Vietnamese spring rolls filled with tofu, vermicelli noodles, and fresh vegetables wrapped in rice paper. They are served with a creamy peanut sauce for a refreshing summer appetizer or portable gluten-free, vegan meal that is light and flavorful! These are restaurant-quality yet budget-friendly and easy to make at home.
You don’t have to pay a bunch to have fresh spring rolls at an Asian restaurant! You can make your own at home and save big bucks.
Moreover, you can customize it to fit your diet and taste, use ingredients that you already have in your fridge, or make use of veggie leftovers.
As temperatures rise is great to have a healthy and fresh meal packed for school or work, or even to serve as an appetizer in the summertime. Don’t you agree?
And yes, they make a great back-to-school lunch!
Well, see why!
Table of Contents
Vietnamese Spring Rolls Recipe
Here are a few reasons you should make veggie summer rolls at home:
- Easy to make: They require minimum cooking! In fact, the only 2 things you’ll have to cook are the noodles and tofu. The rice paper will be lightly moistened in warm water and the veggies are cut and used fresh as a filling.
- Healthy: They are not only gluten-free but also vegan (rich in plant-based protein and vitamins).
- Fresh: Unlike the Vietnamese fried spring rolls (Cha gio), these are fresh spring rolls, suitable for summer! This means, they also contain way less fat because they are not deep-fried.
- Versatile: You can serve them as an appetizer or as a plant-based lunch!
- Budget-friendly: You can use protein/veggie leftovers to make them. But anyway they cost less than what you’d pay in an Asian restaurant or takeout.
- Fun: They are not only fun to make but they make a great way to have veggies. It is like having a salad in a roll or a wrapped salad!
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the Vegan Spring Rolls
- Vermicelli rice noodles: These are thin, stringy noodles available in most Asian markets or chain grocery stores with an international aisle. Although you can replace them with another type of rice noodles, it’s better not because many ate thick and will give your Vietnamese spring rolls a bulky, chewy mouth feel.
- Vegetable oil: Or any mild oil that has a high smoking point.
- Extra-firm tofu: Make sure to drain, press well, and then cut it into ½-inch matchsticks.
- Seasonings: Kosher salt and ground black pepper. But you may substitute half as much table salt for kosher salt.
- Rice paper wrappers (bánh tráng): Find them in Asian stores or in the Asian aisle of your chain supermarket.
- Vegetables: Romaine lettuce, red cabbage, red bell pepper, and carrots. But use any veggie that you have at home and can eat it fresh.
- Herbs: Fresh mint leaves, Thai basil leaves, and cilantro. These are present in Asian cuisine but you can use any other fresh herb alike.
For the Peanut Sauce
- Peanut butter: For a vegan PB, take a look at the ingredients first as some have added sugar or honey.
- Hoisin: Some are vegan while others are not. Thus, take a look at the ingredients on the label!
- Sambal oelek: It is a spicy Indonesian chili paste! You can find it at Asian markets. However, if you prefer, you may skip it or replace it with sriracha, gochujang, or crushed red chili flakes. It is made of hot red chile peppers, salt, and vinegar. But some brands also add onion, lemon, and sugar.
- Warm water: To thin the sauce to your preferred consistency!
- Peanuts (optional): It will give your sauce a crunchy texture.
How to Make Vietnamese Spring Rolls
- COOK THE NOODLES: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in the noodles, cover, and turn off the heat, allowing the noodles to soak and cook for 7-8 minutes. Drain the noodles and reserve. SEE PIC. 1
- PAN-FRY THE TOFU: In a large pan or a Dutch oven, heat at least a ½ inch of vegetable oil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. NOTE: The amount of oil needed will depend on the size of your pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add the tofu and fry until golden, tossing now and then to fry all sides (about 5-8 minutes). SEE PICS. 2 & 3 Place the tofu on a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt and pepper. Depending on the size of the pan, you will need to work in batches
- MOISTEN THE RICE PAPER: Dampen your work surface with some water, or alternatively lightly grease it with vegetable oil. This will prevent the rice paper from sticking.
- Dip your sheet of rice paper into a large bowl of warm water. Make sure the entire surface of the rice paper has come in contact with water. SEE PIC. 4 NOTE: Please, do NOT soak the rice paper. It’ll soften as you add the fillings!
