These vegan rice paper rolls are packed with crunchy vegetables and come with a very tasty peanut dipping sauce. There is minimal cooking involved with these summer vegetable rolls. So they're great for when it's too hot to cook and they are great fun to make with the kids.
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Fresh and healthy these rolls are great for a light lunch or would even be great as an appetiser. They're packed with crisp crunchy veggies and rice noodles all wrapped in rice paper and served with a delicious homemade peanut sauce. And that peanut dipping sauce is delicious, so if you do have any veggies leftover make sure and use them for dipping!
These rolls are great for using raw veggies, I use a mix of peppers, asparagus, carrots, cucumber and radish. But you can use whatever veggies you want. Just make sure you choose veggies that can be eaten raw and if not just cook them and leave them to cool.
📖 Origins of Rice Paper Rolls
Rice paper rolls or fresh spring rolls (also known as gỏi cuốn or summer rolls) are a common Vietnamese dish, but the concept is believed to have originated in China. It is thought that they have been an adaptation of Chinese egg rolls, but with Vietnamese flavours. They are typically made with fresh vegetables, herbs, and protein that are wrapped in rehydrated rice paper and served with a dipping sauce.
📝 What You'll Need
For making the dipping sauce the following ingredients are required.
For the Rice Paper Rolls, you will need the following ingredients.
🥣 How To Make Them
This is just a quick visual guide, the full instructions and the ingredient list can be found in the recipe card.
1. Make the dipping sauce - Add the peanut butter, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and lime juice and mix well.
2. Then add the water a little at a time, I found using a whisk the best way to incorporate the water. The sauce should be runny but not too runny. Pop it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
3. Cook the noodles and prep the vegetables - cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, leave to cool. Blanch the asparagus and leave to cool. Slice the veggies. Get everything ready on a dry clean board.
4. Soak each rice paper sheet in water for a minute. Lay the paper on the board then place some of the veggies and some of the noodles in the centre of the wrap horizontally. Turn over each side of the wrap over the edges of the vegetables, then roll the vegetables and wrap away from you until the vegetables are concealed in a roll. Serve with the dipping sauce and some sesame seeds, lime wedges, and chopped toasted peanuts.
📋Variations and Substitutions
- Vegetables - you can use almost any vegetable for these wraps. I would, however, stick to veggies that are good for eating raw, like peppers, courgette, sugar snap peas, etc. If you are using vegetables that need to be cooked don't overcook them and leave them to cool before adding to the paper.
- Add-ins - thin slices of crispy tofu are great in these wraps, you could also add in some spinach too.
- Rice paper wraps - I order these online, you may be able to find them in larger supermarkets. If you are lucky enough to have an Asian supermarket near you, you should find them there.
- Pro-Tip - Once in the bowl of warm water turn the rice paper over once or twice. This will help prevent curling at the edges.
- Peanut butter - I use smooth peanut butter for the dipping sauce, it is sugar-free. I have made this sauce with crunchy peanut butter which works well too.
- Soy Sauce - for the sauce I use light soy sauce. If you are watching your sodium intake go for a low sodium soy sauce. To make the sauce gluten-free you can substitute the soy sauce for tamari.
- Hoisin Sauce - not all hoisin sauce is vegan so do check the labels and if you have any leftover use it for a veggie stir fry.
- Leftover dipping sauce - if you have any leftover, use it as a salad dressing or add it to a tofu wrap. It will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.
📖 FAQs
You can make the dipping sauce a day or two ahead of time, just keep it in the fridge and give it a good stir before you serve it. The rolls once made are best eaten fresh, they will keep in the fridge for a few hours, I would store them separated on a plate if possible, however, I would not recommend leaving them overnight. The reason for this is that the rice paper can get very sticky, but it can also dry out.
I don't recommend freezing these, they'll get too soggy when you defrost them.
Once you swap the soy sauce for tamari and they will be gluten-free
More Tasty Vegan Lunch Ideas
If you're in need of more tasty lunch ideas check out some of my favourite recipes. Like my Cold Noodle Salad is bursting to the brim with vegetables, this salad is served with a tasty peanut sauce and topped off with some seriously tasty toasted sweet peanuts. These Falafel Bowls are served with creamy tahini sauce, they are great for a tasty vegan lunch or dinner! Tasty, filling and the kids love them too! My Asparagus Pasta Salad is packed with spring veggies, this asparagus pasta salad is great for picnics, BBQs or for a summery lunch. With mustard and lemon dressing this pasta dish is really easy to make.
