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
Teriyaki Tofu Spring RollsRed Curry and Brown Sugar Spring Rolls
Note: This recipe was originally published in January 2018. I updated the post with new photos, but the recipe is the same!
