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“Throw it all in” Vegan Fried Rice

vegetable fried rice topped with shelled edamame and toasted cashews

Throw it all in Vegan Fried Rice is one of those “use what you’ve got” kind of recipes that’s perfect for when you have a lot of random odds and ends on hand. Day old rice? Throw it in! A couple of bell peppers you almost forgot about? Perfect! That bag of frozen mixed veggies you’ve been meaning to use? Yep. Throw that in too. That’s the beauty of this dish.

To start, toasted cashews and leftover rice are lightly pan fried with a mix of fresh and frozen veggies like carrots, onions, peas, and corn and then it’s all tossed together my savory homemade Maple Sesame Sriracha Sauce.

This fried rice recipe only takes 20 minutes from start to finish. It’s packed with veggies and tastes so much better than takeout!

Hope you enjoy!

healthy homemade fried rice recipe with frozen vegetables

Base Ingredients:

  • Rice or grain of choice. Quinoa is great too!
  • Root veggies like onions, carrots, and garlic make a flavorful base from which we can add lots of flavor.
  • Toasted cashews, peanuts, or sesame seeds provides some crunch and makes this meal hearty and satisfying!

Favorite Add-Ins:

  • Bell peppers, any kind will work. Bell peppers add a pop of freshness that really takes this dish to the next level!
  • Frozen veggies like peas, corn, and cauliflower bulks up this dish and makes sure that each bite is flavorful and delicious.
  • Whatever leftover cooked veggies I have in the fridge…sautéed mushrooms from last night’s dinner or some roasted broccoli would be great additions. Eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash…even sweet potatoes. Why not? Throw it in!

Maple Sesame Sriracha Sauce:

  • Sesame oil. Look for toasted sesame oil (the kind in the small bottle) This ingredient adds a beautiful nutty richness to the fried rice.
  • Sriracha. I don’t think this recipe is very spicy but if you’d like it to be spicier, add more to taste. Likewise, if you’re not into heat, start with a small amount. I recommend 1 tsp to start.
  • Low-Sodium Tamari or Low Sodium Soy Sauce
  • Maple Syrup. This doesn’t make the dish sweet, it just adds a nice balance to the salty savory flavors in this dish and compliments the naturally sweet flavor of the onions, carrots, corn, and green peas.

Serve it with:

  • Shelled edamame on top

or

  • Crispy vegan tofu
  • Store-bought Vegan Chicken or Orange Orange “Chick’n” on top
  • Crispy Chickpeas
  • A bright green salad with lots of cool, crunchy, raw ingredients like cucumbers to compliment the savory fried rice
  • Creamy avocado slices
vegetable fried rice topped with shelled edamame and toasted cashews
healthy egg free fried rice recipe with edamame

“Throw it all in” Vegan Fried Rice

Nicole Vranjican
A veggie packed fried rice recipe that you can make with whatever veggies and leftovers you have in the fridge! Toasted cashews and leftover rice are lightly pan fried with a mix of fresh and frozen veggies like carrots, onions, peas, and corn and then it's all tossed together with my savory homemade Maple Sesame Sriracha Sauce.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup raw cashews
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 large carrots chopped
  • 1/2 large yellow onion chopped
  • 2 large cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 bell pepper chopped
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup frozen shelled edamame
  • 1.5 cups cooked rice leftover works best*
  • 1 cup frozen cauliflower rice

Seasonings + Sauce

  • 1 tbsp Everything But the Bagel seasoning optional but delicious! I used a salt-free version, see notes below
  • 2 tbsp low-sodium tamari
  • 2-3 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 2-3 tsp Sriracha plus more to taste
  • 2 tsp maple syrup
  • kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions
 

Toast the Cashews

  • In a large frying pan set to medium-high heat, add the cashews and cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly toasted and golden brown. Then set aside.

Prep

  • Finely chop the carrots, onions, and bell pepper. Then mince the garlic and set aside.
    Place the frozen edamame in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with boiling water. Stir and set aside to thaw.

Cook

  • In the same frying pan you used for the cashews, add the coconut oil, carrots, and onions and cook on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.
    Add the garlic, bell pepper, and a pinch of salt and pepper then cook for another 2 minutes.
  • Season with Everything But the Bagel seasoning and then add the corn, peas, cooked rice, and cauliflower.
    If you have any leftover cooked veggies in the fridge you can add those in now.
  • Next add the tamari, sesame oil, Sriracha, and maple syrup. Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste. I sometimes add more Sriricha or tamari to taste here too.
    Top with the toasted cashews and edamame and enjoy!

Notes

The Everything But the Bagel seasoning I use doesn’t have added salt but some brands like the Trader Joe’s version have flakey salt…which is delicious but just something to be aware of when making this recipe because it will mean you’ll want to use less than the 1 tbsp the recipe calls for. Start with a generous sprinkle and add more to taste later on to avoid making the fried rice too salty. 
 
Keyword egg free fried rice, fried rice, healthy fried rice, leftovers fried rice recipe, vegan fried rice, vegetable fried rice

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Nicole Vranjican

Hey! I’m Nicole and I make practical vegan recipes for REAL life. I cook with simple, easy to find ingredients and I’m passionate about creating delicious plant-based meals that everyone will love!

I hope you enjoy my recipes and videos :) Happy Cooking!

Find me on: Instagram

4 Comments

  1. Dina
    June 24, 2021 / 2:25 am

    Making my rice in my instant pot now so I can make this for dinner tomorrow ! Sounds yummy, thank you Nikki ☺️

    • Nicole
      Author
      June 25, 2021 / 7:37 pm

      Nice! I hope you enjoy! 😊💛

  2. Jennifer
    June 30, 2021 / 3:16 am

    In step 1 of cook, can you omit the coconut oil and use water?

    • Nicole
      Author
      June 30, 2021 / 6:38 pm

      Totally! It will change the flavor and texture slightly but no big deal at all! I wouldn’t skip the toasted sesame oil though. That contributes to the flavor a lot 🙂 Hope you enjoy!

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