colorful vegetarian kimchi fried rice

This is the ultimate fried rice packed with flavor and vegetables. That means tons of savory umami goodness that makes your mouth water. Perfectly cooked rice that is still slightly chewy with a tender bite (not soggy) and vegetables that give a nice crunch are the foundations to this versatile dish. This is where kimchi and celery can really shine!

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• 📋 main ingredients
• 🎥 cooking video
• 🍲 cooking equipment and pantry items you may need
• 🔪 instructions
• 📖 substitutions
• colorful vegetarian kimchi fried rice
• 📖 more vegetarian recipes

I had my first taste of fried rice with celery at age 9 and it was a mind-blowing experience. I wondered why celery wasn't used in all fried rice.

Even though I wasn't a big eater back then, I was perfectly content sitting alone and eating 3 bowls of this stuff while my mom spent hours catching up with her friend.

Not to mention, fried rice is quite versatile. I’m often inspired to make it when I can’t decide on what vegetables to eat, when I’m in need of a fridge produce clean out, or simply because I’m craving something satisfying with a lot of flavor and texture.

The addition of kimchi (also spelled "kimchee" sometimes) makes me crave this recipe even more. Just saying the word kimchi makes my mouth water.

📋 main ingredients

 

🎥 cooking video

Turn the volume on to hear the sounds of cooking. Cooking can be meditative and is a great opportunity to slow down, relax, and engage in your senses. Read more on our about page.

🍲 cooking equipment and pantry items you may need

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🔪 instructions

This is a quick recipe if you already have leftover medium-grain white or brown rice. Move on to the vegetable prep if that's the case.

If not, don't worry. Cooking and chilling rice should only add about 10 minutes to your total time since you can get most of the vegetable prep done simultaneously while the rice is cooking.

By the time the rice is chilled, you'll be ready to start cooking the fried rice. I show you a useful technique to chill the rice quicker (watch the video at the 6:45 mark).

how to cook medium grain white rice

Rinse 3 cups of rice with cold water until the water runs clear (about 3 times) and strain.

In a medium pot, add the rinsed rice and smooth down the top surface. Place your palm down on the rice and fill with cold water until the water level covers your fingers, right below the knuckles (about 4 cups cold water).

Stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then immediately cover and turn down to simmer over low heat. Simmer for 18 minutes, remove from the heat source and allow to sit covered for 5 minutes.

While the rice is simmering, wash your produce and begin your vegetable prep.

What about the mushrooms? That's up to you (read more about it below or jump straight to the vegetable prep section), though I do find the process of wiping mushrooms with a damp towel relaxing and meditative.

should you wash the mushrooms too?

There has been a bit of debate on this topic, and while I was taught to NEVER EVER wash mushrooms, I think that advice has been debunked (at least for certain mushrooms like cremini / button mushrooms).

It all comes down to protecting flavor. Feel free to jump ahead to the process photos if you're not interested in this topic.

I was taught that mushrooms will absorb a lot of water if rinsed or soaked and washing may take away flavor producing amino acids.

It turns out mushrooms are 80-90% water, so they have a limited ability to soak up more water and according to Harold McGee, most of the amino acids are inside the cells.

Though I haven't tested it myself yet, I do think excess external moisture will require longer cooking time to brown the mushrooms. That's where you get amazing flavors from the Maillard reaction.

It may be debunked, but I would still be scared to wash mushrooms in front of other chefs in fear of outrage. So for now, I'll stick to wiping them clean with a damp cloth since I also enjoy the meditative process.

vegetable prep

Peel and dice the carrots (photos 1 - 3).

Cut each celery stalk lengthwise into ¼ inch strips, starting about ½ inch away from the bottom so all the pieces are held together for easier dicing. Then dice by cutting perpendicular to the stalk (photos 4 - 5).

De-stem each shiitake mushroom by twisting the stem off and dice as shown in photos 6 - 9.

Slice and dice a ¼ head of red cabbage for some extra color and crunch.

Peel and mince a 1-inch piece of ginger, 1 medium shallot, and 3 cloves of garlic.

Finally, coarsely chop 2 cups of vegetarian kimchi (or more if you like spicy food). Make sure to reserve the liquid. You'll be adding that to the fried rice too.

how to quickly chill your rice

Chilling the rice is a key step so the rice gets a thin layer of “fried” crispy goodness rather than becoming soggy.

Once it's cooked, spread it evenly on a parchment paper-lined small sheet tray. Create diagonal lines in the rice using the side of a spatula to allow quicker cooling (shown at the 6:45 mark in the cooking video).

Chill for 5 - 10 minutes in the freezer if all your ingredients are ready to go, or you can chill the tray in the refrigerator until all your prep is ready.

before you start cooking the fried rice

Measure out the seasoning ingredients separately before you start cooking so you're not scrambling for rice cooking wine while your garlic is on the verge of burning.

Now you're ready to start cooking! There's a list of what kids can help with in the kitchen below, or you can go straight to the recipe card.

 

📖 substitutions

• yellow onion can be used instead of the shallot
• shiitake mushrooms can be substituted with trumpet mushrooms, portobello mushrooms, or button mushrooms
• if you're short on time, you can use frozen diced carrots

You can customize this recipe to your taste with different vegetables and more or less seasoning.

other vegetables you can use in fried rice

• chopped green beans
• peas
• sliced sugar snap peas
• diced celery root
• riced broccoli or cauliflower (should be added right before the rice so it doesn't get soggy!)

 

This is perfect for a weeknight meal, potluck, large family meal, or weekend meal prep.

Let me know how you like celery in your fried rice! I hope you love it as much as I do.

Happy cooking! ~ Cin

Please give this recipe a star rating below and leave a comment. I would appreciate it so much and would love to hear about your experience or if you put your own twist on the recipe. Show off your results by taking a photo and tagging @thesoundofcooking on Instagram. I would love to share what you come up with!

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I usually eat this dish by itself as a complete meal, but it would also work well as a side dish to some sautéed vegetables.

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You can drink this soothing ginger lemon honey tea during or after your satisfying meal.

Want to make your own kimchi? Try this vegan kimchi by the frayed apron.

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