This easy vegetable fried rice recipe is a vegetarian symphony of flavors. Moreover, it’s perfect for meal planning, so make a large batch ’cause you’re gonna love it.
Hi Foodies,
Remember when I told you that I cut down the meat in my diet and you’re going to see more Vegetarian and Vegan recipes on my blog?
Well, today I am holding up to that promise and I would like to show you how to make vegetable fried rice at home.
This is a healthy, filling and flavorful meal that you can serve as a main or, if you’re a greedy foodie, as a side dish.
And from the start, I would like to point something out.
I made this healthy vegetable fried rice with egg, so it’s not vegan, but the good news is that you can remove it and just like that you’ve turned it vegan.
See what I am doing here? I am not just holding up to a promise but also keeping both vegans and vegetarians happy. Not an easy job, is it? 🙂
More Vegetarian Recipes:
Another reason why I wanted to show you how to make vegetable fried rice at home, is that it’s not easy to get the right texture and flavor balance.
Actually, this is the main issue that many foodies have with homemade fried rice.
Most of the times, it’s hard to find this right combo even in top restaurants.
And to help with this, I need to show you a few essential tricks.
How to make vegetable fried rice at home (the easy way) – Best Tips & Tricks
1. Which rice to use
The rice is very important because you need one that will keep its structure and texture when frying.
And these are the most used types for making vegetable fried rice:
- Jasmine (most popular) – This is a long-grain Thai variety and it is what most people use for making vegetable fried rice.
- Basmati – a fragrant and flavorful long-grain rice that grows particularly in India, Pakistan, and Nepal. It’s kind of similar to Jasmine in terms of flavor, but more starchy.
- Medium-grain white rice (carnaroli, arborio, vialone etc) – This is more often used in risotto. When it comes to making fried rice, this one is not as popular as the first two, but it will still produce decent results.
2. If you can, make it with day-old rice
If you want to make the best vegetable fried rice, you need to cook the rice a day ahead and let it chill in the fridge overnight. It must be cold when you start frying it.
And this is how you cook it:
- To a medium saucepan, add 1 1/2 cup of water, 1 cup Jasmine rice and a pinch of salt.
- Bring to a boil, turn the heat low, place the lid on and cook for about 15 minutes.
- Remove it from the heat, fluff with a fork, and let it cool down.
- Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate overnight.
I know cooking it a day ahead is not always possible so if you need to make it on the same day, then step 4 is not for you.
In this case, you need to transfer it to a sheet pan (after step 3) and spread it into one layer to help it cool down faster. If time allows, you can place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Here is a more in-depth guide on how to cook the rice.
And the next trick is…
3. How to make it vegan
As I said above, if you want to make it vegan, you can just remove the egg. But to keep it filling and flavorful, I suggest you replace it with crumbled tofu.
Everything else stays the same.
4. Use it for meal-planning
This easy vegetable fried rice recipe is perfect for meal-planning.
You can make a large batch and store it in air-tight containers or meal prep jars, for up to 3 days.
Hard to believe it’s that easy to make lunch for 3 days, right?
Make it with the chicken bowls and you’ve sorted out your meals for the whole week.
5. Make the vegetable fried rice in a skillet or wok.
Any dish that has sauteed veggies is best to make in a cast iron skillet or a wok.
And this goes for vegetable fried rice too. A skillet cooks the veggies faster, evenly, and it will give them a slightly crunchy texture.
6. Which veggies should you make fried rice with?
This homemade fried rice recipe is so flexible that you can change all the veggies with your favorites, or with whatever ones you have in your fridge.
I often find my fridge stuck with veggies leftovers and since I don’t like to waste food I always use them to make vegetable fried rice. Or better said, clean out the fridge meal 🙂
And here are some that will fit perfectly in this recipe: carrots, corn, green beans, mange tout, cauliflower, zucchini etc.
Keep in mind that you need to chop them into small bite-sized pieces to get cooked fast and evenly.
Finally, let’s review what you need to remember in order to make the best of this homemade fried rice recipe:
- Use Jasmine (most popular), Basmati or medium-grain white rice (carnaroli, arborio, vialone etc).
- If you can, cook the rice a day before. If not, you need to cook it early enough for it to get cold before frying.
- Replace the egg with crumbled tofu if you want to make it vegan.
- Make it in a cast iron skillet, or wok.
- You can change the veggies with your favorites, but remember to chop them into bite-sized pieces.
And now, after such a detailed tips & tricks section, it’s time to show you how to make vegetable fried rice at home.
If you happen to make it, don’t forget to post it on Insta with the #blondelish hashtag and also tag me. I’m so curious how foodies make my recipes.
Also, if you like this easy vegetable fried rice recipe and want to see more like it, please Subscribe to my Youtube Channel.
Easy Homemade Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil - divided
- 1 red onion - diced
- 1 Cup (60g) Mushroom mix - chopped if needed
- 1 red bell pepper - diced
- 1 1/2 cup (135g) broccoli florets - cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup (135g) frozen peas
- 1/2 cup (65g) Cashews - whole and raw
- 1 Tbs Fresh garlic - grated
- 1 Tbs Fresh ginger - grated
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 eggs - whisked
- 2 1/2 cups (500g) jasmine rice - cooked and chilled
- a small bunch of fresh basil - chopped
- 2-3 scallions - sliced thinly
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the onions and mushrooms in, and sautee them for 2-3 minutes.
- Then, add in bell peppers, broccoli, and peas, and cook for about 4 minutes more.
- Add cashew, garlic, ginger and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in the soy sauce, stir and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Push the veggies to the sides of the wok, clearing a space in the middle in which you need to add the remaining 1/2 Tbsp of oil.
- Add in the whisked eggs and use a wooden spoon to scramble them, breaking them up into small bits.
- Toss the egg and veggies together.
- Add the cooked jasmine rice and continue to toss and stir until well combined (about 2-3 minutes).
- Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed (to your taste).
- Garnish with green onions, sesame seeds and lots of fresh basil.
Nutrition
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