Vegan Fried Rice
Servings:3 servings
Vegan fried rice is so easy and perfect for weeknights when you're craving a flavorful, healthier option than take-out. With JUST Egg (optional) and your choice of healthy veggies, vegan fried rice is always a hit. Get creative and try a variety of vegetables. Add your favorite vegan protein to turn it into a full meal.Yield: serves 3 as a side dish or 1 to 2 as a main with added protein.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked rice, cooled or chilled - I like white jasmine rice; see Note 1
- 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil - such as avocado oil
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- ½ cup frozen peas or shelled edamame
- 2 cups chopped mixed vegetables - such as mushrooms, cabbage, corn, onion, snow peas; fresh or frozen
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce - or gluten-free tamari
- 1½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- ½ cup JUST Egg, optional - a plant-based egg substitute; See Note 2 for tofu option
- pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cooking happens quickly, so it helps to have all of the ingredients prepped, measured, and ready. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the rice. Stirring occasionally, cook until the rice is toasted and has a lightly chewy texture, about 4 minutes. Transfer rice to a plate.
- Add 2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Cook the vegetables, excluding green onion, until lightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Create a space in the center, and pour the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and red pepper flakes directly onto the hot surface. Stir into the vegetables.
- If using ½ cup or less of JUST Egg, you should have enough room to scramble it by pushing the veggies to the side. If you prefer an "egg-heavy" fried rice, transfer the veggies to a plate so you have more room (JUST egg is very liquid and will spread). Add the plant-based egg to the skillet/wok and cook for about 1 minute, tossing and scrambling.
- Mix the scrambled JUST Egg into the veggies. Return the rice to the pan, and add the green onion. Stir to incorporate. Taste and season with salt, pepper, or additional soy sauce, if desired. Serve hot.
Notes
Review the post above for tips on when to add optional proteins, how to cook rice, and variations.
Note 1 - Rice: Day-old, chilled rice is perfect for fried rice, but if you didn't plan ahead freshly cooked rice works, too. Carefully fluff with a fork and transfer to a large baking sheet to cool. If the rice is clumpy, use your hands to crumble it into a large bowl before you start cooking.
Note 2 - Tofu Option: Crumbled firm- or extra-firm tofu makes a great replacement for eggs. Simply crumble about 8 oz. of tofu into a bowl (depending on how much tofu you want). Place a lint-free towel over the tofu and press down to remove some of the water. Season the tofu with 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, a generous pinch of ground turmeric (for color), and salt and pepper. For eggy flavor, also add a pinch of kala namak (Indian black salt) if you have it. Add the crumbled tofu to the pan just before the vegetables.
Storage - refrigerate leftover fried rice for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 1 month. Re-heat in a skillet.
Nutrition
Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Fiber: 4g
