My Loaded Vegetarian Fried Rice recipe is easy enough to make as a side dish, but also hearty enough to enjoy for a full meal. I love making a big batch of this veggie and protein filled rice, and then packing it into meal prep containers for easy lunches all week long. It can also be served for dinner with a side of egg rolls or dumplings.
As a vegetarian, fried rice has always been a go-to of mine when eating out. I was super picky as a child, but was never disappointed when it came to eating fried rice, even when it included veggies. I love it so much, that I feel like it should be more than just a side dish. Which is why I’ve packed all of my favorite ingredients into this Loaded Vegetarian Fried Rice recipe. There’s veggies, scrambled eggs, edamame, lots of fresh ginger and garlic and of course, tamari. It can be enjoyed for lunch or dinner and I promise it will fill you up.
Why You’ll Love This Loaded Fried Rice
- Packed with veggies – Most fried rice recipes contain carrots and peas, but my version also has cauliflower, corn, onion, red pepper, broccoli and edamame. I also like to top with green onion or cilantro for extra freshness.
- Easy to make – Fried rice usually uses day old rice, which makes this recipe come together quickly and easily. All you have to do is sauté a few veggies and scrambled eggs, add in the rice and tamari and cook until rice is browned. Use a frozen stir fry mix to make it even easier.
- Great for meal prep – This fried rice recipe is loaded with veggies and protein, making it perfect for a healthy lunch that will fill you up. I like to make a big batch and then portion it out into my meal prep containers so I have an easy lunch, or quick dinner, all week long.
Tips For Making The Best Fried Rice
- Use leftover rice – Using cold, leftover rice ensures that your fried rice won’t be soggy or mushy. When rice gets cold, it dries out, firms up and separates a little bit. This allows each grain of rice to really absorb all the flavor and get a little crispy on the outside. Warm rice can definitely be used, if that is all you have, but cold rice is preferred, if possible.
- Don’t stir too much – The fried rice will only get nicely browned, and crispy, if you leave it alone in the pan for a while. I like to use a spatula to lightly press everything down and then just let it cook for about five minutes, until you can hear it starting ti sizzle, without touching it. Repeat that step a few times to get perfect fried rice.
- Be liberal with the soy sauce – The soy sauce, or tamari, is what gives fried rice it’s brown color. A few tablespoons might seem like a lot of soy sauce, but the rice will really absorb it up. You can also add in some chili garlic sauce or hoisin, if you like.
- Add extra protein – If you want to bulk this fried rice up even more, add a can of chickpeas, or dice up a block of tofu/tempeh to mix in. You can also increase the amount of scrambled eggs and edamame.
- Squeeze out the cauliflower rice – The addition of the cauliflower rice will add some extra moisture to this fried rice recipe, so I recommend placing riced cauliflower into a clean kitchen towel, wrapping it up and squeezing as much liquid out of it as you can, before adding it into the fried rice.
Loaded Fried Rice Recipe Ingredients
- Rice – Leftover rice is usually the best for making fried rice, so I like to prepare my rice a few days in advance so I can just quickly throw it in. I usually use white rice, but brown rice, or even quinoa can be substituted.
- Cauliflower Rice – Adding cauliflower rice in with the regular rice adds extra nutrients, but you can leave it out if you prefer to only use regular rice. I find that you can hardly tell the cauliflower is in there when it’s mixed with white rice.
- Eggs – I like to add scrambled eggs to my vegetarian fried rice because they add protein, which makes this recipe nice and filling. You could do a fried egg on top, If you prefer though.
- Edamame – Edamame adds protein and really helps bulk up this fried rice recipe. I used shelled edamame that I buy frozen and just quickly thaw before adding in.
- Other Veggies – In addition to the edamame, I also like to add in carrots, peas, corn, red pepper, broccoli and onion. You can easily add other vegetables you prefer though.
- Ginger + Garlic – Fresh garlic and ginger add so much flavor to this fried rice recipe. I would really recommend using fresh garlic and ginger, but you can substitute with dried ginger and garlic if that is all you have on hand.
- Sauces – I season my fried rice with tamari and toasted sesame oil. Soy sauce can also be used instead of the tamari.
How To Make Vegetarian Fried Rice
- Heat an extra large pan over medium heat and add in 1/4 cup of neutral flavored oil, like canola. Once oil is hot, add in the diced onion, carrot, broccoli and red bell pepper, along with a pinch of salt. Stir everything together and cook until just softened, about 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Next, add in the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute or two, until fragrant and browned.
