Vegan dirty rice recipe. I first tried Dirty Rice in the US and didn’t like it. For one I have never been a fan of mince or ground beef. I found the dish to be greasy, and just unpleasant tasting. I liked the idea of it, because I love rice dishes, but the execution was just off for me. Finally, I got to try a packet mix Dirty Rice, Zatarain's. And I kind of liked that. But only if the hamburger meat was left out. As far as instant rice mixes go, it's pretty good, and super easy.
The Discovery of Vegan Mince
However, the discovery of vegan mince was one of the greatest days of my life. When I was first vegetarian, in the late (ahem) 80s, the only vegan mince on the market was TVP, a dried soy meat substitute. It was a bit of a palaver. You had to soak it first, and then if you add too much water, it can become kind of mushy, so ideal for meatloaf or meatballs, but not ideal in a dish where you want to see and taste the little bits of "mince".
Jump to:
Later came things like frozen Quorn mince and that really was a gamechanger (although it's still not 100% vegan). Easy, convenient and with very little prep involved. Nowadays I like to use Linda McCartney's VegeMince or Tesco's Plant Chef Mince, which is 100% vegan.
I always, and I mean always, love a rice dish. It's quick, easy, nourishing, filling and there's inevitably leftovers. I know, there's controversy about reheating rice, but let it cool completely at room temperature, cover and fridge it, then either bring out the fridge and come up to room temperature again (I love cold rice), or make sure you reheat thoroughly.
Where was I? Oh yes, talking about how much I love rice. Believe me when I say that I have many rice dishes I need to upload to the blog, all quick and easy. I could almost start another blog just for those to be honest. I'm pretty sure that I'm the only one in the family who is so obsessed with rice, but I just love it so much. I don't mind it if it's gone mushy, or if it sticks, or if it's clumpy, but I do not like easy cook rice. There's not really much need for it. Long Grain or Basmati or Jasmine are all so easy to cook, and my preference is Tilda Rice, simply because it just such high quality.
What Is Dirty Rice?
Dirty rice is a traditional Louisiana Creole dish, made with rice, which gets it's name from the additions of meat and the triumvirate of cajun seasoning: celery, pepper and onion. It "dirties" the purity of the white rice. It was a dish devised by the slaves working on rice plantations in Louisiana, a cheap way to feed to their families, using chicken gizzards or chicken livers and other organ meats to flavor it. These are the traditional dirty rice ingredients.
Since the abolition of slavery, the dish has remained a popular recipe in the South, although some of the flavors have been refined, using sausage or more expensive types of meat. Today it is still a low cost, high taste meal to make.
What Ingredients Are In Vegan Dirty Rice?
- The Cajun Holy Trinity: Celery, Green Bell Pepper and Onion, these fresh vegetables are always chopped small, and sautéed down to ensure they give maximum flavour. These sautéed veggies will add flavor to any type of ragu.
- Cajun Seasoning. Use whichever Cajun spices you prefer, some are spicier than others. The main constituents of a Cajun spice mix are dried Thyme, Cayenne Pepper, Garlic Powder and Black Pepper. It is full of flavour.
- Bay Leaves, classic Cajun flavors right there.
- Vegan Mince. I like to use Linda McCartney's VegeMince or Tesco's own proprietary brand which is really good. You could also use a cup of TVP if you prefer, just don't oversoak it.
- Vegetable broth or stock. This is optional, but it adds another layer of flavour. I like to use Marigold Vegan Bouillon Powder.
- Vegan Sausage, I don't always add this, but it makes it a complete meal on it's own. Cook up some of your favorite vegan sauces, then cube and stir into the rice towards the end of cooking.
I love to serve my vegan version of Dirty Rice with my Vegan Cornbread, the traditional flavors and textures compliment each other perfectly, and make a delicious and quick family meal.
