Vegan Pineapple Fried Rice

4.67 from 12 votes

Skip the take-out, and make delicious Asian food at home. Dive into this vegan pineapple fried rice, loaded with brown rice, veggies, pineapple, and topped with tofu. Skip the tofu for an al veggie version of this sweet and savory sensation.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Entrees

Cuisine: Asian

Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 238kcal

Author: Kathy Carmichael

Ingredients

Fried Rice

2 cups cooked brown rice or rice of choice
1 head broccoli cut into florets, and then cut into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch asparagus woody steams removed, and cute into bite-sized pieces
1 cup pineapple cut into tidbits
6 baby bell peppers or substitute red bell peppers, cut into bite-sized pieces
8 ounces mushrooms sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 bunch green onions scallions, chopped
1 cup frozen carrots and peas thawed but not cooked
14 ounces extra-firm tofu optional, presses and cut into cubes

Fried Rice Sauce (double the recipe if using tofu to marinate in half the sauce)

¼ cup tamari Liquid Aminos, or Soy Sauce
¼ cup teriyaki sauce
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sriracha more if you like it spicy; less or none if you do not prefer spice

Garnish

Sesame seeds

Instructions

Cooking the rice

Cook the rice according to packaged instructions. Allow it to cool to room temperature. Then, refrigerate until ready to make the fried rice.

Cooking the Vegetables

In a wok or large skillet, sauté garlic and onions until translucent.
Add Mushrooms, and cook until browned.
Then add the broccoli and asparagus and cook for a few minutes.
Add the remaining vegetables and toss with a wooden spoon every few minutes.
Add the pineapple.

Fried Rice Sauce (double the recipe if using tofu)

Whisk sauce ingredients together in a bowl.
If using tofu, pour over the cut tofu and marinate overnight.
For the best results, rotate the container in the refrigerator a few times, so the tofu marinates through.

Tofu (optional)

Once marinated, cook tofu in a variety of ways. My favorite way to prepare tofu is to grill it, but that isn't always an option. So, here are several different ways to cook tofu.

Grilling

Pre-heat grill to 350 or medium-low.
You can place the marinated tofu directly on the grill, or I use a
grill basket.
Grill for 7 minutes on each side
Let cool slightly

Baking

Follow the exact directions for marinating.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Place tofu pieces on a baking sheet with parchment paper or
silicone baking mats; I used my
copper crisper pan.

Air Frying

Dip the marinated tofu on each side with cornstarch.
Place large pieces into the basket, not touching each other.
Cook at 370 for 10 minutes.
Open the basket and turn large tofu pieces over.
Bake for 10 more minutes

Skillet

Heat a non-stick skillet to medium.
Add marinated tofu, only adding a small amount of the marinade at a time.
As the tofu cooks, using a spatula, turn it over, adding the additional marinade.
Cook until brown on all sides and the marinade has diminished.

Making the Pineapple Fried RIce

Once all the vegetables and pineapple are cooked al'dente, add brown rice.
Stir the rice into the hot wok with the vegetables until heated through.
Add sauce and toss until everything is hot.
Serve in a bowl with chopsticks or a fork.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional).
Add Thai Basil for extra flavor.

Notes

First, cook the rice and allow it to cool to room temperature. Then, put it into the refrigerator.
When cold rice is added to the vegan stir fry, it stays firm and doesn't get mushy or soggy.
Cook the vegetables in order of density to avoid over-cooking the vegetables.
Substitute red bell peppers with baby bell peppers if unavailable (baby bell peppers come in different colors and offer a variety of colors)
Fresh pineapple is best, but if fresh pineapple isn't available, choose canned pineapple in its natural juice rather than syrup.
Choose any vegetables, but cut the vegetables into equal bite-sized pieces to avoid cutting the vegetables while creating the fried rice.
Whenever you cook with Sriracha, or anything spicy, always add a small amount and taste before adding more. Everyone has a different palate, so what I think is hot and what someone else feels is very different.
Double the sauce recipe if adding tofu to use half to marinate the tofu overnight.

Nutrition