Tofu spring rolls are the perfect appetizer or light meal for summer. Also known as summer rolls, these healthy Vietnamese-style spring rolls are made with tofu, fresh veggies, rice noodles, and fresh herbs all wrapped up in a rice paper wrapper. Serve them cold dipped in peanut sauce, sweet Thai chili sauce, garlic cilantro sauce, or any other dipping sauce for a flavor-packed snack.
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These tofu spring rolls are fun to make and can be filled with whatever fresh veggies and herbs that you have on hand. I like to set up the ingredients in an assembly line and my family has fun making their own to suit their own taste. Add fried tofu and rice noodles, and then let everyone choose their favorite veggies and fresh herbs.
❤️ These summer rolls are
- the perfect meal for a hot day.
- packed with protein, fresh veggies, and herbs.
- bursting with flavor.
🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- Tofu - extra firm or high-protein tofu works best. You want tofu that is firm enough that it won't fall apart when you cook it.
- Cooking oil - to fry the tofu in.
- Salt- to sprinkle on the tofu.
- Rice Noodles - skinny rice noodles work best. I like the rice vermicelli that you just soak in hot water to rehydrate. They have the best texture in spring rolls.
- Rice Paper - to wrap up the spring rolls. This comes in dry sheets usually sold near the rice noodles in Asian sections of large grocery stores. You must use rice paper. You don't want the wheat-based spring roll wrappers that need to be cooked.
- Fresh Veggies and Herbs - Choose anything from the following list.
- Carrots
- Bell Peppers
- Bean Sprouts
- Cucumber
- Avacado
- Cabbage
- Spinach
- Bibb Lettuce
- Basil
- Cilantro
- Mint
- Green Onions
🔪 Helpful tools
- A large shallow plate or bowl to soak the rice paper wrappers in.
🥄 Instructions
Cook the tofu
- Drain and press a block of tofu, then cut the tofu into long strips about 1/4 inch wide about the size and shape of a French fry, then pat the strips with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. (You are basically making my tofu fries recipe, see this recipe for instructions to bake the tofu instead.)
- Add enough oil to coat the bottom of a frying pan (A non-stick or cast iron frying pan works best.)
- Turn the heat to medium-high and add the tofu strips. Then sprinkle them with salt.
- Cook for about 3 minutes on each side before turning them with tongs.
- Once they are cooked evenly on all sides, move to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
Preparing and assembling the spring rolls
- Prepare the rice vermicelli noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside.
- Wash and cut all of the veggies that you want into long thin strips. Wash the fresh herbs and break off any long stems.
- Prepare a large shallow bowl or plate with warm water to rehydrate the rice paper wrappers.
Wrapping the Spring Rolls
- Layout the prepared ingredients near where you are going to assemble the summer rolls.
- Place a sheet of rice paper in the warm water and let it sit for about 45-60 seconds. As soon as it becomes soft, take it out of the water and lay it out flat on a clean surface.
- Place about 1/4 cup of rice noodles in a long strip in the center of the paper Add about 3-4 strips of tofu and a variety of the fresh veggies and herbs that you have chosen.
- Fold the right and left sides of the wrapper, then pick up the bottom of the paper and fold it up and over the middle ingredients and continue rolling upwards until it is tight.
- Set aside and repeat until all are assembled.
- Serve with spicy peanut sauce, sweet Thai chili sauce, garlic cilantro sauce, or any other dipping sauce
🥗 Serving suggestions
👩🏻🍳 Pro tips
- Don't let the rice paper wrapper sit too long in the water or it will become too soft and break easier.
- The rice paper will stick to itself especially when it starts to dry a little. If it gets tangled up before you can lay it flat, just dip it back into the water.
- It takes a little practice learning how to roll up these summer rolls. If you mess up, just rip off the rice paper and throw it away and start with a new sheet of rice paper.
- If you want a super quick and easy meal, omit the rice paper wrapper and toss everything in a bowl for a summer roll salad and drizzle it with spicy peanut sauce.
🍞 Are summer rolls gluten-free?
Summer rolls are easy to make gluten-free, but you have to watch out for a few hidden ingredients. Some brands of rice paper do contain wheat, so be sure to check the label. Also, be sure to use a gluten-free dipping sauce, like my spicy peanut sauce made with Tamari.
🥡 Storage and reheating
Vegan summer rolls are best served fresh or within a few hours of making them. If you are not going to eat them right away, you can place a wet paper towel over them followed by a layer of plastic wrap to keep them moist.
You can also wrap each individual spring roll in plastic wrap making sure that no air is touching it. They will keep wrapped up like this in the fridge for about 2 days.
🌟 More summery recipes
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
📋Tofu spring rolls recipe
Tofu Spring Rolls
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Fresh summer rolls served cold and packed with tofu, fresh veggies, herbs, and rice noodles wrapped in a rice paper wrapper.
Course:
Appetizer
Cuisine:
Asian, Vietnamese
Keyword:
tofu spring rolls, tofu summer rolls, vegan summer rolls
Servings: 8
Calories: 331 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 (14 oz. block) tofu
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 rice paper wrappers
- 2 cups rice noodles cooked
- 3 cup vegetables (Your choice like carrots bell peppers, bean sprouts, cucumber, avacado, cabbage, spinach, bibb lettuce.)
- 1/2 cup fresh herbs (Your choice like basil, cilantro, mint, green onions.)
Instructions
cook the tofu
-
Drain and press a block of tofu, then cut the tofu into long strips about 1/4 inch wide about the size and shape of a French fry, then pat the strips with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. (You are basically making my tofu fries recipe, see this recipe for instructions to bake the tofu instead.)
-
Add enough oil to coat the bottom of a frying pan (A non-stick or cast iron frying pan works best.)
-
Turn the heat to medium-high and add the tofu strips and sprinkle them with salt.
-
Cook for about 3 minutes on each side before turning them with tongs.
-
Once they are cooked evenly on all sides move to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
preparing and assembling the spring rolls
-
Prepare the rice vermicelli noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside.
-
Wash and cut all of the veggies that you want into long thin strips. Wash the fresh herbs and break off any long stems.
-
Prepare a large shallow bowl or plate with warm water to rehydrate the rice paper wrappers.
wrapping the spring rolls
-
Layout off the prepared ingredients near where you are going to assemble the summer rolls.
-
Place a sheet of rice paper in the warm water and let it sit for about 45-60 seconds. As soon as it becomes soft, take it out of the water and lay it out flat on a clean surface.
-
Place about 1/4 cup of rice noodles in a long strip in the center of the paper Add about 3-4 strips of tofu and a variety of the fresh veggies and herbs that you have chosen.
-
Fold the right and left sides of the wrapper, then pick up the bottom of the paper and fold it up and over the middle ingredients and continue rolling upwards until it is tight.
-
Set aside and repeat until all are assembled and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Recipe Notes
- Don't let the rice paper wrapper sit too long in the water or it will become too soft and break easier.
- The rice paper will stick to itself especially when it starts to dry a little. If it gets tangled up before you can lay it flat, just dip it back into the water.
- It takes a little practice learning how to roll up these summer rolls. If you mess up, just rip off the rice paper and throw it away and start with a new sheet of rice paper.
- If you want a super quick and easy meal, omit the rice paper wrapper and toss everything in a bowl for a summer roll salad and drizzle it with peanut dipping sauce.
Nutrition Facts
Tofu Spring Rolls
Amount Per Serving (1 roll)
Calories 331
Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 2mg1%
Sodium 323mg14%
Potassium 199mg6%
Carbohydrates 70g23%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 3784IU76%
Vitamin C 12mg15%
Calcium 42mg4%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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