This is a vegan version of Cajun Jambalaya. The dish incorporates black eyed peas and collard greens, making it a perfect choice for New Year’s Day. This dish feeds 8 or more people with left overs. I suggest serving it with corn bread on the side

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons of oil and a bit more
• 1 package of Beyond Italian Sausage (thawed and sliced)
• 1 bunch collard greens thick stems removed and thinly sliced. Chop so no pieces are longer than 1″.
• Salt & pepper
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper finely diced
• 2 celery stalks thinly sliced or diced
• 1 large jalapeno with seeds and ribs removed, minced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes in their juices
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 8 cups veggie stock (see notes)
• 2 cups dried black-eyed peas soaked overnight
• 2 cups uncooked brown rice grains
• 1 bunch scallions thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley or parsley flakes

Instructions

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat up the pot. Add in the sausage and fry up until the sausage starts to crisp up. Remove sausage from pan and set aside, leave the oil and the bits stuck to the bottom.
2. Add two more tablespoons of oil to the same pot. Add the collard greens and stir-fry until wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove to a plate. Set aside.
3. Add two more tablespoons of oil along with the onions, bell pepper, and celery, and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the jalapeno, garlic, smoked paprika, regular paprika, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 2 minutes more, until very fragrant, then add the tomatoes, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a simmer and allow the tomato mixture to thicken slightly.
4. Pour in the stock, black-eyed peas, and brown rice. Bring to a boil, partially cover, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peas and rice have grown in size, but still have quite a bite to them. Note to check the pot to make sure there is enough liquid in it. If the dish starts to look dry, add more water as needed.
5. Cover the pot completely and continue cooking over low heat, undisturbed, until tender (but not mushy) and all of the liquid has been absorbed, another 20 minutes.
6. Fold in the collard greens and half the scallions. Cover and cook until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and the veggies are tender, about 10 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Test to see if the peas and rice are tender enough.
7. Either add the sausage slices, or chop up the slices into smaller chunks and add them to the pot.
8. Season the vegan jambalaya with parsley, the remaining scallions, and add salt as needed.

Notes:

I like using powdered veggie stock mix. It is easier to store than boxes of veggie stock. I just add hot water to a measuring cup and then a teaspoon of flavoring to each cup of water.

I crumbled two of the sausages for mixing into the jambalaya and then sliced the remaining two for adding to the servings.