Cabbage Fried Rice

Cabbage rice with all the traditional flavors of Chinese fried rice will be your new favorite healthy side dish. It comes together in less than 20 minutes, is full of veggies, and satisfies any craving for takeout.

Personally, I love cauliflower rice and especially cauliflower fried rice, but recently after hearing a friend boldly state that she couldn't eat one more bite of cauliflower anything (she has been Paleo for 2 years), I set out to create another veggie version of her favorite fried rice.

Putting our heads together we considered carrots, jicama, celeriac, and squash; but finally decided on cabbage since it’s something that is easy to prepare, affordable, and is a constant in Asian recipes.

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From there we simply threw together the typical fried rice ingredients - soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions, garlic, and ginger to make a delicious side dish.

To save time, we just used bagged shredded cabbage but if you want things more rice like you can pulse the cabbage in a food processor. 

The other great thing about this recipe is that you can easily adapt it to make your favorite fried rice variations. Add chicken, pork, shrimp, or tofu to add protein and flavor. You can also try out different veggies, make it spicy or not, or go with our family's favorite option - a few slices of bacon!

How do you make cabbage rice in the food processor?

Start by removing the outer leaves of the cabbage and washing away any debris. Then cut the cabbage into quarters and carefully cut out the core of the cabbage. Roughly chop the cabbage into larger pieces. Add the cabbage to the food processor and pulse until it forms small, rice-like pieces. Make sure not to overcrowd the food processor and make it in batches if needed. When the food processor is overcrowded, some pieces will remain large and some will get over-processed and form a paste.

Recipe Ideas and Tips

This recipe is a great blueprint for making all different varieties of cabbage fried rice and cabbage rice. Here are some ideas:

• Add protein: Like all good fried rice, this recipe works with many different protein options. Popular choices include chicken, pork, shrimp, or tofu. You could also try ground turkey or ground turkey sausage. Tow other favorites include turkey bacon or diced lean ham. For a vegetable option that adds extra protein, consider using edamame. 
• Make it spicy: Mix some Sriacha or sambal olek into the soy sauce for a spicy fried rice. You could also saute a jalapeno or serrano peppers with the vegetables. 
• Make it Whole30 or Gluten-Free:  For a Whole30 or gluten-free option, swap in coconut aminos for the soy sauce.
• Add extra veggies: You can add almost any vegetables to the recipe. Traditional options would include frozen peas and carrots. You could also add bean sprouts, sugar snap peas, edamame, green beans, bell peppers, or broccoli.
• Bulk it up: If you are eating low carb, you can bulk up this recipe with some cooked rice or quinoa. Just add some extra garlic, ginger, and soy sauce to ensure the whole dish is full of flavor.
• Make it egg-less: If you don't like eggs in your fried rice, you can easily leave them out.

What to serve with cabbage fried rice?

If I am eating fried rice, I am most likely in the mood for Chinese. For an easy option, make some grilled chicken or pork in teriyaki sauce or consider a full Chinese meal with one of the recipes below.

• Moo Shu Chicken
• Slow Cooker Char Sui Pork
• Kung Pao Shrimp
• General Tso's Chicken
• Beef and Bok Choy Stir Fry

How long does this last in the fridge? Can it be frozen?

This recipe will last 4-5 days in the fridge in an airtight container. It can be reheated in a pan or in the microwave. You can also freeze this recipe, just leave out the eggs. Then reheat in a skillet with a touch of oil or in the microwave.

Can I use coleslaw mix?

The best shortcut for making this recipe is to use the bagged coleslaw mix that's sold in the produce section. Personally, we make our cabbage rice with the shredded cabbage, but if you prefer a more rice-like dish, you can chop the bagged mix to create smaller pieces.  You can also add the coleslaw mix to the food processor to create smaller pieces.

This recipe was updated to include new photos, a video, and recipe ideas.