Easy Instant Pot Jambalaya Soup
This hearty Instant Pot Jambalaya recipe is quick, easy, and delicious. Packed with sausage and shrimp, and homemade Creole seasoning, this mouth-watering soup is pressure cooked and ready in just 20 minutes. It even makes amazing leftovers, if you have any!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What Makes This Recipe Great
I am all about soup this time of year. I had this idea to make Instant Pot Jambalaya but when I tested the recipe, it came out super SOUPY. Then I thought…wait a minute…is Jambalaya Soup a thing? Because it should be. We ate the entire thing in 24 hours, and now Instant Pot jambalaya soup is a staple in my house!
If you like my Shrimp & “Grits”, you will love this jambalaya soup. It’s packed with homemade Creole seasoning, smoked sausage (you can also sub Kielbasa), and tender shrimp. I used cauliflower rice instead of regular rice to keep this Whole30, Paleo, and Keto. A 20-minute recipe that tastes like it took all day!
Ingredient Notes
Shrimp: I like to get frozen shrimp that comes 21-25 per bag. They are fairly large, but you can really use any size of shrimp you want (as long as it comes in a 1 lb bag).
Smoked Sausage: I always look for sugar-free smoked andouille sausage (Pederson’s Farms is great) or Kielbasa, which I can usually find at Wegman’s, Sprouts, Harris Teeter, and many other stores!
Veggies: Diced tomatoes, green bell pepper, onion, and minced garlic.
Frozen Cauliflower Rice: I use this instead of white rice. Feel free to substitute regular white rice if you prefer.
Chicken Broth: You can use chicken stock, bone broth, or even beef broth for this recipe.
Arrowroot powder: This is a paleo alternative to corn starch!
Homemade Creole Seasoning: Garlic powder, paprika, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano, dried thyme, onion powder, and red pepper flakes.
Creole vs. Cajun Seasoning
While these spices resemble each other quite a bit, there are some key differences in the creole vs. cajun seasoning debate.
Creole Seasoning: Features more herbs like oregano, thyme, and paprika.
Cajun Seasoning: Features more peppers like black, cayenne, and white.
My homemade seasoning is sort of a blend of both but leans into the Creole category more. Either way, it’s delicious!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to “saute” mode. Heat olive oil for 1 minute. Add in onions, peppers, and garlic and stir for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and beginning to soften.
- Add in the sausage slices, diced tomatoes, broth, and spices. Lock the lid in the sealing position and cook on manual high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Mix arrowroot powder + water to create a slurry. This will help to thicken the soup a bit.
- Quick release the pressure. Hit “cancel/keep warm”, then turn to “saute” mode.
- Bring to a boil, then add in the frozen cauliflower rice and thawed shrimp.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes until the shrimp is pink and cooked through and the cauliflower rice is tender. Scrape any browned bits from the bottom. Add in slurry and stir to thicken.
- Serve your jambalaya soup topped with hot sauce and green onions. Enjoy!
Mary’s Tips & Tricks
Stove Top Instructions
- Sauté garlic, onions, and peppers for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in sausage and sauté for an additional 3 minutes.
- Add in tomatoes, broth, and seasoning.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Add in shrimp and cauliflower rice and cook for an additional 10 minutes until they are cooked through.
- Serve warm with green onions.
Spice Level: If you prefer more spice, add more cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes. If you want your jambalaya soup milder, use less.
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Leftovers taste even better the next day because the flavors have a chance to meld together. Yum!
Recipe FAQs
Jambalaya is a stew cooked with rice inside, whereas gumbo is a stew served over rice, separately.
Traditional jambalaya is a thick stew. However, this Instant Pot Jambalaya recipe features all the same flavors, but with a twist, making it jambalaya soup.
The tomatoes! Also called “red jambalaya” the use of tomatoes is what separates it from cajun jambalaya.
Easy Instant Pot Jambalaya Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb shrimp, thawed if previously frozen
- 1 12 oz package smoked sausage, sliced into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces. (can sub kielbasa – look for sugar free if doing Whole30)
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 16 oz package frozen cauliflower rice
- 1 cup chicken or beef broth
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, add more for more heat!
