Get a list of vegetables you can include when you make your next batch of homemade fried rice someting really special.
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I think one of the main reasons that I make rice is so that I have leftover rice to make fried rice. I am talking about legit fried rice here, not just some rice that was quickly thrown in a pan with some soy sauce. I think fried rice should have some crunch to it.
Making fried rice is also a great way to use up veggies you have in your fridge. This meal is all about eating up leftovers.
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🍚 Vegetables to Use in Fried Rice
Here is a full list of vegetables that go great in your next batch of fried rice:
- Corn
- Cauliflower
- Baby Corn
- Peas
- Snow Peas
- Snap Peas
- Asparagus
- Peppers
- Onion
- Green Onions
- Garlic
- Summer Squash
- Zucchini
- Carrots
- Edamame
- Spinach
- Cabbage
Now I'm going to go into more detail about using these veggies. I will focus on cooking raw vegetables first, and then at the end will be a section on using leftover veggies that have been cooked.
🗒️ Note that whenever I make fried rice, I am using leftover rice that has already been cooked, not uncooked rice. So all my suggestions will take that into effect.
🌽 Corn
Corn is an easy ingredient to add to fried rice. It cooks quickly and you don't have to cut it (unless you are cutting it off the cob). Any corn will work. In the photo above, I used Crazy Corn from Stalhbush Island Farms. It's a mix of white, yellow, and purple corn. It was a fun way to add some color.
I cook the corn first in the pan until it has gotten some caramelization on it before adding my rice. Cook it in a mix of oil and butter or just ghee.
You also could use baby corn. It's most often found in a can, however you can get baby corn fresh in bags at Trader Joe's. I would cut the corn into 3 pieces and cook it until tender and browned.
🟢 Peas
Peas are probably the most common vegetable you find in fried rice. Frozen peas are more common but if you have fresh peas that were grown locally, nothing beats their sweet flavor. I hate canned peas, so I can never recommend them for anything then the can being a paper weight.
You can also slice up snow or snap peas. Cut them into 2-3 pieces depending on the size. They are really good when they are sautéed in a pan as it brings out their sweetness.
Not easy to find but there are purple snow peas and yellow snow peas that would look really good in fried rice. I grew them in my garden before. No reason it can't be a pretty dish.
🟩 Asparagus
When fresh asparagus is in season during the spring time, I make sure to use some for some fried rice. It's my favorite veggie to add to rice. It needs to be cut into bite sized pieces first. Trim off the ends and save those to make my asparagus potato soup.
I think either roasting or air frying asparagus is the best way to prepare. I would do that first, then slice it up into pieces, and add it to the rice once you finished frying it.
If you are in a hurry you can microwave the asparagus to add to the rice.
🥦 Cauliflower & Cabbage
Now let's take a look at what members of the Brassica family work best in fried rice. I don't really like to use broccoli, I think cauliflower holds up better, I don't want mushy broccoli in my fried rice.
Again I turn to my air fryer to prepare the cauliflower. You can do that at the same time you are frying the rice and then just mix the cauliflower in.
You also could pull out a bag of cauliflower rice. I know it's meant to be a rice alternative but who said you couldn't actually mix in with rice. I would add it at the same time you are adding the rice.
Cabbage can be shredded with a knife and cook in a pan until soft. Remove it, do your rice, and then fold in the cabbage at the end.
🧅 Onions & Garlic
These are always welcomed in fried rice. Cook the onions first. I have had fried rice at Chinese restaurants where the onions were barely cooked at all. You can tell they were just thrown in with the rice. I like some caramelization on my onions.
Chopped fresh garlic only needs about 30-60 seconds in the pan, so it's super simple to add.
⛱️ Summer Squash
Is your garden overrun with zucchini or yellow squash? Or maybe someone left some on your front porch, seriously people do this! Dice these summer squash up and cook them in the pan you will cook your rice in.
🥕 Carrots
You can use the frozen peas & carrots mix if you want for your fried rice. It's common and cheap. I think there is more flavor though if you use fresh carrots that you dice up. This will give you a chance to use any colored carrot you want or can find. Again, I think the more colorful the dish, the better.
🌿 Spinach
Got a big 1 pound container of baby spinach in your fridge that you know you won't finish? Throw some into the rice while it's cooking. It will wilt pretty fast. If you have full sized spinach, then you will need to cut it up some first, so you don't have too long of strains of spinach.
🗓️ Using Leftover Veggies
While you are grabbing your leftover rice out of the fridge, see what other vegetables you might have hanging out that have already been cooked. Why not make this a completely leftover dish! The key thing is to cut whatever leftover veggie into small enough pieces so that they will mix into the rice well.
Since they are already cooked you just need to heat up.
🍳 Why Use a Wok?
The great thig about using a wok is that you can move the rice around easier, so that it gets crispy like you want for excellent fried rice. If you have a wok, for sure use it. But if you don't that is ok. I have made fried rice in my cast iron skillet just fine. A well seasoned cast iron wok is going to be your best friend, if you cook a lot of fried rice and stir frys you should consider one.
If you enjoyed this post make sure you check out our entire series "What Vegetables Go Well In" to help you add more veggies to your favorite dishes.
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