Although I grew up eating mainly a combination of Italian and standard American meals, I used to love the days that my family would order takeout from Chinese restaurants. I loved the different flavors that I got to explore with those meals, especially those in the lo mein and fried rice dishes.
Although you can order “veggie fried rice” in almost any Chinese restaurant, you still may be out of luck if you want to eat vegan due to the presence of eggs. The first few times I attempted to cook my own fried rice, I didn’t even try to replace the egg, and it was delicious as is. However, I have recently been experimenting with adding crumbled tofu to act as eggs would, and the result is exactly what I hoped for!
The bottom line- Vegan fried rice is just as delicious as its non-vegan counterparts. My family members (who eat Chinese take-out often) LOVE when I make this dish, both with and without the tofu crumbles. Either way, you can’t go wrong!
Simple Veggie Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 scallions thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
- 2 small carrots diced
- 1-2 cups additional chopped vegetables such as broccoli or bell peppers, optional
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 3 cups cooked white or brown jasmine rice cooked according to package directions from about 1 cup dry*
- 3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, scallions, carrots, and other optional vegetables and sauté for about 10 minutes, until browned. Add in the peas, cooked rice, both types of tofu, tamari, and sesame oil, and stir fry for another few minutes, until the rice is hot and golden.
- Serve in bowls topped with additional scallions, and enjoy!
