Steph and I have decided that one of our major goal this year is to look and feel our best. So naturally, we developed these vegan rice paper rolls to help our pursuit of ripping beach bods. But sometimes this is hard when you’re a food blogger. For example, the last few weeks have been monumental in terms of recipe development failures. I had so many attempts at my microwave sticky rice that it literally costed me a small fortune. Was I going to throw it away? Not a chance. I ate it and it’s all still happily sitting on my hips.
I have always been envious of people who have been able to eat their weight in food and not gain a single pound. A mate of mine whose nick name is “the shredder,” is a prime example. No matter what or how much he eats the guy hasn’t put on any fat since he was born. It is like he has an raging fire at the back of his mouth where food just gets obliterated before it goes down into his stomach as little puffs of flavoured smoke.
Thinking of this mate plus the amount of carbs I’ve consumed lately has made me want to put up something a bit healthier for this new post. I don’t claim that going vegan is healthier than a normal diet, but I think we can all do with a little more veg in our diet. This vegan rice paper roll recipe is a great dish for exactly that.
Fillings and Sauces to Use With Vegan Rice Paper Rolls
I normally have rice paper rolls with pork and prawn, but this vegan alternative is filled with tofu, rice vermicelli, fresh herbs and vegetables. One of the best things about rice paper rolls is you can tailor the recipe to your liking and to what you have on hand. I’ve given you the basic recipe, plus some suggestions for alternatives/additions. You’re really only limited to your imagination.
What I think works best though with the fillings I’ve suggested is that they are not in any way overpowering. Each element contributes more in terms of texture than taste, which allows the real star of this recipe to stand out… the spicy peanut dipping sauce. Think high quality, natural peanut butter, mixed with sweet hoisin and spicy sriracha and turned into a thick sauce that will cling to your filling and rice paper every time you dip. I’ve included the recipe for the sauce below, but if for whatever reason you’re not keen you can also try hoisin dipping sauce or the traditional Vietnamese nuoc mam cham.
So whether you’re vegan, need a bit of a detox or just need to clear out your fridge, give my vegan rice paper rolls with spicy peanut sauce a go. Also, I’d love to hear what flavour combinations you think are best… let me know in the comments!
Other Recipes You May Like
- Vegan Fried Spring Rolls
- Oven Baked Vegan Curry Puffs
- Vegan Tofu and Shiitake Mushroom Mince
- Traditional Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls – Goi Cuon
- Budget Pork Rice Paper Rolls with Hoisin Sauce
– Scruff
Vegan Rice Paper Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 250 gm rice vermicelli (dong guan)
- 500 gm Fresh cooked tofu (from Asian groceries) or raw firm tofu (Note 1)
- 1 rice paper (20)
spicy peanut dipping sauce
Salad
- 2 medium carrots, grated
- 1 continental cucumber, cut into strips
- 1/2 medium lettuce head, shredded
- 6 sprigs Thai basil (optional)
- 10 sprigs coriander (optional)
- 150 gm bean sprouts
If Using Raw Firm Tofu
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil (may need extra)
Instructions
Spicy Peanut Sauce
- The recipe for the spicy peanut sauce is in the link.
Preparing the Filling
- Wash and prep the vegetables and herbs then place on a plate. Leave the coriander and Thai basil whole
- Add water to a large pot and bring to the boil.
- Add the rice vermicelli noodles and cook as directed by the packaging. Once cooked, drain and leave aside to cool.
- If you are using cooked tofu then cut into slices then skip to step 8. If you are using raw firm tofu, then roughly cut it into 10 cm long x 2.5 cm width and 0.5 cm thick slices.
- Using a paper towel, pat dry the tofu then add 1 cup of cornstarch into a large bowl and dust each slice with a thin layer of cornstarch.
- Add 4 tbsp of vegetable oil into a fry pan on medium high and cook the tofu for 1.5 mins on each side. Each slice of tofu must be sitting in oil, so add more oil if needed.
- Once cooked, place on a cooling rack to drain.
Assembly
- In large bowls add half cold water and half boiling water. Soften the rice paper by submerging it for a few seconds in the water. (Slideshow in this post)
- Place the noodles towards the bottom of the rice paper.
- Top with the vegetables and tofu.
- Roll the rice paper from the bottom upwards.
Notes
- Fresh cooked tofu are usually sold in plastic packaging at your Asian groceries. It is stored in the fridge section and has a slight golden colour. The brand I prefer to use is Nhu Quynh.
- It is important that you use peanut butter with no added salt. This is because if you don’t, the sauce will become too potent and strong once you mix all the other ingredients in.
- If you have adults or children who can not take heat, then try the hoisin dipping sauce version in the linked post.
Great post Andrew
Thanks mate!
These look amazing; they’d make a great lunch to take to work!
Thank you! Just remember to put a little bit of baking paper in between the rolls before you put it in your lunch box/container to stop them joining forces!
Sounds very delicious! Would it be 4 lunch serves? Ho many rolls altogether?
Hi Michele! For me it is around 4 -5 rolls each, if there were 4 people eating. But it varies a lot from person to person. I like to pack mine with filling, while Steph is much more conservative. Also, I got through waaaaaaay more dipping sauce because I basically slam dunk each roll in to the sauce!