⅓ - ½cupvegan kimchi, drained (reserve the juice) and chopped
1 ½cupscooked brown rice
2teaspoonschili paste, or to taste
1teaspoongluten-free tamari soy sauce
½teaspoontoasted sesame oil
2green onions, thinly sliced
Instructions
Get yourself a large pot with a tight-fitting lid and a steamer basket that will fit inside. Pour two inches of water into the pot, secure the lid, and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat.
Arrange the tempeh and broccoli in the steamer basket, with each ingredient taking up its own respective half of the basket. Drop the steamer basket into the pot, secure the lid, and steam for 10 minutes. Once the time is up, carefully remove steamer basket from the pot and set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the avocado oil to the skillet. Add the steamed tempeh pieces to the skillet and stir with a spatula. Keep sauteing and stirring the tempeh until golden brown edges start to appear, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, smoked paprika, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt to the skillet and stir until fragrant, about 10-20 seconds. Don’t let the garlic burn.
Scrape the tempeh out of the skillet into a small bowl and cover with a towel.
Wipe out the skillet if necessary and return it to the heat with the remaining avocado oil. Add the chopped kimchi to the skillet and saute until kimchi is slightly browned, dried out, and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the rice to the skillet and stir, breaking up the clumps with your spatula.
In a small bowl, whisk together a tablespoon of the reserved kimchi juice with the chili paste, tamari, and sesame oil. Add this mixture to the skillet and stir. Raise the heat to high. Keep stirring until the rice stops sticking together and is slightly browned. Add the steamed broccoli and smoky tempeh to the skillet and stir. Check the seasoning. To serve, divide the fried rice between two bowls and top with green onions.
Recipe Notes
Kimchi varies in saltiness, so feel free to add more tamari at the end of the cooking process if the flavour doesn’t seem as well-rounded as it should.
I simply top mine with green onions, but you could add sprouts/microgreens or chopped cilantro.
Leftover rice from the night before or longer is key here. That’s how you get the browning on the rice.
Vegan kimchi fried rice with smoky tempeh and broccoli is an easy meal that can be served any time of the day. Hearty, spicy, and delicious!