- FILL AND WRAP THE FRESH SPRING ROLLS: Place the rice paper in a diamond shape with one corner facing you. Create a small bed of shredded lettuce on the lower third of the wrapper, closest to you. Place a large pinch of vermicelli noodles on top, and then add 1 to 2 pieces of tofu on top of the cooked vermicelli noodles. SEE PICS. 5 & 6
- Next, add a large pinch of red cabbage, 2 to 3 pieces of red bell pepper, a large pinch of carrots, 2 to 3 mint leaves, 2 to 3 Thai basil leaves, and 2 to 3 cilantro leaves. To make it easier to roll, it is better to add these in horizontal rows working upwards on your rice paper instead of a single pile. Make sure to check out our process photos! SEE PICS. 7 & 8
- Fold the lower third of the rice paper over the filling, then fold in both the left and right corners over the filling. Continue to gently roll the rice paper from the bottom up until it forms a baton shape. SEE PICS. 9-11
- The rice paper will cling and seal itself, but you can dab a bit of water along the seam edges if needed. Cover your Vietnamese spring rolls with a damp paper towel and repeat the process until you either run out of filling ingredients or the rice paper. NOTE: They will dry out if you don’t cover them with a damp tower.
- PREPARE THE SAUCE: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk in the peanut butter, hoisin, and sambal oelek together until homogeneous. Add a tablespoon of warm water at a time to thin. SEE PIC. 12 The amount of water may vary depending on how thin or thick you prefer your sauce. Top the sauce with chopped peanuts and serve right away with your Vietnamese spring rolls. Enjoy!
NOTE: The number of spring rolls you will vary depending on how much of each ingredient you use. However, if you run out of a particular ingredient, you can add more of another.
Equipment for Making Vietnamese Spring Rolls
- Large pot -- to boil the vermicelli noodles.
- Large dutch oven or pan -- to fry the tofu.
- Kitchen spider or slotted spoon -- for easily and gently removing the tofu
- Cutting board and Chef’s knife – to cut the veggies
- Grater – to shred the carrots
- Large bowl – for dipping the rice paper
Frequent Asked Questions
What are vermicelli rice noodles?
Vermicelli rice noodles are a type of Asian noodle that is very thin, almost “stringy”. They are gluten-free and can be found in most Asian markets or in the Asian aisle of chain grocery stores.
What can I substitute for the vermicelli rice noodles?
Although you can replace them with other types of rice noodles, I don’t recommend it. Thicker rice noodles will give your spring rolls a bulky, chewy mouthfeel compared to the vermicelli rice noodles.
Also, make sure to not use any type of wheat noodles as a substitute.
What do I do if my vermicelli package directions are different from yours?
Follow your package cooking directions! Just like mine, your noodles must be soft but not mushy after cooking!
Do I have to use vegetable oil?
Vegetable oil has a neutral taste and a high smoking point (400° F) which is perfect for frying tofu. If you prefer, you can use canola, peanut, avocado, sunflower, safflower, soybean, or refined corn oil.
Well, it may seem like a lot of oil for frying the tofu but it’ll make the tofu crispy and you won’t be consuming much of it in the end result.
Can I use something other than extra firm tofu?
If you don’t find extra-frim tofu, you can use firm tofu although the extra firm one will hold up much better when fried.
Be aware the form of tofu may break during the cooking process - but it’ll be tasty! If you are not a fan of tofu, you can omit it, or substitute it for another protein of your choice such as chilled cooked shrimp.
Can I use circular rice paper wrappers to make these vegan spring rolls?
I prefer the square wrappers because they are easier to roll and they break less often. But the circular ones will work fine for this recipe too!
I’m having some trouble finding the herbs for this Vegetarian spring roll recipe, what can I do?
The fresh herbs give these Vietnamese spring rolls a fresh and herbaceous flavor, similar to the ones you eat at Asian restaurants. They are easy to find in the produce aisle!
Well, just make sure to NOT use dried herbs in this recipe at all.
If you don’t find Thai basil, use Italian basil! But I don’t recommend switching cilantro with parsley as it is too bitter for this recipe. If you are not a fan of cilantro, skip it in this recipe!
What is sambal oelek? Can I substitute it in these Peanut Sauce Spring Rolls?
Sambal oelek is an Indonesian chili sauce.
If you don’t enjoy spicy foods, you can either cut down the amount of sambal in the sauce or skip it.
Suitable subs would be sriracha, gochujang, or crushed red chili flakes.
I’m allergic to peanuts - what can I use instead for these fresh spring rolls?
Replace the peanuts with almonds or cashew nuts and the peanut butter with almond or cashew butter.
I don’t have all the vegetables needed for this Vietnamese spring rolls recipe - what do you recommend?
Feel free to use veggies that you have in your fridge and can be eaten raw. To make them appealing to the eye, choose different colors of veggies.
Moreover, these Vietnamese spring rolls are versatile -- you can add almost any vegetable or protein you’d like.
Storage & Reheating
How can I keep these spring rolls fresh?