Vegan Rice Paper Rolls
Ingredients
For the dipping sauce
- 5 heaped tbsp of peanut butter I use smooth peanut butter
- 1 clove of garlic put through a garlic press or minced
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoon light soy sauce swap for tamari to make it gluten-free
- 1 small lime, the juice of
- 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 100 ml of water more if needed
For the rolls
- 8 rice paper wraps
- 50 g (2 oz) rice noodles (dry weight) cook according to the packet instructions then leave to cool.
- A small bunch of asparagus tips cut into quarters
- 2 large spring onions (scallions) thinly sliced
- 3 medium radishes sliced thinly
- 1 medium carrot peeled the julienned (cut into thin matchsticks)
- 80 g English cucumber (¼ of a large cucumber) julienned
- 1 medium yellow pepper deseeded and cut into thin strips
- A small handful of coriander leaves (cilantro)
For serving
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoon peanuts toasted
- lime wedges
Instructions
Make the dipping sauce
- Start by making the peanut dipping sauce. Add the peanut butter, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and lime juice and mix well. Then add the water a little at a time, I found using a whisk the best way to incorporate the water. The sauce should be runny. Pop it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Make the rolls
- Start by cooking the noodles according to the packet instructions. Leave to cool once cooked.Next, blanch the asparagus. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Carefully lower the asparagus into the boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes. Using tongs, remove the asparagus and plunge it into iced water for at least 5 minutes. Drain the asparagus on kitchen paper. Leave to cool.
- While the asparagus and noodles are cooking, prep the vegetables. Slice them into thin strips of equal length and size or as close to equal as you can.
- Have a bowl of warm water ready, dip one rice paper wrap in the water for 2 to 3 seconds, then turn it over and leave for another 3 seconds. Place the wrap on a clean dry chopping board. Place a little of each vegetable, some of the noodles and a couple of coriander horizontally in the centre of the wrap. Now turn over each side of the wrap over the edges of the vegetables. Now turn over the edge closest to you. Roll the vegetables and the wrap away from you until the vegetables are concealed in a roll.Don't worry if some of the vegetables break the paper the veggies have sharp edges. Practice makes perfect with these rolls, the more you make them the better your rolls will look.
- Serve the rolls whole or cut in half. Serve with the peanut dipping sauce, a sprinkling of some sesame seeds, lime wedges and chopped toasted peanuts if you wish.
Notes
- Vegetables - you can use almost any vegetable for these wraps. I would, however, stick to veggies that are good for eating raw, like peppers, courgette, sugar snap peas etc.
- Add-ins - thin slices of crispy tofu are great in these wraps, you could also add in some spinach too.
- Rice paper wraps - I order these online, you may be able to find them in larger supermarkets. If you are lucky enough to have an Asian supermarket near you, you should find them there. My wraps measured in a 16cm (6.3 inches) diameter. Remember to flip the paper over once or twice in warm water to avoid the edges curling.
- Peanut butter - I use smooth peanut butter for the dipping sauce, it is sugar-free. I have made this sauce with crunchy peanut butter which works well too.
- Leftover dipping sauce - if you have any leftover, use it as a salad dressing or add it to a tofu wrap. It will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.
- Make them Gluten-Free - swap the soy sauce for tamari to make this gluten-free, also check that your hoisin sauce is gluten-free too.
- Making ahead/storing - The dipping sauce can be made a day or two ahead of time, just keep it in the fridge and give it a good stir before you serve it. The rolls once made are best eaten fresh, they will keep in the fridge for a few hours, I would store them separated on a plate if possible, however, I would not recommend leaving them overnight. The reason for this is that the rice paper can get very sticky, but it can also dry out.
- Freezing - I don't recommend freezing these, they'll get too soggy when you defrost them.
- Nutritional Information - is calculated using an online nutrition tool and is approximate, it includes the peanut dipping sauce. It does not include sesame seeds and toasted peanuts. Information is based on one serving of two rolls plus plenty of dipping sauce.
Nutrition
* This recipe was first published in May 2016, updated in June 2021 with step by step guide, nutritional information and new photos.
Katrin
beautiful. love it. my daughter asked me for spring rolls just the other day. very excited to make that sauce... thank you for sharing this recipe 🙂
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much Katrin! My daughter loved these especially the sauce 😉 I hope you enjoy it x
Hana | Nirvana Cakery
Vow these look so fresh, colourful and yummy! Beautiful pictures too! x
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much Hana x
Sasha @ Eat Love Eat
I love rice paper rolls! I bet that creamy peanut sauce makes them taste super satisfying and delicious. So colourful! 🙂
Michelle Alston
Thanks Sasha, yep that sauce makes these rolls 😉