Fried Rice with Asparagus and Peas

Fried Rice with Asparagus and Peas ~ a spring-forward vegetarian dinner that’s perfect on its own or ~ do you have to ask? ~ put an egg on it!

Got leftover rice?

Fried rice with asparagus is a cozy raid-the-fridge meal that comes together soooo quickly and is perfect for this time of year. It lets your early season veggies like asparagus, peas, and green onions shine, but it’s comforting enough to ride out those last chilly nights. 

• Why use leftover rice?  Fried rice cooks much better when the rice is a day old and slightly dried out, but you can use freshly made rice in a pinch.

Uncomplicated ~ it’s the catch phrase for weeknight meals

Although simple, the flavors in this dish are are really bright and delicious ~ there’s fresh grated ginger and garlic, some rice wine vinegar, and of course a good splash of Tamari, what dish doesn’t benefit from that? A shower of fresh herbs at the very last minute gives it a nice lift.

I paired my fried rice with fried eggs, a match made in heaven. But poach them or scramble them right in if you prefer.

Other proteins to add to this fried rice

• chicken, even rotisserie chicken is great
• tofu, use extra firm so it holds together
• shrimp, the tiny affordable guys are perfect
• ground beef, chicken, sausage or turkey ~ just brown it first

More spring asparagus recipes

• Chopped Asparagus Salad
• Creamy Lemon Asparagus Pasta
• Roasted Asparagus with Crispy Breadcrumbs, Pine Nuts, and Runny Eggs
• Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Olive Frittata
• Asparagus Salad with Mimosa Vinaigrette

Spring Fried Rice with Asparagus and Peas

5 from 7 votes

Spring Fried Rice with Asparagus and Peas ~ a lightning quick vegetarian spring forward dinner that's perfect on its own or ~ do you have to ask? ~ put an egg on it!

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Prep Time:5 minutes minutes

Cook Time:15 minutes minutes

Total Time:20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

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Ingredients

 

• 2 Tbsp soy sauce (plus more to taste)
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
• 1-2 Tbsp oil for sauteeing
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and sliced into bite sized pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced
• 4 cups leftover cooked white rice (or your grain of choice)
• 1 heaping cup peas, fresh or frozen
• 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

For serving

• fried eggs (1-2 per person), if desired
• 1 handful fresh chives, finely chopped
• 1 handful fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

Instructions

• Blend together the soy sauce, sugar, and grated ginger in a little bowl and set aside.
• In a cast iron or non-stick skillet, sautee the asparagus in a tablespoon or two of oil for a couple of minutes until it turns bright green, then add the green onions and garlic, and continue to cook for just a few more minutes. You're just looking to soften everything, not fully cook.
• Add the rice, and then the soy sauce mixture to the pan, and combine everything well.
• Cook the rice on medium without stirring, for a few minutes, this gets you that crispy bottom we all love. Just be careful it doesn't burn. Peek at the bottom and if it's not crisping, turn up the heat slightly.
• Add the peas (straight from frozen if using frozen), toss, and continue to cook the rice for a few more minutes until the rice and peas are nice and hot. Taste and add more soy sauce if you need to. Personally I always add a few squirts of hot sauce!
• Take the pan off the heat, and stir in the rice wine vinegar.
• Serve with fried eggs, and top with the chopped herbs, if desired.

Notes

Substitutions:

• use brown rice for more nutrition
• other cooked grains like quinoa, farro, barley, or wheat berries can be used
• use carrots, bell peppers, regular onions, broccoli, cauliflower, whatever’s in the fridge.  
• I love to toss in a few handfuls of fresh greens at the end, just so they wilt down.  Use spinach, arugula, basil, etc.  For kale and cabbage, shred thinly and cook a little longer.
• hot sauce?  Heck yeah!

Recipe lightly adapted from Bon Appetit.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Author: Sue Moran

Keyword: asparagus, dinner, herbs, main course, peas, rice, spring

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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