Spring rolls are one of the those foods that I’ve never liked until I made it myself. Now, I’m obsessed with them! After making what seems like a hundred spring rolls, I finally feel like a pro and am ready to share my first spring roll recipe along with some very helpful tips!
For starters, fresh herbs and fresh lime zest can take your spring rolls from blah to drool-worthy in just seconds! I think the most tantalizing and satisfying herb combination for spring rolls is fresh basil, fresh cilantro and fresh mint. All three! Don’t skip one. The combination really wakes up your taste buds and makes the veggie filling much more exciting! Also, a touch of lime zest on top of your veggie filling will really enhance the flavors and make them pop.
Next thing to keep in mind when making spring rolls is that cutting the vegetables in the same length/width makes such a difference! If your veggies are different shapes and sizes, the spring roll will be more difficult to eat and the bites won’t be as balanced as they would be with evenly cut veggies.
Final tip: having a bomb a$$ sauce to dip the rolls in is an absolute must!!
The peanut sauce that I made for these babies is my favorite sauce of all time. It’s creamy, nutty, zesty and gives these super light and fresh spring rolls some rich, creamy fat that’s totally necessary!
I have plenty more tips and tricks on how to make the rolling process easier, but I’ll leave that for the instructions and let you admire this saucy spring roll one last time. (;
Now, when you try them out, make sure you @bunnysbite on your photo so I can see your results!
Veggie Spring Rolls (Vegan/Gluten-free/Soy-free)
Ingredients
Spring Rolls
- 1 pkg brown rice paper sheets (should have about 20-30 sheets) I use Happy Pho's brand
- 1/6 of a small purple cabbage cut into thin strips
- 1 medium ripe mango cut into thin strips
- 6-10 green beans (ends trimmed off) cut into fourths lengthwise
- 1 poblano pepper seeds and stem removed and cut into thin strips
- 4 small Roma tomatoes or tomatoes on the vine cut into thin strips
- Half of a English cucumber cut into thin strips
- 1 medium carrot cut into thin strips
- 1 tbsp lime zest
- 1/4 cup fresh mint finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
- 1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts crushed (+ more for garnishing)
Peanut Sauce
- 1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 1/2 tbsp coconut aminos garlic sauce *see notes
- Juice from half of a lime
- 1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tnsp freshly grated ginger
Instructions
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Start by prepping all of the veggies and herbs. Thinly slice each veggie into strips and set aside. Finely chop each herb and mix together in a bowl, set aside. Crush peanut and set aside. Grate a lime for zest and set aside.
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Once everything is prepped, get some water boiling for your rice paper. Once the water reaches a boil, turn off he heat and let the water cool slightly before dipping the rice papers in. You’ll want it to be warm enough to soften the papers, but not too warm otherwise they will fall apart.
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While water is coming to a boil, make the sauce by whisking all of the sauce ingredients together in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Set aside until ready for use.
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Once the water has cooled a bit, dip one rice paper into the water for about 10 seconds. I like to dip it in while keeping a spatula under the paper to help remove the paper once it’s soft enough. Once the paper is soft, remove it from the water transfer it to a WET cutting board. If the surface is dry, the paper will dry up and stick. Make sure you lay out the paper so it’s a smooth circle without any overlaps or folds.
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Add a bit of cabbage, mango, green beans, poblano peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, lime zest, herbs and crush peanuts on top of the middle of the rice paper. Make sure to use small amounts of each filling so it doesn’t get too full to wrap!
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Fold the top over the fillings, then fold the bottom over the fillings, then fold over one side of the paper over the filling, and then gently roll the spring roll until completely sealed.
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Transfer spring roll to a plate and cover with a damp paper towel or kitchen towel to keep fresh.
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Repeat steps until rice paper or fillings run out. Make sure to work on one spring roll at a time. If you leave the softened rice paper on the cutting board for too long, it’ll eventually stick so make sure everything is prepped in advanced.
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Serve with walnut sauce and enjoy!!
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These are best fresh but can last a couple days in the refrigerator tightly covered.
Recipe Notes
Want more light and fresh recipes? Check out Thai Cucumber Bowl, Sushi Stacks and my Carrot Ginger Dressing!
