Vegetarian Tofu and Mushroom Fried Rice

Today’s Meatless Monday Mashup features Vegetarian Tofu and Mushroom Fried Rice — An umami blend of mushrooms, tofu, veggies, and egg, all tossed into a big pan of savory fried rice!

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How about a filling fried rice dinner today, with this easy & colorful Vegetarian Tofu and Mushroom Fried Rice for Meatless Monday! This recipe is a particular favorite of Middle School Guy, so I’ll just warn you right now that he has dibs on the leftovers…

Make this recipe even easier by cooking up the rice and tofu ahead of time as I did here — which will let you throw this tofu fried rice meal together in no time on a busy weeknight, using the two main pre-cooked ingredients.

You can also change out the veggies to your liking; I used mushrooms today, not only because I had them on hand, but because their earthy umami flavor pairs nicely with the soy sauce and the tofu. Carrots and peas in today’s vegetarian fried rice recipe add color and texture, while helping meet Middle School Guy’s expectations. 😉

This latest Meatless Monday recipe combines the basic tofu cooking method from last week’s tofu pasta salad recipe with the basic fried rice method from this leftover pork fried rice recipe. It’s a Meatless Monday Mashup!

Looking for more vegetarian recipe ideas? Take a few minutes to browse through the Meatless Monday category for additional dinner options — or, check out fifteen favorite meatless meals to jump start your vegetarian cooking.

Vegetarian Tofu and Mushroom Fried Rice

Ingredients

– for the tofu (if not using leftover cooked tofu — see Note)

14-16 oz package extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into cubes
1 tsp olive or canola oil
1 tsp sesame oil, optional but recommended
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

– for the veggies

1 Tbsp canola or other high smoke point oil
1 tsp sesame oil, optional but recommended
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced small
2 Tbsp minced onion
4 cloves minced garlic (about 2 tsp)
1 cup frozen green peas
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional — omit, if you’re sensitive to heat)
1/2 tsp ground ginger

– for the rest

2 Tbsp soy sauce
4 cups cold cooked rice (it’s not an exact science — use what you have, if using leftover rice)
1 tsp canola or other high smoke point oil
2 eggs, beaten

Directions

To cook up the tofu:

Press tofu by patting the block dry, then wrapping it in either a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Put the wrapped tofu on a dinner plate, place a second plate on top, and use something like a heavy can on top to add some weight and help press out some of the liquid. Let it sit for about 15 minutes, then unwrap and cut into cubes.

While tofu is pressing, cook up the rice (if not using leftover — see Note), plus slice all your veggies and get them ready.

Once the tofu is pressed and cubed, heat both oils in a large skillet over medium-high heat for one minute. Add tofu and saute for about two minutes, then drizzle with soy sauce and season with garlic and crushed red pepper. Continue to saute over medium-high heat for about another eight minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove the tofu from the pan to a paper-towel lined plate once it is nicely browned on all sides.

To cook up the veggies and rice:

Heat 1 Tbsp canola oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the mushrooms, carrot, onion, and sesame oil and cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and continue to saute over medium-high heat for another 3 minutes, or until mushrooms begin to soften.

Stir in peas, crushed red pepper, and ginger and continue cooking for about a minute, then stir in the cooked rice and spread it out across the entire pan, breaking up clumps. Let the rice cook undisturbed for two minutes, then stir, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Spread rice out again, and cook for another two minutes.

Stir in the soy sauce and continue cooking over medium-high heat for about another minute. Stir the tofu back in and let it warm back up in the rice for a minute or so while you beat the eggs in a small bowl.

Push the rice, tofu, and veggie mixture to the edges of the pan to create an open well in the center, then 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.

Taste to see if you want to add additional soy sauce, and serve.

Note: Cold cooked leftover rice works much better for fried rice than freshly cooked, and it’s also important for the final texture to let the rice sit spread out in the pan undisturbed for a while, rather than stirring frequently. This is also quicker to make if you have leftover cooked tofu (which I actually used here), or if you pre-cook it the night before and refrigerate, rather than making it up fresh for the recipe. The cooking time shown here, however, reflects the total time to cook up the tofu & everything.

Satisfying vegetarian tofu fried rice

This hearty vegetarian fried rice recipe easily serves four with its umami blend of mushrooms, tofu, veggies, and egg, all tossed into a big pan of savory fried rice! Hope you enjoy yours even half as much as Middle School Guy enjoyed his.

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Vegetarian Tofu and Mushroom Fried Rice

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Today’s savory Meatless Monday Mashup features Vegetarian Tofu and Mushroom Fried Rice — An umami blend of mushrooms, tofu, veggies, and egg, all tossed into a big pan of savory fried rice!

Course dinner

Keyword fried rice, meatless monday, mushrooms, tofu, vegetarian

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rachel Singer

Ingredients

– for the tofu (if not using leftover cooked tofu — see Note)

• 14-16 oz package extra firm tofu drained, pressed, and cut into cubes
• 1 tsp olive or canola oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil optional but recommended
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp minced garlic about 2 cloves
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper optional

– for the veggies

• 1 Tbsp canola or other high smoke point oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil optional but recommended
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms
• 1 medium carrot peeled and diced small
• 2 Tbsp minced onion
• 4 cloves minced garlic about 2 tsp
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper optional — omit, if you’re sensitive to heat
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

– for the rest

• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 4 cups cold cooked rice it’s not an exact science — use what you have, if using leftover rice
• 1 tsp canola or other high smoke point oil
• 2 eggs beaten

Instructions

To cook up the tofu:

• Press tofu by patting the block dry, then wrapping it in either a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. 
• Put the wrapped tofu on a dinner plate, place a second plate on top, and use something like a heavy can on top to add some weight and help press out some of the liquid. 
• Let it sit for about 15 minutes, then unwrap and cut into cubes.
• While tofu is pressing, cook up the rice (if not using leftover — see Note), plus slice all your veggies and get them ready.
• Once the tofu is pressed and cubed, heat both oils in a large skillet over medium-high heat for one minute. 
• Add tofu and saute for about two minutes, then drizzle with soy sauce and season with garlic and crushed red pepper.
• Continue to saute over medium-high heat for about another eight minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove the tofu from the pan to a paper-towel lined plate once it is nicely browned on all sides.

To cook up the veggies and rice:

• Heat 1 Tbsp canola oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the mushrooms, carrot, onion, and sesame oil and cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes.
•  Stir in garlic and continue to saute over medium-high heat for another 3 minutes, or until mushrooms begin to soften.
• Stir in peas, crushed red pepper, and ginger and continue cooking for about a minute, then stir in the cooked rice and spread it out across the entire pan, breaking up clumps.
• Let the rice cook undisturbed for two minutes, then stir, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Spread rice out again, and cook for another two minutes.
• Stir in the soy sauce and continue cooking over medium-high heat for about another minute. 
• Stir the tofu back in and let it warm back up in the rice for a minute or so while you beat the eggs in a small bowl.
• Push the rice, tofu, and veggie mixture to the edges of the pan to create an open well in the center, then 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.
• Taste to see if you want to add additional soy sauce, and serve.

Notes

Cold cooked leftover rice works much better for fried rice than freshly cooked, and it’s also important for the final texture to let the rice sit spread out in the pan undisturbed for a while, rather than stirring frequently. This is also quicker to make if you have leftover cooked tofu (which I actually used here), or if you pre-cook it the night before and refrigerate, rather than making it up fresh for the recipe. The cooking time shown here, however, reflects the total time to cook up the tofu & everything.

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