15 Minute Vegan Fried Rice

This vegan fried rice is ready in only 15 minutes using healthy and versatile ingredients! Great for quick lunches or meal prep.

If you're like me, you're looking for easy and versatile meals that taste delicious.

This vegan fried rice meets all of those requirements and it's made in only 15 minutes. Win!

I've been making this stir fry over the past few weeks of working from home. All of the ingredients are hardy enough to last a few weeks in the fridge/freezer/pantry and can easily be swapped out for similar ingredients.

You can make this recipe in large batches to enjoy through the week or just keep the ingredients on hand and make individual servings whenever you want them.

My favorite part of this edamame fried rice is the flavor. All you need is sesame oil, nutritional yeast and soy sauce. This is such a simple combination but it's SO good.

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Ingredients                                            

White rice: Leftover white rice is the key to delicious fried rice. Hot rice is starchy*, which makes it more likely to stick to the pan and not get that classic stir fry texture. I use long grain white rice, but brown rice or even quinoa will work here. I either make rice the night before or make a double batch if I'm making rice for another recipe that week.

*In a pinch? You can certainly use warm/hot rice. Just know that the texture won't be quite as good!

Shredded cabbage: We cook the cabbage just long enough to soften while keeping its crunchiness. You can use shredded coleslaw mix or chopped cabbage from a green or purple head of cabbage.

Carrots: I grate whole carrots to get shredded carrots, but you can use pre-shredded matchstick carrots or even diced/chopped carrots.

Edamame: I always have frozen edamame on hand for snacks because it's a good source of vegetarian protein. You can replace this with tofu, tempeh or beans as needed.

Kale: Shredded kale (lacinato or curly will work) adds a pop of color and plant-based iron. You can replace it with mustard greens, collard greens and even spinach. If using spinach wait until the very end of cooking to mix it in.

Green onions: Add these at the very end as a garnish. If you don't like fresh onions you can saute sliced yellow or red onion with the other veggies.

Sesame oil: This adds a great flavor to the dish. If you don't have sesame oil on hand you can use peanut oil, canola oil or olive oil.

Seasonings: Soy sauce and nutritional yeast are all you need to make this recipe. I use full-sodium soy sauce in fried rice because it adds more body and we aren't using any other salt. Use reduced sodium soy sauce if you're looking to cut down on salt.

How to make fried rice

1. Heat sesame oil over medium-high heat until hot. I use my cast iron skillet (it adds great flavor!) but any large skillet or wok will work.
2. Add vegetables: shredded cabbage, carrots, edamame, kale. Saute until softened.
3. Add cold white rice. Drizzle with soy sauce and nutritional yeast, turning to coat. Cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally until the rice is brown and fried. Drizzle with additional sesame oil if the rice is sticking to the pan.
4. Just before serving, add sesame seeds and fry a minute more. Remove pan from heat and sprinkle with fresh green onions.
5. Serve with an extra drizzle of soy sauce, nutritional yeast and sesame seeds. Add red pepper flakes for a little spice.

Variations

• Tofu: Amp your fried rice up to the next level with general tso's tofu or spicy peanut tofu. You can even add firm tofu directly to the pan and saute it with the veggies.
• Veggies: Use whatever veggies you have on hand like broccoli, peas, green beans or corn. Make sure to thaw any frozen veggies before sauteing them.
• Brown rice: Use in place of white rice as desired. Quinoa also works!

Refrigerate fried rice for up to 5 days. Fried rice can be frozen for up to three months in freezer safe containers. 

Reheat in the microwave until warm. You can also reheat in an oiled skillet to recrisp the rice. To do this, add the cold rice and saute over medium-high heat until warmed through.

Looking for more easy vegan dinners? You might like this instant pot chickpea coconut curry or vegan stuffed lentil sweet potatoes. This cold peanut noodle salad is another popular Asian-inspired recipe.