Vegetable Rice Paper Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce
These vegetable spring rolls with homemade peanut sauce are fresh, healthy, and full of flavor. They add loads of fresh veggies to your diet and come together quickly for the perfect weeknight meal or fast lunch.
Rice paper veggie spring rolls are a great way to enjoy the season with crunchy, raw vegetables. After months of eating warm, comforting winter meals, the fresh spring vegetables in these homemade spring rolls are a welcome change.
These rolls are like a handheld salad dipped in delicious, savory peanut sauce for a healthy appetizer or snack. If you want a fun way to eat loads of fresh vegetables, you’ll want to try this recipe!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easy: These fresh spring rolls require a little prep work, then the assembly takes just a few minutes. With almost no cooking, they are a great fast side dish for a weeknight or a quick lunch.
Fun: Between the colorful ingredients and the engaging assembly, these spring rolls are fun to make and eat.
Delicious: The freshness of the veggies with the complex peanut sauce flavors makes for a tasty, crunchy meal.
What to Put in Fresh Vegetable Spring Rolls
Spring rolls can have just about anything you like in them! They are typically made up of loads of fresh veggies and a source of protein wrapped in rice paper. This recipe uses:
- Red cabbage
- Carrots
- Cilantro
- Green onions
- Spinach
- Snap peas
- Radishes
- Tofu
You can add other fresh veggies, bean sprouts, shrimp, or rice vermicelli (glass noodles) if you like. Here are a few of my favorite veggies to add to these spring rolls:
- Microgreens
- Bell peppers
- Cucumber
- Water chestnuts
How to Make Spring Rolls in Advance
Spring rolls can be stored in an airtight container for about a day before the rice paper dries out, so they aren’t ideal for meal prep. To prevent sticking, it’s best to wrap each spring roll in a piece of plastic wrap or place a small piece of parchment paper in between each roll.
The vegetables can be chopped a few days in advance and the tofu can be baked in advance to make for quick assembly when you’re ready to serve the spring rolls. In addition, you can prepare the peanut sauce up to 5 days in advance.
How to Make Vegetable Spring Rolls
Prepare the Tofu
Prepare your tofu by pressing it in a towel for about 10 minutes to remove as much liquid as possible. Cut the tofu into thin strips about ¼ inch thick and 3 inches long. Toss the tofu sticks gently in oil, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Bake the tofu at 400 for 20 – 30 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crispy.
Prepare the Veggie Fillings
Wash your vegetables and peel the carrots. To prepare the veggies, follow these guidelines:
Cilantro: Remove the leaves from the stems.
Carrots: Shred in a food processor or use a vegetable peeler to create carrot strips.
Spinach: Chop into ⅛ – ¼ inch wide strips. You can also just add the leaves whole.
Red Cabbage: Remove the outer leaves, then chop finely.
Snap Peas: Slice lengthwise into ⅛ – ¼ inch wide strips. Remove the ends if you prefer.
Green Onions: Chop into small circles or 3-inch long strips.
Radishes: Slice into thin tokens or dice small.
Make the Peanut Sauce
Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and stir well. Add hot water until it reaches your desired consistency. It should be smooth and thin enough to dip the spring rolls, but not so thin that it is runny.
Assemble the Rolls
Assemble a pie pan with cool water, a tea towel, rice paper wrappers, and your fillings.
To make a spring roll, dip a rice paper sheet in cool water for about 10 seconds. You want to leave it long enough for the rice paper to be pliable but not overly sticky and fragile. If you find that the rice paper is getting soft too quickly, reduce the amount of time it is in the water. I’ve found that if I remove the rice paper right before I think it is ready, it continues to soften while I assemble and has the perfect texture.
Lay the piece of rice paper out gently on a tea towel to absorb excess water and create a pile of veggies and tofu on the bottom ½ of the wrapper.
Wrap the spring roll by folding the bottom of the wrapper up towards the top, then gently pulling it snug around the fillings. Then fold the two sides of the wrapper towards the middle. Roll the spring roll upward until the entire rice paper is folded around the roll, working to keep it neat and snug.
Savor the season with more great recipes for spring:
Vegetable Rice Paper Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce
These vegetable spring rolls with homemade peanut sauce are fresh, healthy, and full of flavor. They add loads of fresh veggies to your diet and come together quickly for the perfect weeknight meal or fast lunch.
Ingredients
For the Spring Rolls
- 15 rice spring roll wrappers
- 3 cups red cabbage, sliced
- 4 large carrots, shredded or peeled
- 1 ½ cups cilantro
- 6 green onions, sliced into 3-inch strips
- 3 cups spinach
- 3 cups snap peas, sliced lengthwise
- 14 ounces tofu
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup avocado oil
For the Peanut Sauce
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon hot chili sauce
- Hot water
Instructions
How to Make Spring Rolls
- Prepare your tofu by pressing it in a towel for about 10 minutes to remove as much liquid as possible.
- Cut the tofu into thin strips about ¼ inch thick and 2 inches long. Toss gently in oil, garlic powder, and cayenne powder.
- Bake the tofu at 400 for 20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Cut vegetables into julienne strips about 3 inches long.
- Assemble a pie pan with cool water, a tea towel, rice paper wrappers, and your fillings.
- To make a spring roll, dip a rice paper sheet in cold water for about 10 seconds. You want to leave it long enough for the rice paper to be pliable but not overly sticky and fragile. If you find that the rice paper is getting soft too quickly, use cold water instead.
- Lay the piece of rice paper out gently on a tea towel to absorb excess water and create a pile of veggies and tofu on the bottom ½ of the wrapper.
- Wrap the spring roll by folding the bottom of the wrapper up towards the top, then gently pulling it snug around the fillings. Then fold the two sides of the wrapper towards the middle. Roll the spring roll upward until the entire rice paper is folded around the roll, working to keep it neat and snug.
- Continue steps 6-8 with the remaining spring rolls. Garnish with sesame seeds.
To Make the Peanut Sauce
- Combine all of the ingredients, including 1 tablespoon of hot water, in a small bowl and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Add more hot water as needed to achieve a smooth, moderately thin consistency.
