Tasty Vegan Stir-Fried Rice

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup white rice
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried sage
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon Creole seasoning
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon vegan margarine (such as Earth Balance®)
• 1 green bell pepper, minced (Optional)
• 1 carrot, minced
• 1 stalk celery, minced
• ½ small tomato, diced
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce, or to taste (Optional)
• 1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste

Step 1

Combin the water, rice, oregano, basil, sage, cayenne pepper, Creole seasoning, a teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and the lemon zest in a saucepan. Bring it all to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and let it simmer gently until the rice is tender and the liquid is fully absorbed—this usually takes about 20 to 25 minutes.

Step 2

While the rice cooks, heat the olive oil and vegan margarine together in a large pan over medium-low heat. Once the mixture is warm, add the cooked rice along with the green bell pepper, carrot, celery, and tomato. Pour in the soy sauce and season with a bit of salt and pepper to your liking.

Step 3

Stir everything together and cook for about 5 minutes, until the veggies are just tender and everything is heated through. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning if you need to, then it’s ready to serve!