Veggie Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Homemade Vegetable Spring Rolls are are easier to make than you think! I’ll show you step by step how to cut fresh veggies, load them into spring roll wrappers and make a super simple delicious homemade peanut dipping sauce. These fresh rolls are rolled in rice paper for a vegan and gluten-free appetizer that everyone can enjoy!

This post has been modified from the original posted August 20, 2016.

This easy spring rolls recipe is cool and refreshing, perfectly light and satisfying too. Rice paper wrappers are softened with water and then filled with your favorite crunchy vegetables. That peanut dipping sauce tho…UGH, so good!

Like, insanely delish. CAUTION: you will want to spoon the peanut butter sauce on all the things..and don’t be surprised if someone asks for a spoon to eat some straight from the bowl.

You can also dip them in my favorite mango dressing and call them summer rolls. Vary the filling ingredients in spring or fall, call them fresh rolls. Hey, hoisin sauce straight from the bottle in the winter is a legit dip for these beauties. Call them salad rolls…that’s really an accurate description…you do you!

Best veggies for spring rolls

My goal for choosing filling ingredients: fresh, colorful and crunchy! Any combo will work well.

• Purple Cabbage: I adore the pop of color that cabbage offers. Plus it’s crunchy, easy to work with and nutrient dense.
• Red Bell Pepper: An excellent source of vitamins A and C.
• Carrot: Shredded carrot is another source of color and nutrition. They’re inexpensive and easy to use too.
• Fresh Cilantro: If you’ve been around here for awhile, you know how much I love fresh herbs, and cilantro in particular. If you don’t like it, or it tastes like soap to you, you another fresh herb like parsley or oregano for a super summer roll.
• Persian Cucumber: I like the thinner skin on the persian cukes, but any cucumber is going to add crunch and moisture to your fresh rolls.
• Radish: Yay for a little bit of kick that’s not actually spicy. And, your vegan spring rolls will look super pretty if you place a row of thinly sliced radishes against the edge. So fun!
• Lettuce Leaves: Who said salad is the only way to enjoy greens? A crunchy lettuce leaf of romaine or red leaf lettuce can help hold things in place. Fresh leaves also add crunch, color and are loaded with fat soluble vitamins that will be easier to absorb with that peanut sauce.
• OTHER VEGGIES: The sky’s the limit! Use any veggie you have or you love. Sometimes I add in slices of al dente baked sweet potatoes, or rice noodles for filling spring rolls that can be served for dinner. Avocado slices or pesto are delicious. Crunchy veggies like snow peas, daikon radish or bean sprouts are awesome options too. Fennel or scallions offer a boost of flavor. Whatever is in season and is easily accessible to you are great choices.

Mise en place

Have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go. Making fresh rolls is quick and easy once your filling ingredients are prepared. Use a small rimmed baking tray or a glass dish. Mise en place, already prepped ingredients, can be stored by covering with damp paper towels and placed in the fridge until ready to use.

This is a crucial step because there is a fine line between rice paper that hasn’t soaked enough (they’re not pliable) and wrappers that waited too long to roll and are now a sticky, clingy mess. When it’s “go time” you’ll want everything at your fingertips.

Julienne is a term that describes long thin strips. Filling your spring rolls with julienned veggies makes it easier to roll them.

I find it’s quick and easy to use my mandolin. You can find inexpensive hand held mandolins too. Either way, be sure to wear a cut resistant glove to protect your hand. Also know that a sharp knife and cutting board work well too, as will a julienne peeler.

Ingredients for Peanut Dipping Sauce

Turn simple wholesome ingredients into the most incredible peanut butter sauce to dip your spring rolls into. This simple peanut dipping sauce is so easy to make, you can have it whisked together in under 5 minutes.

• Peanut butter: The star of the show! But, if you can’t do peanut butter, try almond butter or sunbutter.
• Tamari: I like to use low sodium, wheat free tamari. You could also use regular soy sauce or coconut aminos.
• Rice Vinegar: A bit more subtle flavor than white vinegar. Buy unseasoned.
• Orange juice: The natural sugar from the oranges provides the perfect amount of sweetener. If you like a sweeter peanut sauce, add a splash of maple syrup or honey.
• Fresh Ginger: Definitely adds great flavor, plus it’s anti-inflammatory.
• Red Pepper Flakes: Just a pinch if you’re sensitive to spice. Add a bit more if you like a little kick to your sauce.

How to make the dipping sauce

The secret to these delicious rolls is all in the sauce. Yup! The flavor (and the fun) is in the dip…..which is why I recommend cutting the rolls in half so you can start again with the dipping. Alternately, place a spoon in the sauce bowl, so it can be drizzled over the rolls repeatedly. This sauce is so tasty you’ll want to make a double batch. Store the extra in the fridge to use as salad dressing, dipping sauce for samosas or crispy baked tofu...or as a reason to make more veggie rolls.

You’ll need a small bowl, a whisk and a microplane grater.Add peanut butter, tamari, rice vinegar, orange juice and crushed red pepper to a small bowl. Grate the fresh ginger over the bowl.

Whisk together until smooth and creamy. If too thick, add 1-2 Tablespoons water and whisk again.

Sprinkle on crushed peanuts and more red pepper flakes, as desired.

How to make spring rolls

• Prep your veggies. Have everything washed, sliced or julienned. This is called mise en place.
• Make some sauce. Both the peanut sauce and my mango dressing are awesome and take just minutes to make. The mango dressing is perfect for those with peanut allergies. Prep one or the other or both.
• Set out a large plate with warm water to soften the rice paper wrappers. I use a rimmed plate. A pie plate is another good choice.
• Start by dipping your rice paper sheet into warm water. Count slowly to 10 while making sure your rice wrapper is submerged into the water. When it’s fully pliable, but not so moist it’s too sticky to work with, lay it on a flat surface.
• After years of practice, I have perfected my technique and my timing….try not to get frustrated on your first few tries.

