Jambalaya Rice Salad — The Cold Cajun Spring Salad

April. Senior year wraps in seven weeks. Senior prom is May fourth. Senior dinner is May fifteenth. Graduation is May twenty-fourth. The University of Tulsa orientation is June seventeenth.

The recipe Sunday was jambalaya rice salad — a bright cold spring version of the Cajun classic. Cooked rice cooled, tossed with diced smoked sausage, sauteed shrimp, the Cajun trinity (onion, celery, bell pepper), green onions, parsley, and a Creole vinaigrette (olive oil, white wine vinegar, Creole seasoning, garlic). Total: $7.40 for three lunches.

The recipe is below. The trick is the Creole vinaigrette in place of the hot sauce a hot jambalaya uses.

Jambalaya Rice Salad

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 6 oz andouille sausage, sliced into thin rounds
• 3 strips bacon, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Cook the rice. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 18–20 minutes until broth is absorbed. Spread cooked rice onto a baking sheet to cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
2. Render the bacon and sausage. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chopped bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving 1 tbsp drippings in the pan. Add andouille sausage slices and cook 3–4 minutes until lightly browned. Remove and set aside with the bacon.
3. Sauté the vegetables. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the same skillet over medium heat. Add bell peppers and celery; cook 4–5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
4. Cook the shrimp. Add remaining olive oil to the skillet over medium-high heat. Season shrimp with 1 tsp Cajun seasoning and a pinch of salt. Cook shrimp 1–2 minutes per side until pink and just cooked through. Remove from heat.
5. Build the salad. To the large mixing bowl with the vegetables, add cooled rice, drained tomatoes, cooked bacon, and sausage. Drizzle with red wine vinegar and sprinkle with remaining Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and cayenne. Toss well to combine.
6. Add shrimp and finish. Fold shrimp and green onions gently into the salad. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and heat. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 390 | Protein: 26g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 820mg