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Vegetarian Kimchi Fried Rice

Easy Vegetarian Kimchi Fried Rice

Tangy kimchi, crisp veggies, and golden tofu meet in a quick, satisfying fried rice that tastes like a weekend treat but cooks up on a weeknight. Sound dreamy? It absolutely is.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4
Course: DINNER
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • For the fried rice
  • Cooking spray Pompeian Avocado Oil Non-Stick or 1 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 2 medium carrots diced (~1 cup)
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup shelled edamame thaw if frozen
  • 1 cup green peas fresh or frozen
  • 1 cup kimchi chopped (reserve kimchi juice)
  • 2 tablespoons kimchi juice from jar
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice cooled
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce use tamari for GF
  • 1/4 cup green onions sliced
  • For the tofu
  • 1 14-ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon kala namak black salt — optional, adds eggy umami
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Equipment

  • Large wok or wide skillet
  • Medium skillet for tofu
  • Tofu press or heavy object + towels for pressing
  • Spatula and wooden spoon
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Cutting board & sharp knife
  • FYI: You don’t need specialty cookware. A heavy skillet and a patient press do the job

Method
 

  1. Press the tofu
  2. Wrap the tofu in paper towels and set a heavy pan on top for 10–15 minutes (or use a tofu press). Pressing removes water and helps the tofu get crispy. While tofu presses, chop veggies and prep rice.
  3. Pan-fry the tofu
  4. Slice tofu into thin rectangles. Toss the slices with kimchi juice, turmeric, kala namak, and black pepper until coated. Heat a medium skillet and spray generously with avocado oil. Fry tofu 5 minutes per side until the edges are crisp and golden. Transfer to a plate.
  5. Sauté the aromatics & veg
  6. Generously grease your wok or large skillet and heat over medium. Add diced onion and cook 5–7 minutes until slightly tender. Add carrots and stir; cook 8–10 minutes until the carrots soften. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  7. Add the mix-ins
  8. Add edamame, peas, chopped kimchi, and 2 tbsp kimchi juice. Stir to combine and cook 5 minutes to heat through and meld flavors.
  9. Fold in the rice and sauce
  10. Add 2 cups of cooked brown rice. Fold vegetables into rice and cook 3–5 minutes until heated through. Add 1/4 cup soy sauce and stir evenly. Finish with sliced green onions and remove from heat.
  11. Serve
  12. Plate the fried rice and top with crispy turmeric tofu slices. Add extra kimchi or a drizzle of sesame oil if you like.
  13. Pro tip: Use residual pan heat to crisp a few rice edges for texture. I always chase that little char — yum.

Notes

Nutrition Estimate (per serving — approximate)

I did the friendly math so you don’t have to:
  • Calories per serving: ~320 kcal
  • Protein: ~16–18 g
  • Fiber: ~7–8 g
  • Fat: ~7–9 g
How I estimated: I totaled calories from the main ingredients (2 cups cooked brown rice, 14 oz tofu, 1 cup edamame, peas, kimchi, onion, carrots, soy sauce) and divided by 4. These numbers vary with brands and exact portions, so treat them as a ballpark.