This vegan and gluten-free Quinoa "Fried Rice" tastes like takeout but is made with whole grains, veggies, and an easy sauce. Serve it with edamame or grilled salmon if desired!
This quinoa fried rice has no rice. And no fried.
It's kind of like flourless cookies. And grain-free oatmeal. And cauliflower rice. It defies the very definition of the food itself; yet we're all a little into it?
Lately I crave things that can be enjoyed both hot and cold. Things that are delicious until proven guilty. Things like this riceless friedless quinoa fried rice. If you've made my Easy Vegetable Teriyaki Stir Fry before, you know I love a good one meal wonder.
Now let's talk grains. Unless you have the frozen pre-cooked kind, rice takes a helluva long time to cook. Like 45 minutes too many. Quinoa, while difficult to pronounce, is not difficult to cook.
It takes a mere fifteen minutes to serve up the fluffy, protein-packed goodness that is this pseudograin. Yep, quinoa is actually a seed!! We're all just pretending to be things we're not, here.
To keep it easy, I seasoned up this whole grain n' veggie mixture with a simple mixture of sriracha and reduced-sodium soy sauce. Feel free to add some sesame oil if you want to raise the flavor roof. For all the gluten-free folks reading, feel free to use tamari instead!
P.S. Anytime I list minced ginger in a recipe, I'm secretly using this bottled minced ginger from The Ginger People. You can get it online or at Whole Foods. It's a godsend. Because who wants to actually mince fresh ginger? #aintnotimefordat
There are so many places that this dish could go. Add edamame for more plant-powered protein. Add scrambled eggs for an authentic twist. Add more greens to make it more of a salad.
Try this Thai Quinoa Fried Rice for a super yummy peanut butter version. This Instant Pot Pad Thai Stir is another winner!
Oh the places quinoa will go!!
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Quinoa "Fried" Rice
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Side Dish
Description
This vegan and gluten-free Quinoa Fried Rice tastes like takeout but is made with whole grains, veggies, and an easy sauce. Serve it with edamame or grilled salmon if desired!
Ingredients
- 2 cups quinoa + 3 cups water
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large onions, diced
- 2 ½ cups thinly sliced carrots
- 2 red bell peppers, diced
- 1 cup edamame (optional)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp minced ginger (optional)
- 1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and finely chopped
- ¾ cup roasted salted cashews (optional)
- ⅓ cup reduced sodium soy sauce (sub tamari for gluten-free)
- 3 tbsp sriracha
Instructions
- Place quinoa and water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed.
- Meanwhile, chop all the vegetables. When the quinoa is cooked, dump into a large bowl. Wipe down pot. Add oil to pot and heat over medium heat. Add onions and carrots and sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Add peppers, edamame, garlic, and ginger and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add kale and sauté just until wilted (a few minutes). Add cashews.
- Dump cooked vegetables into bowl with cooked quinoa. Add soy sauce and sriracha and stir well to combine. Serve warm.
