Got a bunch of veggies in the fridge in desperate need to be used up? This Vegan Tofu Cashew Fried Rice is the perfect solution for you!

Got a bunch of veggies in the fridge in desperate need to be used up? This Vegan Tofu Cashew Fried Rice is the perfect solution for you!

That’s the way it goes, isn’t it? Whenever you find yourself with a bunch of veggies in the fridge that desperately need to be used up, you immediately think “Fried Rice”. Well, at least that’s the way it goes for me… The good thing with fried rice is that it’s so versatile, you can throw in just about any vegetables you happen to have on hand that day. Or protein, for that matter! 

While I must admit that the veggies I had in the fridge that day are particularly well suited and worked especially good in this dish, feel totally free to swap things around. The only thing you must keep in mind is that you should always work in “layers” and add your veggies according to how long they take to cook, starting with the slowest cooking first, and finishing with those that barely require any cooking at all. Follow this simple rule and you’ll be good to go. Even ratios of rice to veggies aren’t that important; you can’t really go wrong here, just follow your own preference… Likewise, feel free to use a different kind of protein, or a different variety of nut, if you don’t care for the ones I used.

Just let your imagination go nuts and make cleaning the fridge fun and delicious! 

Prepare all your ingredients before you start cooking

Another very important rule to follow if you’re gonna whip up a good Fried Rice is: be sure that all your ingredients are prepped and ready to go before you even think of cooking anything; When those ingredients start to hit the skillet, things go kinda fast and there will be no time to stop. 

Me, I like to group my ingredients by cooking time and place each group in their own specific plate, too, so that way I don’t even have to think about it when comes time to add the next batch… 

It’s also important to note that this recipe — or any fried rice recipe, for that matter! — works much better when using leftover long-grain cooked rice that’s had a chance to sit in the fridge for a while and chill completely; rice that’s freshly cooked and still warm will only go mushy on you, rather than give you the desired separate, chewy grains that make a good fried rice. If you didn’t have any day-old rice on hand but still badly wanted to make fried rice, do not despair… You could always cook some fresh, spread it across a baking sheet as soon as it’s ready and then flash-cool it in the freezer for about 30 minutes before using it.

Cook the tofu until golden and crispy on all sides

When all your ingredients are prepped and ready to go, heat some oil in a large wok (or skillet) over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the tofu cubes, sprinkle them with a little bit of salt and cook until they’re crispy and golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.

Continue cooking until the cashews turn golden and fragrant

Next, add the cashews and continue cooking for about 1 minute, until they become golden and fragrant, then remove the tofu and cashews to a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving all the excess oil behind.

Add the mushrooms onions and celery to the wok

Return the wok to the heat source, add the onion, celery and mushrooms to the wok, sprinkle with a little bit more salt and cook them for about 2-3 minutes, until softened and fragrant.

I like to add a little bit of salt every time I add new ingredients to the wok, this way, the saltiness gets better distributed. Just be careful not to add too much… a light sprinkle is all it takes. And keep in mind that we’ll be adding tamari sauce at the very end, which is pretty salted, too. So yeah… don’t be too heavy-handed! 

Add the broccoli zucchini bok choy and bell pepper

Next, add the garlic, broccoli, bok choy, zucchini and bell pepper, add another little sprinkle of salt and continue cooking for a further 2 to 3 minutes, until the veggies are softened but still slightly crunchy.

Add the sugar snap peas, enoki and green onions

Now, add the sugar snap peas, green onions and enoki mushrooms, little bit more salt, and keep cooking for a few seconds more. These don’t really need to cook much at all, just a few seconds will totally do the trick. 

Add rice, seasonings and return tofu and cashews to wok

Finally, add the cold rice, tamari, sesame oil and sriracha, then return the tofu and cashews to the pan.

Got a bunch of veggies in the fridge in desperate need to be used up? This Vegan Tofu Cashew Fried Rice is the perfect solution for you!

Stir well and cook until the rice is heated through and serve without delay.

Got a bunch of veggies in the fridge in desperate need to be used up? This Vegan Tofu Cashew Fried Rice is the perfect solution for you!

Got a bunch of veggies in the fridge in desperate need to be used up? This Vegan Tofu Cashew Fried Rice is the perfect solution for you!
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5 from 2 votes

Vegan Tofu Cashew Fried Rice

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Got a bunch of veggies in the fridge in desperate need to be used up? This Vegan Tofu Cashew Fried Rice is the perfect solution for you!
Servings: 4

Ingredients

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  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1 celery rib, sliced
  • 10 mushrooms, sliced
  • Sprinkle of salt

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  • 1 cup broccoli florets
  • 2 baby bok choy, chopped
  • 1 medium zucchini, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Sprinkle of salt

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  • 24 sugar snap peas, cut in half
  • 1 - 5oz package enoki mushrooms
  • 4 green onions, cut into 1" pieces

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Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large wok (or skillet) over medium high heat. Once hot, add the tofu cubes, sprinkle them with a little bit of salt and cook until they're crispy and golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the cashews and continue cooking for about 1 minute, until they become golden and fragrant, then remove the tofu and cashews to a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the excess oil in the pan.
  • Return the wok to the heat source, add the onion, celery and mushrooms to the wok, sprinkle with a little bit of salt and cook them for about 2-3 minutes, until softened and fragrant.
  • Next, add the garlic, broccoli, bok choy, zucchini and bell pepper, add another little sprinkle of salt and continue cooking for a further 2 to 3 minutes, until the veggies are softened but still slightly crunchy.
  • Add the sugar snap peas, green onions and enoki mushrooms, little bit more salt, and keep cooking for a few seconds more.
  • Finally, add the rice, tamari, sesame oil and sriracha, then return the tofu and cashews to the pan.
  • Stir well and cook until rice is heated through and serve without delay.

Notes

*This recipe works much better with leftover cooked rice that's had a chance to sit in the fridge for a while and cool completely, but if you didn't have any on hand, you could start by cooking 1-1/2 cups of dry rice according to directions on package and then spread it across a baking sheet and flash cool it in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 540kcal, Carbohydrates: 63g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Sodium: 1261mg, Potassium: 841mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 3039IU, Vitamin C: 77mg, Calcium: 160mg, Iron: 4mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Author: Sonia! The Healthy Foodie

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