Chock-full of filling edamame & savory mushrooms, this 30 minute vegetarian Edamame & Mushroom Fried Rice is such a simple (yet delicious) recipe for your Meatless Monday!
Yes, it’s another vegetarian recipe this week around seasonal ALDI sales! Bags of frozen edamame just reappeared in stores, and $1.89 a bag is a great price. (I do only recommend buying the shelled ones, since the steamable pods tend to be tough.)
I did, of course, have to pick up a bag (or two), so did, of course, have to throw together a dinner (or two)… including this easy & delicious Edamame & Mushroom Fried Rice.
I do so love edamame! It’s such a perfect way to add filling protein and fiber to your Meatless Monday, and fried rice is a perfect way to use up leftover cooked rice in a flavorful 30 minute weeknight dinner recipe.
You could throw other veggies in here depending what you have on hand (red bell pepper would add a nice sweetness and crunch, for instance), but the differing textures of mushrooms and edamame play off each other nicely. Sauteing the mushrooms in soy sauce and garlic before adding rice to the pan also helps infuse them with flavor, which in turn imparts an underlying umami richness to the finished dish.
Looking for more vegetarian recipe ideas? Take a few minutes to browse through the Meatless Monday category for additional dinner options.
Edamame & Mushroom Fried Rice
Ingredients
– for the veggies
1 Tbsp canola oil, or other high smoke point oil
1 tsp sesame oil, optional, but recommended
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced small
1 stalk of celery, diced
2 Tbsp minced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1.5 cups frozen shelled edamame
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger
– for the rice
4 cups cold cooked rice (it’s not an exact science — use what you have, if using leftover rice)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp canola oil, or other high smoke point oil
2 eggs, beaten
2 chopped green onions
Directions
Chop your veggies.
Heat 1 Tbsp canola oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the mushrooms, carrot, celery, onion, and sesame oil to the pan. Cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and soy sauce. Continue to cook veggies over medium-high heat for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed.
Stir in the edamame, crushed red pepper, and ginger and continue cooking for about a minute. Stir in the cooked rice and soy sauce and spread rice out evenly across the entire pan, breaking up any clumps.
Let the rice cook undisturbed for two minutes, then stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Spread the rice out again, and cook for another two minutes.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a small bowl.
Stir the rice & veggie mixture, then push it out to the edges of the pan to create an open well in the center. Add 1 tsp canola oil to the center of the pan.
Pour the beaten eggs into the center of the pan and cook for about two minutes until scrambled, occasionally pushing the egg to the middle and breaking it up. Stir and chop the cooked scrambled eggs into the rice, then stir in the chopped green onions.
Taste to see if you want to add any additional soy sauce, then serve.
Note: Cold cooked leftover rice works much better for fried rice than does freshly cooked. To get that fried rice texture, be sure to let the rice sit spread out in the pan undisturbed for several stretches, rather than stirring frequently.
That’s an easy veggie fried rice recipe
Middle School Guy quite enjoyed his (he’s a fried rice fiend, that one!), and I enjoyed that he’s getting in a different mix of veggies. This veggie fried rice recipe serves four as a main dish, or you can divide it into smaller portions as a side for stir fry.
While I used leftover cooked white rice here, you could of course substitute brown rice — or, even cauliflower rice, if you’re looking to cut carbs. As always, there are ways to make a recipe work well for you and your family’s needs & dietary preferences.
Edamame & Mushroom Fried Rice, printable recipe
Edamame & Mushroom Fried Rice
Ingredients
for the veggies
- 1 Tbsp canola oil or other high smoke point oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil optional, but recommended
- 8 oz mushrooms chopped
- 1 medium carrot peeled and diced small
- 1 stalk of celery diced
- 2 Tbsp minced onion
- 4 cloves garlic minced (about 2 tsp
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1.5 cups frozen shelled edamame
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
for the rice
- 4 cups cold cooked rice it’s not an exact science — use what you have, if using leftover rice
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp canola oil or other high smoke point oil
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2 green onions chopped
Instructions
- Chop your veggies.
- Heat 1 Tbsp canola oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the mushrooms, carrot, celery, onion, and sesame oil to the pan. Cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and soy sauce. Continue to cook veggies over medium-high heat for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Stir in the edamame, crushed red pepper, and ginger and continue cooking for about a minute.
- Stir in the cooked rice and soy sauce and spread rice out evenly across the entire pan, breaking up any clumps.
- Let the rice cook undisturbed for two minutes, then stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Spread the rice out again, and cook for another two minutes.
- Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a small bowl.
- Stir the rice & veggie mixture, then push it out to the edges of the pan to create an open well in the center. Add 1 tsp canola oil to the center of the pan.
- Pour the beaten eggs into the center of the pan and cook for about two minutes until scrambled, occasionally pushing the egg to the middle and breaking it up.
- Stir and chop the cooked scrambled eggs into the rice, then stir in the chopped green onions.
- Taste to see if you want to add any additional soy sauce, then serve.
Notes
Other fried rice options
Who needs takeout, right?! I do make fried rice pretty often, because it’s a great way to use up any leftover veggies or meat (and the whole family always enjoys). For other variations on the theme:
Or, mix up your own variation depending on what you have on hand.
Recipes in the real world
Be sure not to miss the free ALDI meal plans, which show you how to use these easy family recipes to meal plan affordably and realistically for your family. Or, find more recipe ideas with the Recipe Search!
Be sure not to miss the free ALDI meal plans, which show you how to use these easy family recipes to meal plan affordably and realistically for your family. Or, find more recipe ideas with the Recipe Search!
Jonathan Barrow
Tuesday 14th of July 2020
Fabulous, made it on 7/14/2020.
JennT
Wednesday 8th of July 2020
Rachel, thank you for everything that you do!! What's a good substitute for Edamame? (Severe allergy to soy). For soy sauce, I use Coconut Aminos. Thank you!!!
rachel
Wednesday 8th of July 2020
You could use green peas for the same kind of color and a little protein. Or, you could substitute leftover cooked meat — pork or chicken. Fried rice is pretty versatile. 🙂