These spring rolls can dry out fast. Make sure to keep them covered with a damp paper towel while you are working on them or for serving at a dinner or party.
Can I store these Vietnamese summer rolls for leftovers?
They keep well for up to one day in an airtight container, covered with a damp paper towel, in the fridge.
However, these spring rolls do NOT freeze well and are best served right away!
Other Vegan Meals
- Vegan Raw Salad
- Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
- Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup (Vegan)
- Vegan Creamy Pumpkin Soup Recipe
- Vietnamese Tofu Loaf
PIN & ENJOY!
Vietnamese Spring Rolls (vegan)
Equipment
- large pot to boil the vermicelli noodles.
- Large dutch oven or pan to fry the tofu.
- Kitchen spider or slotted spoon for easily and gently removing the tofu
- Cutting board and Chef’s knife to cut the veggies
- Grater to shred the carrots
- large bowl for dipping the rice paper
Ingredients
For the Vietnamese Spring Rolls
- 6 ounces rice vermicelli noodles
- 1-2 cups vegetable oil for frying ( or any other neutral oil with a smoking point of 400 degrees F or more such as canola, avocado, peanut, sunflower, refined corn oil, etc)
- 16 ounce block extra-firm tofu (drained, pressed, and cut into ½-inch matchsticks)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or ¼ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 12 sheets square rice paper wrappers bánh tráng
- 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce about ½ - 1 head of romaine lettuce
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage about ¼ medium red cabbage
- 1 cup thinly julienned red bell pepper about 1 medium red bell pepper
- 1 cup shredded carrot about 2-3 medium carrots
- 1 bunch fresh mint leaves do NOT use any type of dried herbs please
- 1 bunch fresh Thai basil leaves Or Italian basil
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro do NOT replace it with parsley cause it is bitter for this recipe. You can skip it if you prefer
For the Peanut Sauce
- ¼ cup peanut butter (get a veganversion. If allergic to peanut, use almond or cashew butter instead)
- ½ cup hoisin (get a vegan version)
- 2 teaspoon sambal oelek (Indonesian chili paste – skip itor use sriracha or crushed red chili flakes)
- ¼ cup warm water
- 2 tablespoon chopped peanuts optional
Instructions
- COOK THE NOODLES: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in the noodles, cover, and turn off heat, allowing the noodles to soak and cook for 7-8 minutes. Drain and reserve.
- PAN-FRY THE TOFU: In a large pan or a Dutch oven, heat at least a ½ inch of vegetable oil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. NOTE: The amount of oil needed will depend on the size of your pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add the tofu and fry until golden, tossing now and then to fry all sides (about 5-8 minutes). Place the tofu on a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt and pepper. Depending on the size of the pan, you will need to work in batches
- MOISTEN THE RICE PAPER: Dampen your work surface with some water, or alternatively lightly grease it with vegetable oil. This will prevent the rice paper from sticking.
- Dip your sheet of rice paper into a large bowl of warm water. Make sure the entire surface of the rice paper has come in contact with water. NOTE: Please, do NOT soak the rice paper. It’ll soften as you add the fillings!
- FILL AND WRAP THE FRESH SPRING ROLLS: Place the rice paper in a diamond shape with one corner facing you. Create a small bed of shredded lettuce on the lower third of the wrapper, closest to you. Place a large pinch of vermicelli noodles on top, and then add 1 to 2 pieces of tofu on top of the cooked vermicelli noodles.
- Next, add a large pinch of red cabbage, 2 to 3 pieces of red bell pepper, a large pinch of carrots, 2 to 3 mint leaves, 2 to 3 Thai basil leaves, and 2 to 3 cilantro leaves. To make it easier to roll, it is better to add these in horizontal rows working upwards on your rice paper instead of a single pile. Make sure to check out our process photos!
- Fold the lower third of the rice paper over the filling, then fold in both the left and right corners over the filling. Continue to gently roll the rice paper from the bottom up until it forms a baton shape.
- The rice paper will cling and seal itself, but you can dab a bit of water along the seam edges if needed. Cover your Vietnamese spring rolls with a damp paper towel and repeat the process until you either run out of filling ingredients or the rice paper. NOTE: If you don’t cover them with a damp tower, they will dry out.
- PREPARE THE SAUCE: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk in the peanut butter, hoisin, and sambal oelek together until homogeneous. Add a tablespoon of warm water at a time to thin. The amount of water may vary depending on how thin or thick you prefer your sauce. Top the sauce with chopped peanuts and serve right away with your Vietnamese spring rolls. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
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2pots2cook says
We prefer everything vegan or vegetarian now when the crazy heat is on. This is great idea to make a change on our menu! Thank you Denise!