Fresh and simply delicious, these vegan rice paper rolls are made with pan fried tofu, pickled cucumbers, crisp green apples, vermicelli noodles, creamy avocado and served with a simple peanut dipping sauce.
If you are a fan of the traditional Vietnamese spring rolls, then you will love these vegan rice paper rolls. Filled with fresh crispy vegetables, chewy rice noodles and to make them hearty and filling, strips of protein filled tofu.
They are perfect as a light lunch, party appetizer or a healthy snack!
For more delicious and easy appetizers, make sure to try Buffalo Crispy Cauliflower Bites and Mango Pico De Gallo.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy to make- These rolls are so simple to put together. All you need is some fresh veggies and a quick visit to your local Asian market and you are set to go!
- Healthy- Loaded with lots of raw, fresh vegetables and some added protein to make them nutritionally balanced.
- Perfect appetizer- Although these rolls are vegan, they are sure to satisfy even the biggest meat eaters. They're like little hand-held salads, full of delicious flavors and textures.
- Budget friendly- Vegetables, noodles and tofu are some the of the cheapest items in the super market. You can make a ton of spring rolls without breaking the bank.
Ingredient Notes
- Rice paper sheets- Typically labeled as Spring Roll Wrappers, these sheets are gluten free and can be found in most Asian markets as well as American supermarkets. Simply dip them inside cold water to make them soft and pliable.
- Vermicelli noodles- Rice vermicelli is often referred to as rice noodles or rice sticks. This is the brand I used.
- Fresh veggies and herbs- I used green leaf lettuce but you can also substitute with butter lettuce. I also use shredded carrots, mint leaves and English cucumber (which I pickle).
- Avocado- Make sure the avocado is ripe. This adds a creamy texture to the rolls.
- Green apple- I leave the skins on and julienne the apple. This adds a nice crunch and sweetness to the rolls.
- Tofu- I use a firm tofu and start by pressing the tofu to remove the excess moisture. This will make it more drier and allow it to brown and crisp up in the pan. See the section below on how to press tofu.
- Peanut sauce- This super simple sauce is made with just a few ingredients. Many you might already have inside your pantry. You will need creamy peanut butter, soy sauce or tamari, Sambal chili garlic sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, fresh ginger, garlic and water to help thin it out.
How To Press Tofu
Although you can purchase a tofu press, you can easily achieve the same results by using a couple household items found inside your kitchen.
STEP 1: Drain and remove the block of tofu from the packaging.
STEP 2: Place a metal cooling rack onto your baking sheet. This will allow the excess liquid to drain without having the tofu sitting in it. Then, place the block of tofu on top of the rack.
STEP 3: Take a clean dish towel and lay it on top of the block of tofu. Then, take a second sheet pan and place it directly on top.
STEP 4: Place heavy-weighted objects onto the sheet pan. This can include several canned foods from your pantry, cookbooks, or a bowl of fruit. Just make sure the items aren't too heavy. We don't want to crush the tofu.
STEP 5: Press the tofu for 30 to 60 minutes. Replace the dish towel halfway through with a new dry one. Discard the liquid and slice the tofu into thin strips.
Step By Step Instructions
STEP 1: Brown tofu. Slice the tofu into thin strips. Heat a large skillet with oil, enough to coat the pan. Place tofu into the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Then, remove the tofu from pan and let cool at room temperature.
STEP 2: Pickle cucumbers. Slice cucumbers very thin. Use a sharp knife or a Japanese mandolin. Place cucumbers, sugar, vinegar, salt, ginger and red pepper flakes inside a bowl. Toss to dissolve the sugar and coat the cucumbers.
Then, place the pickled cucumbers inside the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight.
STEP 3: Make the peanut sauce. Combine peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, chili sauce, lime juice, garlic and ginger. Then, stir in warm water and whisk until smooth.
STEP 4: Cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the rice noodles and cook according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Then, drizzle a small amount of oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
STEP 5: Assemble the rolls. Dip each rice paper wrapper in cool or room temperature water, for about 10 seconds. Place wrapper onto a clean plate or surface.
