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    Home » Recipes » Meatless Recipes

    Vegetarian Kimchi Fried Rice

    Published: Jun 8, 2020 by Kathleen Hansen · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    Vegetarian Kimchi Fried Rice is filling, comforting, and easy to make. The key is to make sure you buy (or you can make) a vegan or vegetarian kimchi, since traditional kimchi often has fish sauce.

    Kimchi fried rice in skillet

    For a filling meal, I love to top Vegetarian Kimchi Fried Rice with a fried egg or two. If you want to add meat, it's great paired with these Air Fryer Sesame Chicken Thighs.

    ⭐Why I Love It:

    • Great use for Leftover Rice - It's even better with day or two old rice!
    • Easy Meal - I love this as a side dish or a meal on its own.
    • Ready in 15 minutes - As long as you have leftover rice, this recipe is ready so fast!

    🥘Ingredients:

    You only need a few ingredients for this Kimchi Fried Rice. The best part? I often have them all on hand! It's a perfect pantry meal or side dish!

    Rice and kimchi in bowls
    • Kimchi - Use your favorite! Most store-bought kimchi is not vegetarian due to its use of fish sauce, but you can find vegan kimchi, just make sure to check labels. Here is a great recipe for homemade vegan Kimchi if you want to make from scratch.
    • Cooked rice - day old is preferred, but you can use fresh as well. I've even adjusted the recipe amount and used a packet of microwave rice.
    • Frozen Veggies - I like to use a bag of peas and carrots, but any mixed veggies works!
    • Garlic and ginger - You can use fresh or the pre-minced stuff in a jar.
    • Soy sauce
    • Eggs - up to you if you want them scrambled or fried on top!
    • Oil

    🔪Step by Step Instructions

    1. Sauté Aromatics - Heat up the oil in a large skillet and sauté the garlic and ginger. It will smell good!
    2. Fry Rice - Add the rice, veggies, soy sauce, and kimchi to the skillet. Mix everything up and stir fry until sizzling and combined.
    3. Optional - Either scramble eggs into the fried rice or fry up some eggs on the side to serve on top.
    4. Serve - I love to serve with a drizzle of sriracha, sesame seeds, and sliced green onions.
    Kimchi fried rice in two bowls with chopsticks

    🍽Leftovers and Storage

    Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.

    💭Recipe Tips

    • Day Old Rice - The reason why day old rice is best is because it is dried out and has less moisture than fresh rice. If you're making rice the day of, I recommend spreading it out on a baking sheet to cool and dry out for an hour. You can make with fresh cooked rice, but know the results will vary slightly.
    • Use Large Skillet - You want to use a large skillet, or wok, so you have lots of surface area to stir fry the rice and veggies.
    Kimchi fried rice in bowl with fried egg on top

    👩‍🍳Recipe FAQs

    What is Kimchi?

    Kimchi is a traditionally Korean food made from salted and fermented vegetables. It is commonly made from cabbage and can vary in spice level.

    Is Kimchi vegetarian?

    Many Kimchi brands add fish sauce or shrimp paste for flavor, but now vegetarian Kimchi is more common to find in stores.

    Kimchi fried rice with runny yolk egg on top

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    Print

    Recipe

    Vegetarian Kimchi Fried Rice

    Kimchi fried rice with fried egg on top
    Print Recipe

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    5 from 1 review

    Vegetarian Kimchi Fried Rice is filling, comforting, and easy to make. The key is to make sure you buy (or you can make) a vegan or vegetarian kimchi, since traditional kimchi often has fish sauce.

    • Author: Kathleen
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 10 minutes
    • Total Time: 15 minutes
    • Yield: 4 servings
    • Category: Main Dish, Sides
    • Method: Stovetop
    • Cuisine: Asian
    • Diet: Vegetarian

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons canola oil, plus additional if needed for eggs
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 tablespoon fresh crushed or minced ginger
    • 2-3 cups cooked rice, day old is preferred
    • 12 oz bag frozen veggies, such as peas and carrots
    • 1 cup vegetarian kimchi
    • 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
    • 4 eggs, optional
    • Sriracha, sesame seeds, sliced green onions, optional for topping

    Instructions

    1. Cook Aromatics - In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for about a minute until fragrant.
    2. Fry Rice and VeggiesAdd the rice, peas and carrots, soy sauce, and kimchi to the skillet. Mix everything up and stir fry until everything is sizzling, hot, and combined. Add additional soy sauce, if needed.
    3. Scrambled Eggs - Optional - Make a well in the center of the mixture. You can add a tiny bit more of oil if you're worried about sticking. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add to the well that you made. Scramble in the center of the pan then mix with rice mixture.
    4. Fried Eggs - Optional - Either use a separate nonstick skillet or remove fried rice and use same skillet. Heat a little bit of oil, if needed, and fry eggs to desired doneness. I love a runny yolk mixed with the rice!
    5. Serve - Serve as you like! Sriracha, sesame seeds, green onions. All good! Enjoy!

    Notes

    Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.

    Many store-bought Kimchi contains fish sauce or shrimp paste, so make sure to check the label to ensure it's vegetarian-friendly

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: ¼ of recipe
    • Calories: 320
    • Sugar: 3.4 g
    • Sodium: 501.5 mg
    • Fat: 12.3 g
    • Carbohydrates: 39.8 g
    • Fiber: 4 g
    • Protein: 11.9 g
    • Cholesterol: 186 mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    1. Katie says

      March 31, 2023 at 9:06 pm

      This was great with leftover rice!

      Reply
    2. Brian says

      June 12, 2020 at 1:04 pm

      Interesting stuff! I'll probably share this with some of my friends. Thanks again for posting it.

      Reply

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    Hi! I'm Kathleen and welcome! My favorite place to be has always been in the kitchen and I love creating recipes that are easy and approachable. Simple ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions!

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