Whatever you put on the bottom will show on the outside. A row of round radish is a great choice, If I’m using avocado, I often place a thin slice down first or a stack of gorgeous purple cabbage.

Place your filling ingredients in the center, slightly closer to the bottom third of the spring roll wrapper. Then, pile on the crunchy veggies and fresh herbs.

First fold the bottom edge up.

Then fold the two sides in. You’ll notice the wrapper is already sticking onto itself.

Now, continue to roll slowly. When finished, the edges will naturally seal themselves.

It’s ok if small holes appear. If the wrapper gets a larger rip, simply lay it onto another softened rice sheet and roll. The double layer will keep the contents safely inside and still tasted delicious.

Keep wrapping your rolls and place them on a platter with dipping sauce. If you’ve made them in advance, cover the rolls with damp paper towel and refrigerate until ready to serve.

What to fill fresh rolls with

• The best fillings for your spring rolls are the ones you like the most.
• Here I’ve used avocado slices, green onions, bell peppers, cabbage and cilantro.
• Also, the veggie fillings don’t have to be perfectly julienned. Cut them in strips, buy already shredded carrots in the grocery store, coarsely rip the lettuce leaves and fresh herbs…whatever gets you prepped and ready quickly is great.

Debra’s Pro Tips

• Vary the filling ingredients you use based on what’s in season.
• Mise en Place: whether you prep a few hours in advance or just before you’re ready to roll, having your ingredients prepped is the way to take the stress out of making fresh rolls.
• Cover your spring rolls with a barely damp paper towel and refrigerate until ready to serve to keep them from drying out.
• Use larger rice paper wrappers and serve as a main course, or cut them in half. Smaller wrappers make perfect appetizers.
• If sauce thickens too much in the fridge, whisk in 1-2 Tablespoons of water so it’s pourable again.
• Don’t get discouraged if your first few attempts aren’t smooth and easy. It only takes a few tries to figure out the timing for perfectly softening the rice paper sheets.
• When you’re done rolling, take all the leftover prepped veggies and dump them into an airtight container in the fridge. Use this as the base for your next salad.

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📖 Recipe

Veggie Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Author: Debra Klein

This vegetable spring rolls recipe is easy to make with rice paper wrappers. Fresh veggies, with spring roll wrappers, dipped in homemade peanut sauce is just the fun vegan appetizer you're going to make over and over.

5 from 47 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Servings 12 rolls

Calories 56 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 bunch red radish thinly sliced into rounds
• ▢ 12 lettuce leaves
• ▢ ¼ head red cabbage shredded
• ▢ 1 large carrot cut into matchsticks
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
• ▢ 2 persian cucumbers thinly sliced lengthwise
• ▢ 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• ▢ 12 8-inch rice paper wrappers

Peanut Dipping Sauce

• ▢ ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons orange juice
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon low sodium tamari*
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
• ▢ 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

Instructions

 

• MAKE PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE: Add all ingredients to small bowl and whisk until smooth. If dipping sauce is too thick, add 1-2 Tablespoons hot water and whisk again. Taste for seasoning, adding more crushed red pepper or a splash of lime juice, to taste.
• PREPARE VEGGIES: Thinly slice radish into rounds. Shred or thinly slice cabbage. Cut carrots into matchsticks. Thinly slice red pepper. Julienne slice cucumbers lengthwise. Wash and dry lettuce and cilantro.
• Prepare shallow dish with warm water to soften rice paper sheets for rolling. Have a kitchen towel handy so you can dry your hands or work surface if needed.
• Dip one piece rice paper round into the water for about 10 seconds, or until softened and translucent, but not too sticky. Remove and place on flat surface to fill and roll.
• Place filling into the lower half of the wrapper. Start with a row of round radishes. Then add a lettuce leaf, some cabbage, carrots, peppers, cucumbers and cilantro.
• Fold the bottom up and then fold in the sides before pulling things in for a tight roll. You'll continue to roll like a burrito until the end. It will naturally stick together. Set each finished roll onto a serving plate, covered with a damp towel to keep them moist.
• You can cover the platter with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until ready to serve.
• FIll a small bowl with peanut dipping sauce and sprinkle with crushed peanuts and more red pepper flakes, if desired.

Notes

VEGGIE PREP: I find it's quick and easy to use my mandolin. You can find inexpensive hand held mandolins too. Either way, be sure to wear a cut resistant glove to protect your hand. Also know that a sharp knife and cutting board work well too, as will a julienne peeler.

FOR HOLES WHILE ROLLING: It's OK to double wrap if one of your rolls tears.

OPTIONAL FILLING INGREDIENTS: Green onions, avocado slices, rice noodles, or rice vermicelli, bean sprouts, fresh mint, thai basil, fresh parsley, arugula, or any fresh vegetables you like.

SPRING ROLL WRAPPERS: Look for rice paper wrappers that are made with rice flour and water. They may also contain cassava flour or tapioca flour, which is fine, but rice flour should be the first ingredient. Rice paper sheets come in various sizes. Buy the smaller ones and leave them whole or cut the larger rice wrappers in half AFTER you've already rolled them.

PEANUT SAUCE: For a more savory peanut sauce, add 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice and 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil. For a sweet spring rolls sauce, try my mango dressing or use the peanut sauce with 1 teaspoon maple syrup.

TAMARI: Tamari is a gluten-free soy sauce. You can sub with regular soy sauce or coconut aminos, just buy the low sodium variety.

Nutrition

Serving: 2rollsCalories: 56kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 80mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3g

Note

The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.

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