- August 19, 2020
- Modified On: June 14, 2022
- by Amy Gorin, MS, RDN
- 0 Comments
Healthy Veg Fried Rice
This healthy veg fried rice is the tastiest vegetarian fried rice dinner tonight. It’ll make your mouth water, too!
This nutritious fried rice recipe tastes just as good as the decadent takeout dish—yet contains just 260 calories a serving and boasts 7 grams of protein. Now, get out your wok and get cooking!
Love the taste of Indo Chinese food but want a healthier spin on some of your favorite take-out dishes?
Per serving of this veg fried rice recipe, you get only 260 calories while also taking in 7 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. Talk about a Chinese fried rice home run!
Thanks to the folks at NOW® for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own, as always.
Ingredients
Now, let’s chat about how to make this veg fried rice recipe. It’s super easy and doesn’t take much time at all. And you’ll see that this recipe makes a lot of portions, so you’ll end up with a good amount of leftover rice that freezes really well.
Sprouted brown rice
The secret to making healthy fried rice is to use brown rice instead of white rice or basmati rice. I prefer sprouted brown rice for additional nutritional bang.
You see, sprouted brown rice such as the Now Foods Organic Sprouted Brown Rice I used in this recipe, is essentially young rice grains sprouted and harvested at peak time for maximum nutritional benefit.
I also like that the rice has a slightly sweeter and nuttier taste than traditional brown rice.
Eggs
Including a couple of scrambled eggs in this healthy fried rice recipe is such an easy way to add high-quality protein to the recipe! If you’re a vegan eater, though, feel free to forgo this ingredient.
Olive oil and sesame oil
Sesame oil adds a deliciously nutty taste to this tasty fried rice, and both the extra-virgin olive oil and extra-virgin sesame oil infuse heart-healthy fats into the recipe.
I used Ellyndale Organics Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Ellyndale Organics Extra Virgin Sesame Seed Oil. The olive oil is a premium oil that’s first cold pressed, and the sesame seed oil is wonderfully light while providing a complex flavor.
Almonds and almond butter
In my opinion, the perfect fried rice has to have multiple textures—and one of those is crunch!
Enter almonds. I chopped up Now Foods Raw Almonds to add to this side dish recipe. Including almonds as part of a healthy diet may help reduce the risk of heart disease.
I also incorporated Nutty Infusions Roasted Almond Butter into the sauce for additional protein, fiber, and healthy fat.
Sesame seeds
These seeds, which I pan-toasted along with the almonds, add additional crunch to the fried rice recipe. I used Now Foods Organic Sesame Seeds, which add protein, fiber, and healthy fat to this vegetarian recipe.
Garlic and ginger
I love cooking with fresh herbs, and the fresh garlic and ginger add taste and zing to this veg fried rice recipe. If you get tired of chopping and mincing, you can use a food processor to mince these herbs.
Veggies
I have to admit: The dietitian in me added extra vegetables to this healthy fried rice!
So you’ll find ample veggies—including green onions, carrots, and red and green cabbage—in this meal. Many traditional fried rice recipes utilize frozen peas, and while I didn’t include those in this recipe, you can feel free to add them if you’d like.
Coconut aminos
You’ll see that this recipe is a gluten-free fried rice. That’s because I used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. Tamari is another gluten-free substitute that would work well.
Step-by-step instructions
Making veg fried rice is so easy to start, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick wok over medium-high. Scramble eggs, set aside, and cover.
Then, add almonds, teaspoons sesame seeds, all but 1 Tablespoon scallions, ginger, and garlic. Cook until fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 2-3 minutes. Next, add in remaining olive oil, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and carrots.
Cook another 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cabbage and cook another 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rice and cook until rice begins to slightly crisp, about 2-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
In a small bowl, combine almond butter, coconut aminos, and remaining sesame sauce. Add to wok, and stir to combine, cooking another 5-7 minutes until rice is thoroughly crisped. Finally, finish with remaining sesame seeds and scallions, and enjoy.
Recipe FAQ
Making healthy fried rice is super easy! First of all, you don’t really fry the rice when making healthy veg fried rice. Instead, it’s stir-fried over medium-high heat with only minimal oil. So you’re taking in an incredibly reasonable amount of calories.
In addition to heart-healthy ingredients—including almonds, sesame seeds, and olive oil—you also get loads of veggies in this fried rice recipe.
A common ingredient in fried rice is soy sauce, which traditionally contains wheat. This fried rice is gluten free, as it’s made with coconut aminos––a gluten-free substitute for soy sauce. Other substitutes include tamari and gluten-free soy sauce.
You don’t, but your fried rice will come out better if you use a wok! Because of the way it’s shaped, a wok traps in heat differently than a traditional pan. This allows the rice to crisp up when you cook it, allowing for that “fried” texture.
More vegetarian recipes
Now that you know how to make this veg fried rice, you may want some healthy vegetarian dishes to pair it with!
Healthy Veg Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked sprouted brown rice, prepared according to package directions
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- ¼ cup raw almonds, chopped
- 2½ tbsp sesame seeds, divided
- 6 scallions, chopped, divided
- 1½ tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 2½ cups red cabbage, coarsely chopped
- 2 cups green cabbage, coarsely chopped
- 1 tbsp + 2 teaspoons extra-virgin sesame oil, divided
- 2 tbsp natural almond butter
- ¼ cup coconut aminos or tamari
Instructions
- In a large nonstick wok, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium-high. Scramble eggs, set aside, and cover.
- Add almonds, teaspoons sesame seeds, all but 1 Tablespoon scallions, ginger, and garlic. Cook until fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in remaining olive oil, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and carrots. Cook another 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add cabbage and cook another 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add rice and cook until rice begins to slightly crisp, about 2-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- In a small bowl, combine almond butter, coconut aminos, and remaining sesame sauce. Add to wok, and stir to combine, cooking another 5-7 minutes until rice is thoroughly crisped.
- Finish with remaining sesame seeds and scallions, and enjoy.
Nutrition
I’d love to hear from you! Let me know how you’re enjoying this healthy fried rice recipe.
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