep in fridge until about an hour before you are ready to serve, throw back in pot on a low simmer and BAM. This soup, as most soups go, is just always better the second day.

*** This is not your traditional jambalaya. But it’s pretty damn close. And it’s still really ridiculously good looking. And tastes even more ridiculously better. And my grammar ridiculously sucks. Bon appetite.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Kickin' Jambalaya with Cauliflower Rice

Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  45 mins

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Ingredients

• 1 lb peeled & deveined shrimp (optional to leave tail on)
• 1 lb andouille sausage sliced
• ½ cup chopped yellow onion (or half a medium sized yellow onion)
• ½ cup chopped green pepper (about half of large green pepper)
• ½ cup chopped celery (about 2 stalks)
• 3 bay leaves
• ½ cup frozen chopped okra
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ head Cauliflower, riced (or about 4-6 cups)
• 28 oz petit diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 8 oz vegetable stock
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped (For garnish)

Seasoning

• 3 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp coarse black pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp chili powder

Instructions

1. Take your seasoning mix in a small bowl and mix all of your spices together.
2. In a large bowl add your shrimp and then add half of the spice mixture. Toss and place shrimp in fridge until ready to use. Set spice seasoning aside.
3. in a large saucepan (or large pot) over medium heat add your 2 tbsp of olive oil.
4. Next add the onion, green pepper and celery. Cook for 5 minutes.
5. Mix in your cauliflower rice and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes.
6. Add your diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and vegetable stock. Mix together.
7. Add 2 tsp of remaining spice mixture to pot (you'll be left with extra, feel free to add more at the end after you've added shrimp and pork if need be. Or place in a small container and store in pantry for later use).
8. Bring pot to a boil, add 2 or 3 bay leaves and frozen okra, and then simmer for 20 minutes.
9. Once pot has simmered (flavors have come together) add your pork medallions and shrimp.
10. Continue to simmer until pork and shrimp have cooked through about 8-10 minutes.
11. Garnish with parsley and serve warm with optional bread to soak up the juice.

3.5.3226