Vegetarian Thieboudienne

This vegetarian/vegan theiboudienne is a 100% plant-based alternative to Senegalese thieboudienne. It is full of flavour, and absolutely delicious.

Most people know thieboudienne (pronounced cheebu jeen) as the Senegambian fish-based red rice. Usually, the fish flavours (from the fried fish and fermented salted fish) are highlighted as the star of the dish. As a vegan (and even as a seasoned cook), there is no way I could 100% make substitutions that work, nor can I claim this is an authentic and traditional recipe. However, I think thieboudienne is as much about the vegetables and plant-based flavour as it is about the fish, which I intend to highlight in this recipe. There are no plant-based meats or alternatives, just vegetables, herbs and a lot of love.

What is thieboudienne?

Thieboudienne is the Senegalese Jollof Rice (Gambia makes theirs pretty much identically but they call it benachin). Thiep/ceeb is the Wolof word for rice, while dienne/jën is used to refer to fish. Traditionally Thieboudienne is made with fish that is seasoned with a green herb seasoning, which is fried and then cooked in a tomato-based stew with lots of veggies like cabbage, carrots, cassava, okra, eggplants and made more. Once the veggies are cooked, everything is removed leaving a flavourful tomato broth in which the rice is cooked.

This vegetarian thieboudienne recipe is a labour of love with lots of components that give it a delicious flavour. It differs a lot in technique, ingredients, method and name from the Nigerian or Ghanaian Jollof, which most people know about. You can find more details about this in my blog post dedicated to all types of Jollof Rice in West Africa.

Why is thiebouddiene so important?

Thieboudienne is touted as the original Jollof Rice. Although it is not named Jollof it is widely understood that the name Jollof is based on the name Wolof, where this rice originated from. People have accredited its creation in the 1800s to Penda Mbaye, a chef in St. Louis Senegal who mixed rice with vegetables during a shortage of barley. I am personally not sure how accurate this dish’s history is given the timeline, but it remains undisputed that Jollof comes from the Senegambian region. The Senegambian region and as far south as Liberia is known for their acumen in rice cultivation so a rice-based dish starting from Senegal truly highlight the agricultural practices of this part of West Africa. Thanks to the Wolof, West Africa has an amazing dish that is diverse across the region and celebrates our varied cultural and cooking traditions.

What you will need for this vegetarian thieboudienne

Full disclaimer: this fish free thieboudienne is not a quick recipe. It is made for celebratory events and eaten communally so it is a labour of love.

How to make vegetarian thieboudienne

• Make the Nokoss
  • Blend the nokoss spices first before mixing it in with the rest of the nokoss ingredients
• Stew
  • Saute the onions in the oil till soft. Then add in the miso and dawa dawa
  • Add in the tomato paste then the blended tomato mixture
  • Bring to a boil then add spices and nokoss
  • Cook at low heat til oil separates from the stew
• Veggies and Rice
  • Add water, bring to a boil then add in your root veggies (carrots, sweet potato and yucca) and carrot first
  • Sear your eggplant and mushrooms then add in pot with the okra
  • Take out veggies as they cook and set aside
  • Add in your washed rice and cook till tender
  • Serve it all on a plate together.

FAQ + Substitutions

• What should I do with the rest of the nokoss? You can use it to make tofu like my Nokoss Tofu Recipe. You can add it to your favorite soups and stews (like Okra) or use it to cook any rice dishes. It freezes very well and all you need to do is leave it out to thaw for a few hours before using it.
• Can I use brown rice? You are welcome to use short-grain brown rice; it might need an extra quarter – to a half cup of water. You could also soak the brown rice as you are starting to cook the stew and maintain the same amount of water in this recipe. As for long-grain brown rice, you may have to soak it beforehand or cook it with more water. I haven’t tested this before so please make adjustments accordingly.
• Can I use long-grain rice? You can make broken rice in the blender by pulsing long-grain rice two to three times in the blender, or you can place it in a plastic back and give it a few hits. If you are set on using long-grain rice, you may need to adjust the water ratios by adding a few more tablespoons of water.
• Can I use any vegetables? You can use any type of carrot, any type of cabbage, or any type of root vegetable. You can omit whichever you do not care for and substitute for alternatives like zucchini, squash, or peppers. Just make sure not to overcook them.
• I want to add more protein, any suggestions? I have made this dish with tofu before. I suggest cooking the tofu separately using my Nokoss Tofu Recipe. Alternatively, you could add some cooked beans to the stew and cook the rice with it but I wouldn’t recommend it.
• Can I make this in the oven or instant pot? I wouldn’t recommend the instant pot or the oven given all the moving parts.
• I do not have access to a few of the ingredients (dawa dawa, miso, wakame), any suggestions?
  • The dawa dawa is quite a unique flavor. Traditional thieboudienne might not include it but the smell from the dawa dawa adds that depth of flavor the traditional recipe has. You can remove it.
  • The miso adds a fermented salted flavor to the dish. You can remove it and substitute it with a little bit of sea salt.
  • Wakame is a Japanese dried kelp that adds a light fishy flavour but also umami. You can use nori sheets used for sushi or you can omit it.

If you like this recipe, please make sure to leave a comment below! Thank you!