Slow Cooker Jambalaya People in and near New Orleans make a "red"jambalaya by adding tomatoes, true cajun people do not and their jambalaya is more brown. The trinity of onion, bell pepper, and celery is A Must for it to be jambalaya. The rice is browned much as it is in fried rice, spanish rice, or a paella dish. I grew up eating jambalaya all of my life. I have never known rice to be "optional" nor have I ever known anyone use polish sausage. Jambalaya is not a soup. When you make those types of substitutions; you have a sausage, shrimp, and rice dish- tasty perhaps but not jambalaya.