Vegetarian Nigerian Jollof Rice

Total time1 hr 20 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time1 hr

This one-pot rice dish gets its deep color and smoky, savory backbone from a blended tomato, red bell pepper, and scotch bonnet purée that simmers down until the oil floats to the surface — that's the signal you've hit peak flavor. Curry powder, smoked paprika, and thyme layer in warmth, while the parboiled rice slow-cooks right in that sauce until every grain turns a rich orange-red. Sweet peas fold in at the end for a pop of color and freshness, and a scattering of raw red onion and chopped parsley or cilantro on top keeps things bright. The real payoff is the crackly, caramelized bottom layer — the socoro — that forms in the last few minutes on the heat and gets scraped up and folded through the finished rice. It's bold, fragrant, and satisfying enough to eat straight from the pot, and it holds up beautifully as a centerpiece for a vegetarian table.

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Ingredients

6 servings

4 medium roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
Fresh Roma Tomato Red Roma Tomato Organic Red Roma Tomato Roma Tomato Sourced For Good Organic Roma Tomato
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1 can (14 oz) whole peeled tomatoes, with juices
2 red bell peppers, roughly chopped
2 scotch bonnet peppers or habaneros, stems removed (use 1 for less heat)
⅓ cup vegetable oil or canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp black pepper
2 cups long-grain parboiled rice (such as uncle ben's or golden sella), rinsed and drained
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Chef's tip
Use the same amount of low-sodium vegetable broth. The dish will be a little lighter in flavor than with chicken broth.
½ cup frozen peas, thawed (optional)
2 tbsp unsalted butter

For serving

½ medium red onion, thinly sliced, for serving (optional)
fresh parsley or cilantro, roughly chopped, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1
Combine the Roma tomatoes, canned tomatoes with their juices, red bell peppers, and scotch bonnet peppers in a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 1 minute.
2
Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden at the edges, about 6–8 minutes.

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