Fried rice makes an appearance quite often in my kitchen.
It’s easy, quick, cheap, and you can throw a wide assortment of veggies in there, along with protein(s) of your choice.
Growing up, my mom would make fried rice with lots of egg and crispy bacon, plus peas, carrots, green onion, and soy sauce.
Did she throw garlic in?
Probably… my mom is the garlic queen.
I haven’t consumed bacon in yearssss and don’t cook with egg or garlic anymore either, so I went about coming up with this basic vegan version, including brown rice and sweet sesame teriyaki sauce, along with our usual veg suspects, carrots, peas, and scallions.
Oh and spicy ginger! Can’t forget about that fellow.
All you have to do is saute diced carrots and minced fresh ginger in a bit of unrefined coconut oil, then stir in your cooked leftover brown rice, along with plump green peas, convenient bottled sesame teriyaki sauce, nutritional yeast (for that savory, eggy flavor minus the actual eggs), and sliced scallions aka green onions.
Taste and adjust the ingredients to suit your fancy! I prefer a little more ginger and a bit less sauce than the average individual so cook accordingly.
P.S. Broccoli would be a tasty veggie addition, if I do say so myself.
P.P.S. Often times I add small cubes of firm tofu in with the carrots and ginger but I went for the very basic version this time around.
P.P.P.S. Be sure to use leftover, cooled cooked rice so your meal doesn’t turn into mush!
P.P.P.P.S. Want more fried rice inspo? This Green Veggie Fried Rice with Miso Dressing is quite good, as well as this Vegan Quinoa Fried Rice with Freezer Veggies.
P.P.P.P.P.S. And I know traditional fried rice probably doesn’t use teriyaki sauce but this is my nontraditional version. So there.
Basic Vegan Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon unrefined coconut oil
- 1/3 cup small-diced carrots
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, or to taste
- 1 cup cooked, cooled leftover brown rice
- 1/3 cup cooked peas (I used frozen peas)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce (I use Organicville Sesame Teriyaki), or to taste
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons sliced chives or scallions, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil over medium-low heat in a medium-large nonstick skillet.
- Add the carrots and ginger, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes more, or until heated through.
- Fold in the peas, along with the teriyaki sauce, nutritional yeast, and scallions.
- Taste, and adjust ingredient amounts if you wish.