Dig around the bottom of the fridge, and pull up a odds and ends of random veggies – bell peppers, cabbage, green onions, red onions, perhaps even carrots and zucchini … you might be wondering how to best use it all so you can make room for a new CSA share that you picked up earlier that afternoon.
Vegetable fried rice is perhaps the perfect vehicle to use up all those things quickly and easily without having to surf around the ‘net to find a new soup, or puree before finally giving up and throwing everything in the trash (or compost). This dish is totally adaptable (think any veggie) – if your kids are anything similar to mine, the more colors the better.
Colors make their eyes sparkle and the food transforms into a magnet that everyone must have.
On a serious note though, this rice is pretty easy – it’s best to start with day old rice that has lost moisture, but can definitely still be made with fresh rice too. We throw our brown rice in the Instant Pot and cook (1 C. rice to 1.25 C water for 25 minutes at high pressure).
While that rice is cooking up in the pressure cooker, we scramble 2 eggs in a skillet with some olive oil, dice up the veggies really small, then toss those in alongside the scrambled eggs in the same skillet.
Once the rice is done, I release the pressure and open up the lid ~ allow the rice to cool down just a bit to dry it out (perhaps 5-8 minutes?). Then transfer the rice to the skillet alongside the veggies and scramble and toss with 3-4 Tbsp of coconut aminos ~ season with salt and pepper and you have an easy meal or side that everyone will love.
If you can, double the recipe – leftovers taste even more delicious the second day as the coconut aminos have time to infuse flavor into the veggies.
Don’t have an Instant Pot? You can also make rice the traditional way via stove top, too!
I’ll admit that I had a hard time writing up this recipe – just because it truly can be made any way you wish – rice in the Instant Pot, rice on the Stove Top, or day-old rice you have leftover from the night prior. There isn’t a right or wrong way to put it together, and you can use any veggies you wish – whatever you have on hand that needs to get used, chop them up!
Be creative, and you might just find that this is your new go-to for an easy weeknight dinner!
Combine a few simple vegetables with scrambled eggs and rice in this easy, healthy vegetable fried rice seasoned - it's soy-free and the perfect way to use up your odds and ends!
Ingredients
- 1 C. dry brown rice
- 1 1/4 C. water
- 1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 C. cabbage, shredded
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 2 eggs
- 3-4 Tbsp coconut aminos
- salt, and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- If using your Instant Pot, combine the dry rice with water and cook on manual (high pressure) for 25 minutes.
- In a large skillet, combine olive oil and eggs - scramble eggs until well done; toss in the remaining diced/shredded veggies and saute for 4-5 minutes until soft.
- Push skillet aside.
- Once rice is done, quick release and allow to cool for 5-6 minutes, allowing as much moisture to escape as possible.
- Spoon rice into the skillet alongside the veggies; add the coconut aminos and saute for an additional 2-3 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
- Season with salt and pepper before serving.
Notes
Vegetable Fried Rice can also be made with day-old brown rice - skip the cooking of the brown rice in the Instant Pot and add rice after the egg and vegetables are softened.
Rice can also be cooked on the stove top instead of the Instant Pot.
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