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes, reduce for less heat
- diced scallions/green onions, for garnish
- 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
- 2 tbsp water
Equipment
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to "saute" mode. Heat olive oil for 1 minute. Add in onions, peppers, and garlic and stir for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and beginning to soften.
- Add in sliced sausage, diced tomatoes, broth, and spices. Lock lid and cook on manual high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Mix arrowroot powder + water to create a slurry. This will help to thicken the soup a bit.
- Manually release the pressure. Hit "cancel/keep warm", then turn to "saute" mode. Bring to a boil, then add in the frozen cauliflower rice and thawed shrimp. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the shrimp is pink and cooked through and the cauliflower rice is tender. Add in slurry and stir to thicken. Serve topped with hot sauce and green onions. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Sauté garlic, onions, and peppers for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in sausage and sauté for an additional 3 minutes.
- Add in tomatoes, broth, and seasoning.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Add in shrimp and cauliflower rice and cook for an additional 10 minutes until they are cooked through.
- Serve warm with green onions.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on October 13, 2019 and updated on December 21, 2022 with new photos and copy.
82 Comments on “Easy Instant Pot Jambalaya Soup”
I am so sad that I hadn’t tried this recipe sooner.  It so good and full of flavor.  I added okra for extra veggies and because I love it!Â
Love that addition! So glad you loved it!
So delicious.
Thanks Kate!
I’m cooking for a group tomorrow and wondered if you ever doubled the recipe in the Instapot or if I should use a Dutch oven.Â
I haven’t in the IP – I would probably do dutch oven to be safe!
So easy and so delicious! This will become a regular recipe in our house! Thanks Mary!
Thank you, Lauren!!
This jambalaya was incredible!!! I made it on the stove top, turned out perfect! Will definitely be making this recipe all of the time!
So glad to hear it! Thanks Ashley!
First time trying this recipe. I made a couple modifications that I thought I’d share in case it helps someone else.
My family prefers regular rice and I didn’t want to make it separately so I increased the chicken broth to 1.5 cups and added 3/4 cup uncooked white rice to the pot. Cooked for 10 mins as directed and then let NPR for 10 mins.
No cauli rice. No arrowroot slurry. No additional simmering. Came out like a more traditional jambalaya consistency. Next time I might try only 2/3 cup rice or another 1/4 of broth just to make it a little saucier. Â
Only had frozen shrimp and didn’t want to thaw first so I tossed the frozen shrimp with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and tossed in air fryer for 10 mins at 400. Pretty sure I learned that trick from your IG stories recently!Â
Awesome thanks for sharing what worked for you!!
One of the best recipes, ever!!Â
Do you happen to know if it’s gluten free?Â
Thank you!
What is the serving size?
So easy and so yummy!!  I don’t like spice so I left out the cayenne pepper. My husband does, so he just put a pinch  in his serving. Both of us thought it was perfect!! Thanks Mary! I love all your receipts!Â
Like all of her recipes, this one is so flavorful and delicious and so easy. A staple in our house.Â
So delicious!! Easy weeknight dinner.Â
We love this recipe in our house! So delicious, we make it once a week. Thank you Mary!
Another fantastic recipe! Thank you! 😊
It was delicious!! Quick and easy to make! Â Will definitely make it again!!
Hubby LOVED it!!
So glad to hear that Polly!
Made this for the second time tonight- we love it! I prepared the veggies and the spice during meal prep which made it even easier to throw together during the week. Â
Is there anything else I could use in place of the arrowroot powder for a keto diet?
Xanthan gum is supposed to be a good lower carb thickener!
Loved it! Delicious and easy weeknight meal. Thanks, Mary!
So glad to hear that, Brooke!
I dont have any arrowroot powder in the house. Could I substitute Xanthum gum?
Yes that should work 🙂
Hi Mary,
Would we follow the same directions if we used regular rice instead? How much reg rice would you recommend?
Hi! I would pre-cook the regular rice and add it in at the end. 1 cup uncooked should be a good amount!
Helllo! What are the nutritional facts for this soup? I’m planning on making it tonight 😊
Hi Theresa! I am working through all of my old recipes and adding the nutrition facts. I will do this one now! 🙂 Enjoy!