Spring rolls are one of those meals that I absolutely love making, but often forget to add into my dinner rotation. If you’ve never made them, or just need a refresher, try this recipe for my raw veggie spring rolls with peanut sauce. You can pretty much use whatever veggies you have one hand, the key is to either cut them into matchsticks, or peel them to create a softer texture. Butter lettuce works great as a base layer between the rest of the filling and the rice paper wraps, but you can use any leafy green with the hard center ribs removed.
Avocados add the perfect amount of creamy fat for these raw veggie spring rolls with peanut sauce. Another key ingredient is ginger, I have a bit of a love affair with pickled ginger, which is what I used, but grated raw ginger is also delicious.
The peanut sauce is about as basic as it comes: you will need peanut butter (the natural kind that is just peanuts and salt), coconut aminos or soy sauce, lime juice, sriracha, and more ginger. A quick whiz in the blender, and you’re all set.
Assembling these raw veggie spring rolls with peanut sauce can be a bit tricky. But after about one or two, you’ll get the hang of it. Rice paper wraps only need about a minute to soak, so having all your ingredients prepped and ready is key. I layer up all my veggies and set them on a tray, then I just transfer them onto a wrap in one fell swoop.
Raw Veggie Spring Rolls
Ingredients
Rolls:
- ½ lb. firm tofu drained and cut into strips
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- ½ yellow bell pepper
- ½ red bell pepper
- 1 head butter lettuce
- 2 avocados
- 1 large cucumber
- ½ cup pickled ginger or 2” grated raw ginger
- 2 tbsp mint leaves minced
- ½ rice paper wraps + a few extras for any that rip
Peanut Sauce
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 lime- juiced
- ¼ tsp sriracha
- ½ tsp raw ginger
Instructions
- Prep the veggies: Peel the cucumber as far as you can go, then thinly slice whatever is left. Wash the lettuce. Thinly slice bell peppers. Drain tofu and cut into strips. Sprinkle with coconut aminos. Wash and mince mint, then scoop and slice avocados into strips.
- To make the sauce: blend all the ingredients together in a blender. Spoon into a small bowl.
- To make the rice paper wraps: pour 1/2 inch of cold water into a pie pan. Place one wrap in the water, using your fingers to press down, making sure it is completely submerged. Feel it after about 30 seconds. If it is still rough, keep soaking. Once it is soft to the touch and the edges begin to curl, use two hands and carefully lift it out, keeping it as flat as possible. Lay it flat on a cutting board.
- Assemble in this order: lettuce, cucumber, bell pepper, avocado, tofu, ginger, mint. Do not overfill, I tend to under-fill to be safe. Fold in the sides of the rice paper wrap, then roll like a burrito. Don’t worry, the first couple might tear, and that’s why we have extras. Simply soak another paper and wrap it right around the first.
- Now at this point you can either eat them whole, or cut into thirds—my personal preference—also fun if sharing. Spoon sauce over each delectable bite; dipping will likely result in disaster. Enjoy!