Jambalaya Soup! For those times you want all the authentic flavors of a Jambalaya... FAST!

This recipe can be made in the Instant Pot / pressure cooker or stove top and is guaranteed to pack in all those spices we know and love in a traditional Jambalaya. 

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Why make Jambalaya Soup?

Well... why not? Don't get me wrong, I love a good Cajun Jambalaya any day of the week, but let's face it, it takes too long to make! I mean, we are talking at least an hour or two to really develop that base.

Here's how this wonderful soup came to be.

My husband went to the store to get mulch... yes, mulch! Don't worry, I'm not going off on a tangent here. He came back with mulch, bacon, and Andouille sausage. Weird? Yup. That's my hubby! Of course, I knew that the sausage was a hint for me to make my Cajun Jambalaya with Cauliflower Rice. I didn't feel like it. I was sick. I made soup! It was PERFECT!

This Jambalaya Soup comes together so fast in the Instant Pot / pressure cooker that you can be eating in 35 minutes! AND, it tastes just like Jambalaya in soup form!

Is there anything better than a hot and hearty soup after a long, cold day? I think not. Plus, Jambalaya Soup is so easy to re-heat and perfect for taking to parties or for tailgating!

Check out this video and see just how easy it is to make this soup!

What's in Jambalaya Soup?

This version of Jambalaya Soup is Cajun inspired and has most of the ingredients in a traditional Jambalaya. You will notice that I left out green peppers, this wasn't exactly intentional... I just didn't have any! I did worry about that a bit, but when it was all said and done this soup was perfect just the way it was and I felt no need to add them in.

Of course, if you have a green pepper and want to add it in... go for it! In fact, I was thinking I wish I had some okra! That would be delicious in this soup!

The other ingredient you see in many Jambalaya recipes is shrimp. I decided to leave them out for a few reasons: my husband isn't a fan of seafood; I knew they would over cook in the pressure cooker; and shrimp don't re-heat that well, in my opinion.

If you want to add to shrimp, my recommendation would be to add them to the finished soup and cook on the stove top until the shrimp are just done.

Do you really need an Instant Pot?

YES! You will thank me!

You all probably know by know that I love my Instant Pot! What you might not know is how skeptical I was and how long I held off on the purchase.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret here; I don't like cooking in a slow cooker. I never have. I don't think you can control the temperature and I always overcook everything (think stringy tough meat... overcooked).

Plus, I can't think of too many recipes that don't involve sautéing veggies or browning meat and if I'm going to do that on the stove, I will either finish it on the stove or in the oven. I figured the Instant Pot would be the same kind of thing. It's trendy, it's fast, and it makes boring food. WRONG!

The Instant Pot makes GREAT food FAST! Now, would I make a prime rib in the instant pot? Probably not. But I do use my Instant Pot for cooking everything from homemade yogurt, quinoa, corn on the cob, hard boiled eggs to this awesome Chili and this incredible Mexican Butternut Squash Soup! I am cooking a whole chicken tonight, so if that goes well it will be going on the blog too!

What Size Instant Pot Do You Need?

If you done any shopping for an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker, you may be overwhelmed with all the choices. I certainly was. As far as the size goes, I think bigger is better in this instance. I have the 8 quart and I can cook a good size roast, a whole chicken, and a rack of ribs without running out of room. This recipe can be cooked in the 8 quart or the 6 quart without any alterations to the recipe. If you have a smaller Instant Pot, I would cut the recipe in half.

Okay, Okay, Okay... let's get back to this delicious Jambalaya Soup!

How to make Jambalaya Soup in the Instant Pot (pressure cooker)

It's super easy, I promise!

1. First, prep all your ingredients. This will make everything go so smoothly. Make a batch of the Cajun Rub as follows:

Combine the following spices:

½ Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon ground roasted coriander
⅛ teaspoon ground thyme
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2. Trim and cube chicken breast. Place in a bowl and coat with 1 Tablespoon of the Cajun spice blend and 2 Tablespoons of flour.

3. Finely dice 1 stalk of celery, ½ cup of sweet onion, 1 carrot. Chop the remaining celery and carrot into chunky pieces for soup. Cut Andouille sausage on the bias (see video for instruction).

4. Turn Instant Pot to the Saute function and set the timer for 15 minutes. Add 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil to the bottom of the pot (insert) and when it starts sizzling, add in veggies and chicken.

5. Once the veggies are translucent in color and the chicken slightly brown (about 5-8 minutes), add the chicken/turkey bone broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to remove the fond (brown bits). Turn the Instant Pot off.

6. Add remaining Cajun spice blend, tomatoes, veggies, rice, and Andouille sausage. Set Instant Pot on High Pressure for 10 minutes.

7. Once the 10 minutes of cooking time is up. Allow the pressure cooker to slow release the steam for 5 minutes, then manually release the remaining steam. Give the soup a good stir.

8. Serve and Enjoy!

 

 

How to make Jambalaya Soup (Stove top instructions)

1. First, prep all your ingredients. This will make everything go so smoothly. Make a batch of the Cajun Rub as follows:

Combine the following spices:

½ Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon ground roasted coriander
⅛ teaspoon ground thyme
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2. Trim and cube chicken breast. Place in a bowl and coat with 1 Tablespoon of the Cajun spice blend and 2 Tablespoons of flour.

3. Finely dice 1 stalk of celery, ½ cup of sweet onion, 1 carrot. Chop the remaining celery and carrot into chunky pieces for soup. Cut Andouille sausage on the bias (see video for instruction).

4.  Add 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil to a large stock pot and heat over medium. When it starts sizzling, add in veggies and chicken.

5. Stir and flip chicken several times to prevent burning, when chicken is cooked about 50% of the way add in stock or bone broth. Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove the fond (dark bits).

6. Add remaining Cajun spice blend, tomatoes, rice, and Andouille sausage. Simmer covered on medium low heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining carrots and celery.

7. Simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the rice is at the desired texture.

8. Serve and Enjoy!