A delicious vegan copycat of the popular fried rice from Panda Express!
I’ve loved the Panda Express fried rice since I was a kid but haven’t been able to have it since I cut eggs out of my diet. I’ve missed it soooo much…until now!
This recipe is the closest I’ve gotten in taste to the Panda Express fried rice. It’s delicious and vegan!
Ingredients
Extra firm tofu – the substitute for the scrambled eggs.
Nutritional yeast – adds a nice nutty/rich flavor.
Turmeric – gives the yellow color for the tofu scrambled eggs.
Kala namak – a salt that contains sulfur which is what gives it an “eggy” smell and taste. This has been a holy grail in my kitchen ever since I discovered it.
Yellow onion, carrots, peas, and green onions – all the veggies used in the Panda Express fried rice.
Long-grain white rice – this is the rice that Panda Express uses. You can also use long-grain brown rice.
Soy sauce – I prefer low-sodium but either one is fine.
Freshly ground black pepper – this may not seem like a necessary ingredients but it is! This is what I found makes the fried rice truly taste like the kind from Panda Express. Don’t leave out this ingredient!
Once you try this recipe you’ll want to make it over and over again!
Check out this other tasty fried rice recipe!
Vegan Fried Rice (Panda Express Copycat)
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup extra firm tofu crumbled
- ½ tbsp nutritional yeast
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp kala namak (black salt)*
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- ¾ cup carrots diced
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup green onions thinly sliced
- 2 cups cooked long-grain white rice
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Start by making the vegan scrambled eggs. Heat ½ a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the tofu and pan fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the nutritional yeast, turmeric, and kala namak and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.
- In a large pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook until onions start to brown. Add the frozen peas and green onions, cook for 5 minutes. Add the tofu scramble and mix.
- Add the rice, soy sauce, and black pepper and mix until everything is combined and all the rice is coated in the soy sauce. Next, flatten everything onto the pan and let it cook for 1-2 minutes, this will slightly toast the rice.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and serve immediately.