Cold leftover brown rice makes the best Very Veggie Fried Rice because it’s drier—which means it’s less sticky—than freshly cooked rice.

This recipe works with almost any combination of vegetables. To mix things up, next time try broccoli, bok choy or other Asian greens, celery, mushrooms, scallions, bean sprouts, and/or snap or snow peas. Aim for two to three times more veggies than rice.


This recipe was developed by Kate Sherwood, The Healthy Cook. Have a comment, question, or idea? Email Kate at healthycook@cspinet.org.

Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbs. reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 Tbs. oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 1 Tbs. peanut (or sunflower) oil
  • 1 cup diced carrots
  • 1 cup diced bell pepper
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1 cup peas, thawed from frozen
  • 2 cups cold cooked red or brown rice

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, mix the soy and oyster sauce with the sesame oil.
  2. In a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat, heat the peanut oil until very hot. Stir-fry the carrots and peppers until lightly browned, 2–3 minutes.
  3. Add the onion, peas, and rice. Stir-fry until hot, 1–2 minutes. Season with the soy sauce mixture.

Nutrition Information

Per serving (1¼ cups):

  • Calories: 240
  • Total fat: 6 g
  • Sat fat: 1 g
  • Carbs: 40 g
  • Fiber: 5 g
  • Total sugar: 6 g
  • Added sugar: 0 g
  • Protein: 6 g
  • Sodium: 300 mg

Photo: Kate Sherwood/CSPI.