STEP 6: Add fillings. Place your fillings just below the wrappers center point, leaving space on each side of the wrapper.
STEP 7: Roll the wrappers. Take the bottom edge and pull it over your filling. Next, fold over each side. Then, tightly roll all the way up. Repeat with the remaining wrappers. Serve the rolls with peanut sauce and lime wedges.
Expert Tips
Quickly dip the rice paper wrappers in water. Do not leave the wrapper inside the water longer than 10 seconds. This will make the wrappers very sticky and gummy and will ultimately be very difficult to handle. I also recommend using cool or room temperature water instead of warm water.
Lightly dampen your plate or surface with water before placing your wrapper on top. This will help prevent the wrapper from sticking and tearing once you begin to roll it.
Do not over stuff your rolls. I have learned the hard way, that less is actually better. Too much filling will make it extremely difficult to roll the wrappers and this could also potentially tear the wrapper all together. It may take a few trial runs to figure out the proper ratio.
Start with the lettuce. This keeps the pointy edged ingredients, like the carrots apples and tofu from puncturing and tearing the rice paper. Just make sure to tuck everything in before you roll up the wrappers.
FAQ
Yes, you can. You can prepare these rolls several hours in advance. Place the rolls inside an airtight container with a lightly dampened paper towel on top.
These rolls are so versatile. Switch up the ingredients and use whatever fruits, veggies and herbs you like. Sliced mango, mushrooms, asparagus, red cabbage, red bell pepper, basil or cilantro. Just make sure the ingredients are fresh and colorful.
They absolutely are! The rolls are loaded with lots of fresh vegetables which have a ton of nutrients, vitamins and healthy fats. The tofu is also a great source of protein and help make these rolls nutritionally balanced.
Storing
These vegan rice paper rolls are best enjoyed the day you make them. But, if you do have any leftovers, wrap each roll individually in plastic wrap. This will prevent them from drying out as well as sticking to one another. Refrigerate the rolls for up to 2-3 days.
The peanut sauce can be kept inside the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Other Recipes To Try
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Rice Paper Rolls
Ingredients
Rice Paper Rolls
- 12 Rice paper wrappers (spring roll wrappers)
- 4 oz Rice vermicelli
- 1 14 oz Firm tofu drained, pressed and sliced into strips
- 2 cups Green leaf lettuce ribs removed
- 1 cup Carrots shredded
- 2 Avocado ripe, sliced thin
- 1 Granny smith apple cored and julienned
- ½ cup Fresh mint leaves
- Oil for cooking tofu enough to coat the pan
Pickled Cucumber
- 1 English cucumber sliced thin
- ½ cup Rice vinegar
- ⅓ cup White granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Fresh ginger grated
- ¼ teaspoon Red pepper flakes
Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce
- ½ cup Smooth peanut butter
- 2 tablespoon Soy sauce or tamari
- 3 tablespoon Rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon Sambal chili garlic sauce
- 1 Garlic clove grated
- 1 teaspoon Fresh ginger root grated
- 2 teaspoon Lime juice
- ⅓ cup Warm water
Instructions
Pickled Cucumbers
- Slice cucumbers very thin. Use a sharp knife or a Japanese mandolin. Place cucumbers, sugar, vinegar, salt, ginger and red pepper flakes inside a bowl. Toss to dissolve the sugar and coat the cucumbers. Then, place the pickled cucumbers inside the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight.
Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce
- Combine peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, chili sauce, lime juice, garlic and ginger. Then, stir in warm water and whisk until smooth.
Assembly
- Slice the tofu into thin strips. Heat a large skillet with oil, enough to coat the pan. Place tofu into the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Then, remove the tofu from pan and let cool at room temperature.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the rice noodles and cook according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Then, drizzle a small amount of oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
- Dip each rice paper wrapper in cool or room temperature water, about 10 seconds. Place wrapper onto a clean plate or surface.
- Place your fillings just below the wrappers center point, leaving space on each side of the wrapper.
- Take the bottom edge and pull it over your filling. Next, fold over each side. Then, tightly roll all the way up. Repeat with the remaining wrappers. Serve the rolls with peanut sauce and lime wedges.
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