This vegan spring roll recipe is easy, fresh, and packed with healthy ingredients. It also requires minimal cooking, making it ideal for those hot and humid days.
On that note: Yes, spring rolls can be vegan! As long as they only contain plant ingredients, they are considered vegan-friendly.
This particular recipe features crunchy vegetables, fresh cilantro, and rice noodles tossed in sesame oil. The rolls are then served with a creamy peanut sauce to round it out.
To make these easy vegan spring rolls more filling, you can add strips of tempeh or crispy tofu. Read on for the full tutorial, plus tips on how to wrap spring rolls.
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
- Rice paper wrappers. You can use circle or square rice paper wrappers. They’re also known as bánh tráng in Vietnamese.
- Rice noodles. For best results, use thin rice noodles.
- Thinly sliced vegetables. Cucumbers and carrots are classic choices.
- Peanut sauce. This spring roll recipe is meant to be paired with our vegan peanut sauce.
How to Make Vegan Spring Rolls
Before starting this recipe, prepare all of your ingredients and lay them out around your work space. This will help expedite the process of making homemade spring rolls.
1. Cook the rice noodles according to the package’s instructions. Toss with 1 to 2 teaspoons of sesame oil and set aside. (The noodles might develop a gummy consistency after this step; that’s okay.)
2. Fill a shallow baking pan with water. Soak a rice paper wrapper until it becomes pliable, but not mushy. Refer to the wrappers’ packaging for exact instructions.
3. Place the rice paper wrapper on your work surface. If using square wrappers, position it so that it forms a diamond shape.
Add a layer of cabbage and lettuce about 1 inch from the bottom of the wrapper. Top with a small handful of rice noodles.
4. Top with thinly sliced cucumber and carrots, followed by chopped fresh cilantro.
5. Fold up the bottom edge or corner so that it lays on top of the fillings.
6. Roll up the wrapper toward the center.
8. Fold in the sides of the wrapper. Make sure the folds are taut, but not too tight. This will keep the fillings inside.
9. Continue rolling to finish the spring roll. Set it aside on a plate and repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve immediately with peanut sauce.
Recipe Variations, Tips, and Substitutions
- Replace the rice wrappers. Instead of rice paper, you can use large lettuce leaves or seaweed wrappers to make a variation of spring rolls.
- Avoid soaking the rice paper for too long. Moisten the rice wrappers until they’re just wet enough to be pliable. Otherwise, they’ll become too mushy.
- Add mint or basil. If you don’t like cilantro, use fresh mint or basil instead. You can also skip the herbs completely.
- Fill with tofu or tempeh. Both ingredients will add plant-based protein.
- Use bell peppers. Sliced bell peppers are also delicious in spring rolls.
- Add some heat. If you like spicy ingredients, add slices of jalapeño to the filling.
- Make it gluten-free. When made with rice noodles and papers, this recipe is gluten-free. Always double check the packaging. If you’re adding crispy baked tofu, make sure it’s made with gluten-free flour.
How to Store Leftovers
These easy vegan spring rolls are best eaten right after they’re made. That said, consider only making as many as you need. You can store the leftover vegetables and fillings in the refrigerator in an airtight container until you’re ready to make more spring rolls.
Serving Suggestions
- Vegan peanut sauce. This creamy sauce pairs perfectly with fresh spring rolls.
- Bok choy. Pair your spring rolls with sautéed bok choy.
- Crispy baked tofu. For extra protein, add crispy tofu to the filling.
Vegan Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 10 rice paper wrappers
- 4 ounces rice noodles thin
- 2 carrots peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 cucumber thinly sliced
- 1 cup butter lettuce sliced
- 1 cup purple cabbage thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Cook the rice noodles according to the package’s instructions. Toss with 1 to 2 teaspoons of sesame oil and set aside. The noodles might develop a gummy consistency after this step; that’s okay.
- Fill a shallow baking pan with water. Soak a rice paper wrapper until it becomes pliable, but not mushy. Refer to the wrappers’ packaging for exact instructions.
- Place the rice paper wrapper on your work surface. If using square wrappers, position it so that it forms a diamond shape.
- Add a layer of cabbage and lettuce about 1 inch from the bottom of the wrapper. Top with a small handful of rice noodles and thinly sliced cucumber and carrots, followed by chopped fresh cilantro.
- Fold up the bottom edge or corner so that it lays on top of the fillings. Roll up the wrapper toward the center, stopping roughly halfway.
- Fold in the sides of the wrapper. Make sure the folds are taut, but not too tight. This will keep the fillings inside. Continue rolling to finish the spring roll. Set it aside on a plate and repeat with the remaining ingredients
Notes
- Instead of rice paper, you can use large lettuce leaves or seaweed wrappers to make a variation of spring rolls.
- Moisten the rice wrappers until they’re just wet enough to be pliable. Otherwise, they’ll become too mushy.
- Skip the sesame oil if you don’t like sesame.
- If you don’t like cilantro, use fresh mint or basil instead. You can also skip the fresh herbs completely.
- Crispy tofu, tempeh, and sliced bell peppers also work well in this recipe.
- If you like spicy ingredients, add slices of jalapeño to the filling.
- These easy vegan spring rolls are best served immediately, with vegan peanut sauce, so consider only making as many as you need. You can store the leftover vegetables and fillings in the refrigerator in an airtight container until you’re ready to make more spring rolls.
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About the Author
Kirsten Nunez is a journalist who focuses on healthy food and cooking. Her vegan and plant-based recipes have appeared on VegNews, eHow, Shape, and more. When she’s not creating and photographing vegan recipes for Clean Green Simple, you can find her experimenting in the kitchen and sharing plant-based meals with friends and family. More articles by Kirsten.