- Add in the cauliflower rice, peas, corn and edamame. Mix everything together well and let cook for about 3-4 minutes, just until cauliflower rice has cooked a little bit. Next, add in the cooked rice, scrambled egg, 1/3 cup tamari and 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil.
- Stir everything together really well, until completely combined and then use a spatula to lightly press down the fried rice mixture, into the bottom of the pan. Let everything just cook, without stirring for 4-5 minutes, until you can start to hear it sizzling on the bottom. Mix everything together, and repeat 2-3 more times, depending on how browned you want the fried rice to be.
- Stir in the sliced green onion and season with salt or extra tamari, to taste. I like to drizzle mine with a little bit of sweet soy sauce and toasted sesame seeds, for texture. Serve this veggie fried rice as a side dish, by itself, or with a side of frozen egg rolls, potstickers or dumplings.
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Make this recipe gluten free by using a gluten free certified tamari, or soy sauce.
- Make this recipe vegan by omitting the eggs, or using a vegan scrambled egg substitute, like my tofu scramble recipe.
- What kind of rice is best for fried rice? I prefer to use white rice when making fried rice, but brown rice will work too. Jasmine or basmati are great for fried rice.
- Does cauliflower rice have to be added? No, if you want to omit the cauliflower rice, just add in extra regular rice.
- Is this fried rice spicy? No, I don’t usually make mine spicy, but you can easily add in some chili paste if you want it spicy.
- Is this recipe freezer friendly? Yes, allow fried rice to cool completely and then pack into a freezer friendly container. You can freeze all together, or in separate portions for easy meals. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- How should this rice recipe be enjoyed? You can enjoy this fried rice as a side dish, but it is also hearty enough to be a lunch or a dinner. When serving for dinner, I like to serve with a side of eggrolls or dumplings.
- How long do leftovers last? If stored in an air-tight container, in the refrigerator, leftovers should last about 4-5 days. Re-heat in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below and I will get back to you ASAP!
Looking For More Protein Packed Vegetarian Recipes?
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Loaded Vegetarian Fried Rice
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
My Loaded Vegetarian Fried Rice recipe is easy enough to make as a side dish, but also hearty enough to enjoy for a full meal. I love making a big batch of this veggie and protein filled rice, and then packing it into meal prep containers for easy lunches all week long. It can also be served for dinner with a side of egg rolls or dumplings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/4 cup neutral flavored oil, like canola
- 1/2 diced yellow onion (about 1/2 cup)
- 3/4 cup diced or shredded carrot
- 1 cup small diced broccoli florets
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 3-5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger, or more if desired
- 2 cups cauliflower rice, or one frozen bag (for best results, squeeze as much liquid out of the riced cauliflower as you can before adding in)
- 1 (12 oz) bag shelled edamame, thawed (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed before adding (or canned)
- 3/4 cup frozen sweet green peas, thawed before adding
- 2 cups cooked white rice, day old is best
- 6-8 large eggs, scrambled*
- 1/3 cup tamari, I like to use low sodium (you can add extra if you like)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 thinly sliced green onion
Instructions
- Heat an extra large pan over medium heat and add in 1/4 cup of neutral flavored oil, like canola. Once oil is hot, add in the diced onion, carrot, broccoli and red bell pepper, along with a pinch of salt. Stir everything together and cook until just softened, about 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Next, add in the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute or two, until fragrant and browned.
- Add in the cauliflower rice, peas, corn and edamame. Mix everything together well and let cook for about 3-4 minutes, just until cauliflower rice has cooked a little bit. Next, add in the cooked rice, scrambled egg, 1/3 cup tamari and 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil.
- Stir everything together really well, until completely combined and then use a spatula to lightly press down the fried rice mixture, into the bottom of the pan. Let everything just cook, without stirring for 4-5 minutes, until you can start to hear it sizzling on the bottom. Mix everything together, and repeat 2-3 more times, depending on how browned you want the fried rice to be.
- Stir in the sliced green onion and season with salt or extra tamari, to taste. I like to drizzle mine with a little bit of sweet soy sauce and toasted sesame seeds, for texture. Serve this veggie fried rice as a side dish, by itself, or with a side of frozen egg rolls, potstickers or dumplings.
Notes
I like to dice all the vegetables into small, bite sized pieces that are similar in size to the edamame and scrambled egg pieces.
*I like to pre-scramble my eggs and then just add them in when I add in the rice and tamari. You can scramble the eggs straight in the pan with the vegetables though, if you prefer. I would recommend, after garlic and ginger is cooked, move all veggies to one side and then pour in the eggs. Carefully cook until mostly scrambled and then mix in with everything else.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American, Chinese
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