I developed this vegetable spring rolls recipe because I was so irate about spending $9 on something similar in San Francisco. It was a few months ago, and I had just finished a rough workout. I was famished—a dangerous time to go shopping for dinner. My eyes and stomach gravitated towards the steaming hot mac and cheese. However, my mind kept nagging me to grab a lighter meal, so I took the vegetable spring rolls. I really should learn to trust my gut, literally.
The vegetable spring rolls I bought were stale and the filling bland. The peanut sauce that came with the spring rolls didn’t do any favors either. Every bite I took was met with pangs of regret, as I kept reminding myself that I could have made something better.
Here is a simple vegetable spring rolls recipe. I hesitate to call this a recipe because you can wrap any vegetables and make the spring rolls as big or small as you like. I picked bell peppers, red cabbage, cucumber and carrots for color. If you want more filling rolls, add tofu, shrimp, chicken or vermicelli noodles.
COOKING NOTES FOR VEGETABLE SPRING ROLLS RECIPE
- Using the sauce: You have the option of drizzling some sauce over the filling before rolling up the vegetable spring rolls, or you can use the sauce as a dip alone. Some people prefer having sauce inside the spring rolls to give them more flavor.
- Do not serve these on paper plates: I made the mistake of serving the spring rolls on disposable paper plates. When I took a spring roll off the plate, a chunk of the paper came along with it. Sadly, I had to redo all the rolls. Line your plates with parchment or wax paper so that the spring rolls can be lifted easily.
HOW TO MAKE AHEAD VEGETABLE SPRING ROLLS
These spring rolls are best consumed the day they are made. The rice paper tends to harden over time, making them less pleasant to eat. If you want to prepare these ahead, place them in large containers. Line the bottom of the container with a slightly damp paper towel, and place another damp paper towel over the spring rolls.
The next day, check to see if the rice paper has hardened. If they are slightly hard, flick a bit of water over the spring rolls and microwave them on high for about 20 to 30 seconds.
INGREDIENTS I USED
- 22cm rice paper wrappers: These are fairly large wrappers, which will allow you to wrap more vegetables inside. You can find them online, but they are much cheaper at Asian markets. Occasionally, you can find them in the Asian sections of major supermarkets.
- Light soy sauce (生抽酱油): You can use tamari if you are gluten-free.
- Rice vinegar: This is slightly different than seasoned rice vinegar, which usually contains sugar and is meant to season sushi rice.
MORE SPRING ROLL RECIPES
Fresh Vegan Vegetable Spring Rolls
Ingredients
Spring Rolls
- 22 cm [rice paper wrappers]
- 12 butter lettuce leaves
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and julienned
- 1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1/4 head of red cabbage, sliced
- fresh mint leaves
- fresh basil leaves
- [peanut sauce]
Instructions
- Get your workspace organized. Fill a shallow, wide bowl with warm water. Lightly wet the surface of the cutting board. Place the vegetables on plates or bowls and get them close to your workspace. Have a large plate ready so that you can lay your finished spring rolls on top.
- Dip a rice paper wrapper into the bowl of water and circle the paper around so that the entire surface is moistened. Transfer the rice paper onto the wet board. Place a lettuce leaf on top of the rice paper. Then, lay the vegetables, mint, and basil on top, about 1/2 to 1 inch away from the bottom of the wrapper.
- Starting from the bottom of the wrapper, start rolling everything towards the middle. Fold the left and right sides of the wrapper towards the center, and finish rolling up the spring roll. Place the spring roll onto your spare plate and repeat for the remaining spring rolls. (NOTE: If you find that the wrappers are quite stiff, let it sit on your cutting board for an extra 10 to 15 seconds to soften. Then, roll up the spring rolls.)
- Serve the spring rolls with the peanut sauce (recipe here). The vegetable spring rolls are best consumed the day they are made.
Notes
Nutrition
Note: This recipe was originally published in January 2018. I updated the post with new photos, but the recipe is the same!
Albert Bevia says
My wife made something very similar to this a couple of weeks ago, but sauce was lacking something, this peanut sauce here sounds like a HUGE winner! thank you for this recipe 🙂
Lisa Lin says
I hope you like it! And feel free to tweak the recipe to your taste!
Barb Henderson says
I have tried 3x now to make summer rolls and the only think I can’t seem to get right is the rice paper. It is always gummy, chewy. Taste is great but the rubber texture makes me gag. Help!
Lisa Lin says
Hi, Barb! The rice paper is definitely chewy, so I would recommend just leaving it out if you don’t like the texture. Lay the vegetables along the center stem of the lettuce leaves and just roll it up. The rolls won’t hold together as well, unfortunately, but it’s still tasty.
Lisa says
Can this sauce be used for other things? I loved the sauce. There is just something about the combo! I used almond butter tho.
Lisa Lin says
Hi Lisa! I often use it for salads or toss it with noodles.
Jenna C. says
This was my first foray into making spring rolls and they turned out great. I added some sliced peach since my trees are going off right now along with some bean sprouts. I thought maybe I’d have to supplement dinner with something extra but between all the veg packed in these and the awesome peanut sauce also linked in the recipe, they were a filling and healthy meal. The sauce was super flavorful and easy to make with ingredients I already had in my pantry. Will definitely be making these again!
Lisa Lin says
Yum, I love that you added fresh peaches and bean sprouts to it! Wish I had peach tree around my house! Thank you so much for trying out the recipe, Jenna!
Susan says
I decided this would be a good appetizer for my health conscious book club and it was a big hit. I did put a little peanut sauce inside the rolls to add a bit of flavor and also served it on the side. I cut the veggies up into long strips, at first, and discovered pieces poking out of the rice paper, so cut them shorter. That worked just fine.
Lisa Lin says
Thanks for the note, Susan! Some people like some peanut sauce in the rolls, so that was a great adjustment there.
Jacob Williams says
so delightfully simple and delicious!!!!! the mint mixed with the peanut sauce is just perfect!
Lisa Lin says
Thanks for trying this, Jacob!