Farro takes the place of white rice in this healthy oil-free variation of Chinese fried rice. Kale—the king of nutrient-dense leafy greens—steps into a starring role amongst the other colorful veggies, which perfectly complement the chewy grains. A simple stir-fry sauce, infused with the fresh flavors of ginger and lime juice, adds brightness, while a sprinkling of sesame seeds creates a delicate crunchy garnish. Ready in just 30 minutes, this easy fried rice is bound to become a regular in your weekday recipe rotation. 

Tip: If you aren’t a fan of farro, feel free to substitute your favorite whole grain for equally delicious results.

By Nancy Macklin, RDN,

Ingredients

  • 12- to 16-oz. package frozen stir-fry vegetables
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 4 cups cooked farro
  • 3 cups thinly sliced kale, stems removed
  • ¼ cup sliced scallions
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Instructions

  • In a large skillet cook frozen vegetables and garlic over medium 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed to prevent sticking.
  • In a small bowl stir together ¼ cup water and the next six ingredients (through white pepper). Add farro and kale to skillet; mix well. Stir in soy sauce mixture. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the kale has wilted.
  • Top with scallions and sesame seeds.

Comments (16)

(5 from 9 votes)

Recipe Rating

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Iris

Just wanted to know if this can be served cold?

Megan Edwards

Hi Iris, While we haven't tried it ourselves, we think this recipe would probably taste nice at room temperature. You may lose a little flavor if it's chilled/cold, but you can always give it a try! Let us know how it goes.

Kimberly

Easy and delicious. I am new to the vegetarian community, and this recipe was a great jumping off place for grain bowl recipes!

Annie

Only had a medley of frozen veggies but it worked great! Delicious. Definitely going in our rotation. Will experiment with other veggies!

GS Paul

Delicious! Everyone loved this dish. Now to checkout your other recipes….

Bruce

This recipe is so delicious! We made this tonight. I encourage everyone to try this. ☆☆☆☆☆

Vicki Estelle

This was so delicious! I did make a couple of changes though. Agave instead of maple syrup, fresh broccoli, onion, celery, mushrooms instead of frozen veggies, cashews instead of sesame seeds. I would definitely make this again! The farro was a welcome change for a stir fry, and I hadn’t thought of that before. Two thumbs up

P. Donovan

Looks like a great meal!

Usha

I think instruction 2 and 3 are enough..at the end, we can follow instruction 1 after finishing instruction 2 and 3.

Michelle DiStefano

Part of instruction 2 is adding the kale and farro to the skillet of already cooked vegetables and garlic from instruction 1. Instruction 3 is topping with scallions and sesame seeds. Therefore, you need to complete step 1, before you complete steps 2 and 3.

M Belcher

can you substitute rice for farro?

Wg

Umm. That’s totally not the point!

Lynn

7 cups soup and 12 breadsticks?????????

Carla

I was wondering that too!!!

Melanie Clark

Second paragraph above: "Tip: If you aren’t a fan of farro, feel free to substitute your favorite whole grain for equally delicious results."

Donn Gross

I see some red pepper and broccoli tossed in the salad. Looks very refreshing! I may just try this recipe!

About the Author

Headshot of Nancy Macklin

About the Author

Nancy Macklin, RDN

Nancy Macklin has a bachelor of science in dietetics from Iowa State University and a Master of Science in health services administration from the University of Saint Francis. Macklin worked as a hospital-based clinical dietitian, providing counseling for diabetes, heart disease, and weight loss and as a food service director in health care dining sites. She now serves as a test kitchen dietitian, developing 500+ recipes per year. She is a member of the Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics and International Association of Culinary Professionals. Find her on LinkedIn.
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