This Veggie-Packed Vegan Fried Rice is a wholesome plant-based twist on the classic egg fried rice. With just a few ingredients and your favorite fresh or frozen vegetables, you can enjoy a flavorful, nutritious dish that's stir-fried to perfection in just over 30 minutes!
1 ½ cupsof rice (any variety will do, but long grain varieties are nice)
2 ½ cupsof water, or more as needed
1onion, or large shallot, chopped
3clovesgarlic, finely chopped
1inchginger, peeled and finely chopped
1cupof thinly sliced carrots
1cupof thinly sliced mushrooms
1cupof sweet potato, cut into thin strips
¼-½ teaspoonof salt (or to taste)
1tablespoonof agave, sugar or sweetener of choice
2tablespoonsof soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos
1cupof thinly sliced red bell pepper
1cupof chopped kale or spinach
1cupof thinly sliced red cabbage
½ cupof fresh herbs of choice; cilantro, basil, parsley, mint (optional)
¼ cupof toasted nuts or seeds of choice; chopped cashews, almonds, peanuts, sesame seeds, etc (optional)
2-3tablespoonsof sesame oil
Black pepper or cayenne pepper to taste
Instructions
Begin by cooking your rice. Just stir, add water, cover, bring to a boil, and lower to a simmer. Let cook undisturbed for 10-15 min until rice is cooked through and water has been absorbed completely.
While rice is cooking, slice and chop all veggies and set aside. When rice is almost done, begin cooking veggies in the largest pan you have, a wok is perfect if you have one.
Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil over medium-high heat and add onion, garlic, and ginger. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the onion begins to soften and the garlic is fragrant (stir frequently so the garlic doesn't burn). Add carrots, mushrooms, and sweet potato. Stir fry for an additional 4-5 minutes until the sweet potato begins to soften.
Add ½ tablespoon of sweetener, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce (or substitute) and stir to combine. Add kale and cabbage and let simmer over medium heat until kale and cabbage have wilted about 3-4 minutes. Transfer veggies to a large bowl and season to taste.
When rice is done, use the same pan/wok and heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add rice and stir fry with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, ½ tablespoon sweetener, a pinch of salt and pepper. Keep stirring and stir-frying until rice begins to dry out a bit, if they get a little crispy, even better.
Add veggies back into the pan with rice and toss well, add fresh herbs if using, and top with nuts/seeds before serving if desired. Season to taste as needed. Enjoy!
Notes
Use leftover rice. This recipe gives you the option and instructions to cook rice from scratch, but if you have leftover cold rice, using it to make vegan fried rice is an excellent way to speed up the prep time!
Use a wok if you have one. Woks have a high heat capacity and the sloped sides that allow you to easily toss the ingredients together and make the rice and veggies crispy.
Don't be afraid to switch up the veggies. The best thing about this veggie-packed vegan fried rice is it can really be made with any and all of your favorite veggies. Add as many or as few as you'd like!