One of my go-to kitchen garden meals any time of the year is vegetable fried rice. The basic ingredients are things I always have on hand: vegetables, rice, and eggs. It’s super easy to pull together, especially if using leftover rice. And, best of all, the basic recipe is easily adapted to whatever veggies I have available in the garden, pantry, or refrigerator. Even a bag of frozen mixed vegetables works great in a pinch.
Of course, the best vegetable fried rice is made with fresh garden veggies like these:
And fresh eggs like these:
Oh, how I love a three-egg day! (Thanks, Mabel, Hazel, and Petunia.)
For a really quick meal, use leftover rice to make vegetable fried rice. Next time you get Chinese takeout, plan ahead and order extra rice to use the next day in a delicious, home-cooked meal. Or invest in a rice cooker and get some rice going as soon as you get home from work. By the time you are ready to make dinner, the rice will be ready to go.
I use the Hamilton Beach Digital Simplicity Deluxe Rice Cooker/Steamer. It’s simple to use, cleans up easily, and, with settings for white and whole grain rice, makes a perfect batch of rice every time. Here’s an affiliate link if you’d like to check it out (see my affiliate disclosure below):
Vegetable Fried Rice
The basic recipe is essentially a formula: 1 cup cooked rice, 1 cup chopped vegetables (see the chart below for ideas), and 1 egg per serving, plus your cooking oil of choice (I use coconut oil) and garlic and soy sauce to taste. Make sure to chop all the vegetables to roughly the same size, about a half-inch dice, so they cook evenly.
I use a wok to cook fried rice, but any large, heavy-bottomed skillet will do. Make sure to have everything prepped before you heat the oil because the stir-fry process goes quickly. If you’re so inclined, add a little leftover cooked meat, like roast chicken or pork, chopped, at the same time you add the rice.
I like to serve vegetable fried rice with sriracha, a Thai hot sauce, which is found in the Asian aisle of most grocery stores. I set a bottle on the table so diners can add the spicy condiment to taste.
Vegetable Fried Rice for Two
Use any combination of vegetables listed in the chart below based on whatever you have in the garden or refrigerator.
Vegetable Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cups chopped vegetables (see below)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 cups cooked rice (white or brown)
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- Sriracha to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Heat coconut oil in large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion and stir-fry until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add vegetables and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add garlic and stir-fry about 1 minute. longer. Add rice and stir-fry until heated through.
- Make a well in the rice in the center of the pan and add eggs and let set for about 30 seconds, then stir to scramble. When eggs are cooked through, stir into rice. Stir in soy sauce. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Vegetable options: 
What is your go-to meal?