Vegetarian Cajun Rice (Meatless Dirty Rice)

Brown rice with vegetables dusted with Cajun seasonings, this vegetarian Cajun rice is full of flavor and health benefits. Ready in less than 30 minutes.

Originating from Southern Louisiana, Cajun rice, AKA dirty rice, is traditionally made from white rice with small pieces of pork, chicken livers, or ground beef and green bell peppers, celery, and onion. Sounds divine, right? Why does it have a “dirty” name? It’s because the rice gets a dirty-looking color after tossing it with meat and Cajun spices including cayenne pepper, black pepper, and paprika. 

What if we omit the meat? Would it still get dirty? I made an experiment. I found out that whether the rice gets dirty or not is not the point. The point is… holy cow… the meatless dirty rice can be so incredibly tasty! To make it even better, I made a few alterations to the traditional Cajun dirty rice recipe.

Variations of Vegetarian Cajun Rice

• Instead of using white rice, more nutritious brown rice is the key ingredient in this recipe. I used long-grain rice. To make this rice dish even more hearty, use vegetable broth to cook the rice. For non-vegetarians, beef broth, chicken broth made with chicken gizzards are all good options for cooking the rice.
• It’s gluten-free and vegetarian. Well, it’s almost vegan. Besides cajun seasonings, the secret sauce in this recipe is Worchestire sauce, which normally contains fish. Choose a vegan Worchestire sauce if you’d like. 
• Since meat is not present in this cajun rice, you can pair it with all types of protein. It’s a wonderful side dish. I love enjoying it with salmon and green beans. 
• To make it a stand-alone main dish, toss a can of drained and rinsed black beans into the cajun rice. Voilà! You’ve got a balanced and delicious meal ready in less than 30 minutes. 
• Want some heat? Add a few drops of hot sauce to your Cajun dirty rice.

How to Make Vegetarian Dirty Rice

1. Cook the brown rice. Recently, I discovered a new way of cooking brown rice on the stovetop that’s pretty promising.
2. While the rice is cooking, chop onion, celery, and red bell pepper into small pieces. Then mince some garlic. 
3. Chop fresh parsley and green onions. We will use them at the end. 
4. Add a splash of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, place the minced garlic and onion in the pan. It should sizzle right away. Start stirring with a spatula. Add a pinch of salt, stir, and let the garlic and onion sweat in the pan for a couple of minutes.
5. Add celery and red bell pepper. Combine well with the onion and garlic. Stir in Cajun seasonings or Creole seasonings and Worchestire sauce. Sauté until all veggies are softened. Switch heat to medium-low.
6. When the rice is done, fluff. Add it into the prepared cajun vegetable base. Combine well. (Some recipes call for vegetable broth to simmer the rice again at this step. I found it not necessary at all.) 
7. Squeeze some lemon juice into the Cajun rice. Stir in parsley and green onions. Enjoy!

What to Pair with Vegetarian Cajun Rice

Packed with amazing flavors and a subtle citric taste, personally, I think this meatless Cajun rice goes really well with seafood and chicken. Here are some pairing ideas for you to consider. 

Scallops with Brown Butter and Caper Sauce

Cedar Plank Salmon

Sous Vide Salmon

One-Pan Balsamic Chicken

Baked Chicken Wings

Easy Baked Chicken Parmesan

Here you have it—my take on a Cajun rice recipe without meat. Dirty or not, I’ll let you decide. Yummy or not, please leave a comment below and let me know. And if you are interested in more Cajun dishes, try my crockpot Jambalaya.

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