Vegetable Fried Rice With Cashews

By
Rhonda Parkinson
Rhonda Parkinson
Rhonda Parkinson is a freelance writer who has authored many cookbooks, including two Everything guides to Chinese cooking.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/3/22
Vegetable fried rice recipe

The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 8 mins
Total: 18 mins
Servings: 4 to 5 servings

Vegetable fried rice is an easy dish to make, and because it's a stir-fry it's one that comes together very quickly. Fried rice is an ideal way to use up leftover rice because it works best with rice that's not as moist as freshly cooked. It also happens to be a fun way to use various veggies you might have on hand, but this version incorporates frozen corn or peas,

If you've never made cashew fried rice before, you may love it so much you never make it any other way, especially if you already enjoy sneaking cashews into dishes you make. Adding a few cashew nuts to this vegetable fried rice adds a satisfying crunch to this classic dish that's a popular Chinese takeout item, one that both adults and kids love.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

  • 1 medium onion, diced

  • 1/2 cup frozen peas, or corn, thawed

  • 1/2 pepper red bell pepper, diced

  • 3 1/2 cups rice, cooked and cooled

  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce, or to taste

  • Salt, to taste

  • 3/4 cup cashews

  • 1 medium green onion, finely chopped

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Gather the ingredients for vegetable fried rice

    ​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

  2. Heat oil in a preheated wok or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add ginger, stir until fragrant.

    Oil and ginger heating in a wok

    ​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

  3. Add onion, stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until softened.

    Diced onion in a wok with ginger and oil

    ​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt 

  4. Push the onion to the sides of the wok. Add the frozen peas or corn in the middle, and stir-fry for 1 minute.

    Dice onion and peas in a wok for cashew vegetable stir fry

    ​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

  5. Push to sides, add red bell pepper in the middle, and stir-fry for 1 minute.

    Onions, peas, and red peppers in a wok for fried rice with cashews
    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  6. Add rice in the middle of the pan. Stir until heated through (about 2 minutes), using a spatula to turn and move the rice around the pan. (Note: You can remove the stir-fried vegetables before adding the rice if the pan is too crowded, and then add them back before adding the seasonings.)

    Rice added to vegetables for fried rice

    ​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

  7. Stir in soy sauce and pepper.

    Stir in soy sauce and pepper
    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt 

  8. Stir in cashews.

    Cashews added to vegetable fried rice in a wok

    ​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt 

  9. Stir in green onion, fry for another minute, then serve.

    Stir in green onions into a wok for fried rice

    ​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

  10. Enjoy.

    Vegetable fried rice with cashews

    ​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

Tip

This recipe specifies the salt to taste because it also calls for soy sauce, which is salty. If you're using a low-sodium soy sauce, you may have a little bit more room to tweak the salt than if you're using regular soy sauce.

Variations

  • Pineapples are a popular and delicious add-in for fried rice. Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup diced fresh pineapple (or canned pineapple, drained) to this dish for a dash of sweetness.
  • Feel free to substitute any other color of bell pepper if you don't have red, keeping in mind that orange, yellow, and red bell peppers are sweeter than green ones.
  • Use cooked brown rice if you want instead of white.

How to Store and Freeze Vegetable Fried Rice With Cashews

  • Vegetable fried rice with cashews will keep for three to five days in the refrigerator in an airtight covered container. Reheat in a skillet in a little bit of oil until completely hot.
  • This dish will also freeze well in an airtight container or a zip-close freezer bag with the air pressed out of it, for three to four months. You can cook it right from frozen in a hot skillet with a little bit of oil. It should cook quickly.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
340 Calories
15g Fat
44g Carbs
8g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 5
Amount per serving
Calories 340
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 20%
Saturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 379mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 44g 16%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 42mg 211%
Calcium 34mg 3%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 264mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags: