This flavorful vegetarian quinoa fried rice with broccoli, peas, and carrots, is healthy and delicious! Your family will love this tasty gluten-free dish!
Fried rice is great but, what about stir-fried quinoa?
Abso-frickin-lutely!
After making this fluffy quinoa fried rice for lunch and then again for dinner, I’m certain its positively perfect.
This scrumptious side dish is also healthy and totally easy to customize based on what you have on hand.
Ready to get your quinoa fried rice on? Yeah you are! Let’s do this!
special diets and swaps
Of course it goes without saying that you can always add extra veggies to the mix! I love tossing in zucchini when I have it handy and will even add corn, snow peas, snap peas, or green beans to the mix when I have some to use up. Diced red bell pepper is also a super tasty additon.
Vegetarian + Vegan extras
add some General Tso’s Tofu or Honey Garlic Tofu or even my Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Tofu to your quinoa fried rice for added protein and to round out the meal.
T-Rex quinoa fried rice
Enjoy as is or add some protein! Eggs, chicken, or shrimp stir fried in sweet chili sauce ROCK. I also especially love making my 15-Minute Honey Garlic Shrimp and serving it atop a bed of quinoa fried rice.
Easy Vegetarian Quinoa Fried Rice Recipe
This tasty vegetarian quinoa fried rice as a vegetarian serves two as a main dish or yields 4 healthy side dishes to serve alongside your favorite protein!
It’s SO ridiculously good and I’m absolutely kicking myself for not making the switch from rice to quinoa sooner.
Seriously, I may never go back. This veggie quinoa fried rice is super light and fluffy and had all the amazing flavor of fried rice but with more veggies and way less fat than what the restaurants are offering up.
So. Flipping. Tasty.
Let’s get our recipe on!
Vegetarian Quinoa Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 1.5 cups vegetable broth or water
- 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1-2 cups fresh or frozen veggies: peas, carrots, onion + broccoli
- ⅛ tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse a cup of quinoa in a mesh sieve/strainer, drain, and allow to dry on a few sheets of paper towels.
- Drying time will vary, I usually rinse, strain, and just walk away.
- Once dry, toss quinoa into a pot and allow it to toast on medium heat for just a minute or so, while stirring. You don’t quite want to brown it, just a light toasting.
- Next add 1.5 cups of water [or chicken/veggie broth!] to your quinoa and bring to a boil.
- Once the bubbles start flying, reduce to low, cover, and simmer for approximately 12 minutes. Remove lid, fluff with a fork, and set aside. If it’s still a little liquid-y let it simmer for another minute or so until it’s nice and fluffy.
- While you’re waiting for the quinoa to simmer to fluffy perfection, prep your veggies!
- I used frozen peas, fresh baby carrots, and fresh broccoli since it’s what I had on hand. Any combo of veggies, frozen or fresh will work!
- To get them all ready for frying, I blanched (boiled) chopped broccoli florets, diced carrots, and whole peas in about an inch of water in a small frying pan.
- Cook the veggies until tender and drain.
- Add a little oil or butter and garlic into the skillet with the veggies and stir frequently.
- By now the quinoa should be ready… toss it into the skillet with the veggies along with the soy sauce.
- If you're adding optional egg to your fried rice, crack one over the side of the skillet while it's still hot and fry it up into your yummy quinoa fried rice.
- Season to taste and pan fry for a few more minutes.
- Serve hot with a side of soy sauce and sweet chili sauce if you have it!
Notes
Nutrition
crazy for quinoa recipes?
- Mexican Quinoa Salad with Chili Lime Dressing
- Roasted Chickpea Quinoa Taco Bowls
- Quinoa Black Bean Veggie Burgers
- Quinoa Burrito Bowl via Hapa Nom
- NEW! Quinoa Chickpea Salad
- Vegetarian Quinoa Chili
- Healthy Quinoa Salad
If you get a chance to try this yummy vegetarian quinoa fried rice, let me know!
Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation!
Questions & Reviews
Recipe was simple and enjoyable. Thank you!
This came out so good and just like fried rice. Kid approved too!
Yay! Thank you Alice!
Hey. loved your VEGETARIAN QUINOA FRIED RICE WITH BROCCOLI, PEAS, AND CARROTS recipe, the only problem is that you didn’t include the serving size. Is it a cup? A half cup? HELP.
Hey Chris! My recipe card is a little wonky. The recipe yields 4 servings and makes approx. 4 cups of quinoa fried rice depending on how many extra veggies you add to the mix. You can enjoy 1 cup per serving! xo
I added 2 fried eggs on top of each portion to make a full meal . It was so yummy !!!! Thank you.
The fried egg on top sounds amazing! So glad you enjoyed the recipe Pamela! xo
Made this tonight and it was SO GOOD!! Added frozen shiitake mushrooms along with broccoli, peas, carrots & green onions.
Yay!!! So glad you enjoyed it! LOVE the addition of the shiitake mushrooms, Marietta – YUM!
I added a bit of sesame seed oil, made it more savory, and canned straw mushrooms.
Hmmm these are going on my friday favorites this week! <3
Super good. Thanks.
Totally obsessed with quinoa – I have about 10 bags of it sitting in my pantry and I have it at least 3 times a week, it goes great with just about everything!
Yum!! I love the idea of using quinoa in place of rice. I’ll have to give it a try with some tofu or chicken 🙂
LOVE quinoa! I’ll definitely be making this, there are so many fun variations for it 🙂
I made this for dinner last night! YUMMY! Since I had leftovers for lunch today, I used it for WIAW! 🙂 Sooo good!
Yum!! Why have I never thought to use quinoa for fried rice before?? I am LOVING that last pic girlie! I’m a sucker for angles!
Heck yeah, I’m on board! I love fried rice and this looks fantastic, Jenn…great use for quinoa!
Fo’ realz probably making this tonight.
I’m definatly gonna rustle this one up this week… looks perfect for dinnah and cold for me ol pack lunches! xxx
Wow, the quinoa dish looks wonderful – great alternative to rice and I love the mix of veggies. Very clever!
Wowee that looks so good! I’m guilty of getting fried rice from the takeaway about once a month but this would be a much healthier (and probably tastier!) way to satisfy my cravings 😀
Can’t wait to try it out!
That. Looks. Amazing!! I love stir fry dishes 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!
That’s exactly how I make my stir fry. I put quinoa in the rice cooker and veggies in the steam basket so they all cook at the same time. Fry up some chicken or fish or steak that has been marinating in soy sauce. Throw it all together and top with a little Sriacha sauce. Fabulous.
Mmmm.. this looks great! Right up my alley… I love quinoa! I would ditch rice all together, but my husband prefers rice – I don’t get it?!
ok. brilliant idea!! must try this 🙂
happy weekend, doll!
Love this! I am not a rice fan but fried rice always looks so darn good! I can have fried quinoa instead! ha!
I love you to pieces! I should get on pintrest, is that what its called?! lol!
Happy weekend love!!!! I am still on cloud 9, we wish we could relive it all over again!!!
I’m loving Quinoa lately! I’ll have to try this recipe. Thanks!
I’ve never cooked with quinoa before. I’ve had it, but never tried it. I think I need to.
I’ve never tried quinoa before, but boy does this sound delicious!! My tastebuds think you’re a genius haha 😀
you are such a genius. give me your skills. then make this for me when you come to VB to visit. 🙂
This was from me 🙂 Obviously I got very confused by this new comment thing…but I figured it out.
Mmm that looks fantastic!
That is awesome Jenn! I love the idea of subbing the rice for quinoa. So funny that I have done that in several dishes but would have never thought to do fried rice!
What a great idea! Josh always raves when I make fried rice and I’ve never thought about switching up the grain used! Deliciousness and so colorful! happy weekend
such a great idea, I can’t wait to try.
Totally making this this weekend!!!
Oh that looks really good, ive never tried Quinoa whats it like? cous cous? rice?
hope your having a good day.
Jess xx
Yummy 🙂 I like quinoa as a rice alternative, but I don’t usually eat a ton of either – I’m much more of a pasta girl!
that looks so good! I love quinoa. I’ve been playing with teryiaki sauce lately, trying to get that “take out taste” without the take out grease.
this looks delicious! I’ll have to add this to the rotation 😉
This looks delicious! I bet the quinoa added a little crunch too which would be missing from regular fried rice 🙂
I’ve never had quinoa! What kinda texture/flavor is it?? Also- your picture looks beautiful! I want your camera please! I asked for one for my birthday, but seeing as how that is next week…I think I may be waiting till Christmas, boo
I love quinoa and this sounds like such a lovely simple meal, I would love to try it with some cubed tofu!
I much prefer quinoa to rice too: I’m having some for dinner today 🙂
I find rice to be quite bland and uninspired texturally, where as quinoa is so much more versatile in my opinion and also has that slight nuttiness whereby you don’t have to add a lot of extra flavouring to it.
Great recipe 🙂
I’ve been dying to try quinoa. Think i’ll get some later today and follow your recipe. Sounds delish!
I finally made your veggie fried rice last night and enjoyed it. Now I need to try this version. Finding quinoa in my town might be a bit of a problem but we’ll see!
Mmm fried rice is pure comfort food, making this HEALTHY comfort food. Love it! Simple recipes that call for “I have it on hand” ingredients are the best! I want to try making this with coconut oil and sprinking a dash of coconut on top. 🙂
Jenn-
Try soaking your keen-wa before hand {the night before} with 1 T of bragg’s apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. It deactivates the nasty phytic acid and seriously ups the fluff factor.
This combo sounds awesome…I just have to use GF soy sauce is all. Thanks for planning one of my lunches for next week…
🙂
This looks so good! I’m a huge fan of fried rice 😀
I’m not a big fan of rice but I often make barley instead. I haven’t had quinoa in ages and I’ve never made it myself!
Amazing idea! I’m actually not a huge fan of rice so I’m all over this recipe 😉
I love quinoa- so nutty and fluffy! This looks really yummiii Jenn!
<3
Oh man, get out of my head! I just bought a big back of quinoa and making a quinoa salad is on my to do list for tomorrow!:) This looks awesome.
I’ve never had fried rice, you’ve inspired me to try it.
LOVE it. Quinoa is my FAVE. I am always looking for a new stirfy. Trying this for sure!
Your photos of it look amazing too!
Looks so good–I need to jump on the quinoa train, I’ve only had it once at the Whole Foods cold bar, that’s just sad haha.
This is so dang good!! I have never made quinoa before, but this looks bomb.com!
ooh yea…gimme more!
quinoa is on the top of my current cravings list. it’s so good!!!
Looks amazing! I have all of these ingredients atm so will defs be making this soon! Also, a small drizzle of sesame oil would be great on it as well! (and maybe some chopped cashews?!?).
heee – I remember when I first made a fried “rice” with quinoa I kinda did a HMM with the name too. only for a second, though, because YEOM it is SO good. I make mine with the egg… and no peas. (sorry!).
and again, girl, these photos are GREAT! I’m emailing you now…
You know I love quinoa! I will be making this!! YUMMMM!!!
XOXOOXOX
I like. lots of quinoa in my kitchen with a new idea how to deal with it
Uh you are hilarious. And you rock. Everyone is posting fried rice but you posted fried QUINOA and therefore youdabest <3
I made almost that exact same meal last night. I’ve been using quinoa in place of rice for a couple months. Don’t know why I didn’t make the switch sooner!
yum!!! very similar to the “fried rice” i made with wheatberries last week!! i agree, super hard to come up with a title, but delicious none the less 🙂
amazing idea!! love this!! I’m a huge quinoa fan 🙂 Brown rice too. This would be fab with some tofu.
That looks awesome! I love fried rice and just made some not too long ago but I definitely need to switch things up every once in a while. I’m going to try this next 😀
That looks so much better than regular fried rice!
Yum! Made a quinoa chickpea salad for dinner with chopped spinach and tomatoes–we’ve been riding the quinoa wave here too. Fried quinoa–brilliant–have to try that!
Brilliant idea! I can’t believe I’ve never thought of that either. I love this idea, totally stealing it 🙂
I don’t know why restaurants don’t serve stuff like this.. at least here they don’t! man! for sure make it — its so delish its ridic
This is so pretty…and so up my alley. Why oh why have I never made “fried rice” with quinoa before? Quinoa is my fave—hot, cold, plain, dressed up…thanks for inventing this. I will copy it!
Not going to lie, my mouth is literally watering right now haha.
Is that weird?
I have yet to try quinoa…but after reading this post…I am so going to buy some! That looks yummy:) It would be a perfect work lunch. Thanks, dear. Keep ’em coming:)~Jessie @ Cupcakes and Craziness
I am obsessed with quinoa and its a problem its like all I ever blog about! this looks fantastic and I am totally adding to my recipe list
Oh man! Totally hitting up Trader Joe’s for ingredients tomorrow & making this! YUM!!
Wow this looks awesome! Such a healthy fresh twist on traditional fried rice and it looks a million times better than any MSG-loaded dish you’d get at a Chinese restaurant. I’m definitely making this next time a fried rice craving strikes 🙂
http://www.sunshinevegan.wordpress.com
this looks amazing! and healthy! can’t wait to try it 🙂
This looks amazing! I love quinoa and what a fun switch up. Love it!
Now I know what to pack for lunch tommorow! THIS 🙂 I have quinoa and everything!! yippeee!!
YUM! I am so making this! By the way, I totally did a WIAW yesterday and forgot to link up! so sad!
http://alexislaughs.blogspot.com