📋 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Red Pepper diced finely
- 1 Green Pepper diced finely
- 2 sticks Celery diced finely
- 1 White Onion diced finely
- 1 Scotch Bonnet pepper, left whole or omit you can't tolerate heat
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
- 1 tablespoon Butter vegan
- 1 cup Basmati Rice
- 1 Stock Cube vegan
- 1 cup Vegan Mince
- 2 teaspoon Cajun Spice Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups Water, just boiled
- ¼ cup chopped Fresh Parsley optional
Instructions
- In a large pan, gently heat your vegetable oil, add your diced vegetables and saute until softened.
- Add the vegan mince, rice, scotch bonnet, seasonings, butter and water and bring to a gently boil. Stir gently.
- Turn down and leave to simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until the water is all absorbed and the rice is cooked.
- Stir in the chopped parsley, taste for seasoning and serve.
Jahma says
Absolutely delicious!! Paired with your gf cornbread omg!!
Kirby says
This recipe is SO good. I love dirty rice and this vegan option is perfect!
Nive says
I haven't tried dirty rice at all! I'm looking forward to trying this out tho ?
Elena says
So interesting I’ve never heard of dirty rice before but this sounds delicious!
Jenny says
Wow this dirty vegan rice sounds amazing!
hanaa says
I’ve never heard of dirty rice but WOW yours sounds so good!!!
Roma says
Now this is my kinda food! Spicy!! Thanks for the recipe.
Bianca says
Never heard of dirty rice before but you sold it to me! Wanna try it yumm
Deb says
One of my favourite quick and easy meals, yum!
Kay says
Love the addition of scotch bonnet! So tasty and I got some left for my lunch today too!
Natalie says
Easy and delicious. What a lovely lunch idea. I will definitely make this. Thanks!
Angie says
This looks amazing! Vegan mince meat is definitely a game changer for sure. I live cooking with them.
Raquel says
Really easy to make and love the kick it has! Thank you for the recipe!
Nora says
what a lovely combination! thanks for sharing!
Audrey says
This was really easy to make!
Pam says
This is perfect for my daughter who is vegan!
Emily Flint says
Looks delicious and perfect for when my vegan friend visits!
Maura says
I am in love with this vegan version
Toni says
I loved it! So easy to make and also healthy and delicious! A huge win at my house!
Jessica Formicola says
I love dirty rice, and this vegan version looks so incredibly delicious! I can't wait to make it with dinner one night this week!
Leslie says
Delish!
Michaela says
Fabulous recipe, love it even my 10yr old son enjoyed it.
Swathi says
Vegan dirty rice looks delicious i need to try it.
Tim says
Definitely trying this soon…..
Angela Tacy says
Very tasty and easy to make! This is a keeper.
Liz says
I like a good dirty rice recipe! I have tried making a vegan dirty rice recipe before, but it sounds delicious! Will have to give it a try!
Amanda Mason says
YUM! This was absolutely delicious and really easy to make! Much better than my vegan box version I buy at sprouts. And now I can make this at home with your recipe! So glad I stumbled across it!
mikayla says
Delicious, in under and hour I had dinner, plus a bonus of a couple days of lunch that I thoroughly enjoyed and honestly would not have guessed it was a Vegan meal.
Kayla DiMaggio says
I am here for the dirty rice! So easy and delicious!
Kathryn says
This is such a delicious side dish and I love all the veggies and flavors! Thank you for sharing!
Veronika Sykorova says
This was my first time hearing about dirty rice but I'm glad I came across your recipe! It was so good and gave the rice so much flavor. Cajun seasoning is my favorite so it's great I have another recipe I can use it in!
Tammy says
This is such a great way to use up older veggies in the fridge...so good and so easy to throw together too!
Jacqueline Debono says
I've never eaten dirty rice but love the idea of this vegan version. Looks and sounds super flavourful!
Amita says
I loved this recipe. It was really easy to make and delicious! Every single person in the family loved it.
Heidy says
This Dirty Rice recipe was delicious! I loved all the flavors. I can't wait to make it again. It was so good! Have a great day, and thanks for sharing this fantastic recipe!