Light Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe with BBQ Pork - Cookin Canuck (2024)

Skip the take-out and cook up a batch of flavorful, healthier vegetable fried rice at home. Packed with vegetables and flavor for #VegItUp! Thank you to Bob's Red Mill for helping me share this recipe with you.

Light Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe with BBQ Pork

We had no idea what to expect when we moved into our new neighborhood a few weeks ago. Were our neighbors the types of people to stay inside their houses and avoid eye contact when they stepped outside? Were they welcoming to or resentful of new people moving into their enclave? You just never know.

Within 24 hours, all of our reservations were allayed. Five families came by to introduce themselves and welcome us to the neighborhood. Some offered our boys to join the group of kids playing up the street, others just wanted to chat and one lovely lady brought by a container of her childhood comfort food. Fried rice.

Quite simply, it was the best fried rice I've ever eaten. Self-congratulatory high-fives all 'round for choosing this neighborhood.

We've been on a mission to add more veggies into our meals around here. Adding in an extra serving of veggies with each serving of whole grains is a fantastic way to add more fiber and nutrients to your diet. Last week it was all about the , and this week we're diving into this light vegetable fried rice, made with my favorite basmati brown rice from Bob's Red Mill.

Bob's long grain brown rice would also work well in this recipe. You can find their products in most supermarkets, but also online on their site or on Amazon. I consistently buy Bob's products because I know that I'm always going to get a high-quality product, whether it's flours, beans, grains or protein powders.

Having a rice cooker on hand (any of these by Zojirushi are great) means that there is often extra rice in our fridge. Day old rice is typically dry and far from tender. Not great for eating plain, but fantastic for fried rice. In fact, I recommend going out of your way to make the rice the day before so that the fried rice turns out with separated grains rather than becoming a mushy mess.

So, what makes this vegetable fried rice "light"? As I already mentioned, I opted for brown rice, which makes each serving more filling. Next, I significantly decreased the amount of oil used when compared to traditional fried rice recipes. And last but certainly not least, I followed my #VegItUp principles and filled this recipe with carrots, celery and peas. If my family loved mushrooms as much as I do, I would also add in some sautéed crimini mushrooms.

And for extra flavor, I diced some Chinese-style barbecue pork. However, you could leave out the pork altogether for a vegetarian dish or substitute it with crumbled bacon or diced pork tenderloin. If you choose to make a swap for pork tenderloin or leave out the pork, be sure to compensate with some extra soy sauce or a dash of salt.

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the good people at Bob's Red Mill. All opinions are my own. This post contains links to my Amazon affiliate page. Any revenue made from sales through these links helps to support this blog. Thank you!

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