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If you’re looking for a fun, tasty way to use up veggies, my vegan summer rolls recipe is just the thing! Customize the gluten-free rolls with your favorite vegetables and fillings, and dip into a drool-worthy sauce for a traditional Vietnamese experience. Within 10 minutes, you will have a healthy appetizer, snack, or lunch packed with nutrition!
If you like egg rolls or spring rolls, you have to give my vegetarian summer rolls recipe a try! Summer rolls are a Vietnamese dish using rice paper and served cold.
They are typically filled with fresh ingredients and use a variety of veggies. You may have heard them referred to as fresh spring rolls (to distinguish from the traditional fried version, which are just regular spring rolls) or salad rolls.
The concept is so simple, but the outcome is even more delicious than you might imagine! They’re exactly what you would expect from traditional vegetarian Vietnamese rice paper rolls, and are filled with plant-based ingredients.
I use cool, crisp vegetables paired with rice noodles and tofu, all wrapped up into a sheet of rice paper. Grab your favorite dipping sauces and this will be love at first bite!
And why not stick to the Vietnamese cuisine by serving a delicious traditional dessert after?! You will not want to miss out on my pandan honeycomb cake!
My family loves anything that you can dip into sauce, so these vegan Vietnamese spring rolls were an instant hit in my household! Sauce is the star of most of our meals (I’m not called the sauce queen for nothing, I mean have you even tried my smoky red pepper crema?!) So when I can get some veggies into a new dipping vehicle, I grab that idea and run!
The greatest thing about this summer rolls recipe is that they are super customizable. You can literally add almost anything inside! (See my summer rolls filling ideas later in this post). And when you give the kids the power to choose what they want, they are more invested and more likely to eat it happily.
Honestly, vegan fresh rolls are the perfect way to get kids involved with their food. I like to set up a make-your-own bar, let them pick what they want, help them roll it up and watch them get all that goodness into their bellies!
Kids plus veggies equals the necessity of being creative because one day they love them and the next it’s like their least favorite thing on the planet. So any time I can find new ways to get them to eat a more colorful, fiber-rich, veggie-full meal, I call that a win.
And I have to mention, my vegan summer rolls recipe offers the best way to use up produce before it goes bad! No more food waste! Whether you have some carrots, cucumber, cilantro or even radishes that are on their last couple days, this recipe is here to save the day.
🥘 Ingredients
My vegan fresh spring rolls use simple, healthy ingredients for a boost of nutrition to your diet! Here is what you need:
Rice Paper Sheets: Rice paper wrappers are the casing that holds these summer rolls together. It comes dry, and once you get it wet you can easily wrap them up much like a burrito.
Veggie Fillings: For this exact recipe pictured in this post I use sliced green onions, shiitake mushrooms, cucumber, red pepper, and cilantro. Feel free to swap out for any vegetables of your choosing.
Rice Noodles: I love adding in thin rice noodles for a fun texture! You can use other Asian style noodles like kelp or shirataki noodles, too.
Extra Firm Tofu: For added protein in my vegan summer roll bites I use tofu! This is optional and can be left out for a soy-free version. I’ve made these rolls with raw tofu and baked – both are tasty! You can use my tofu skewers recipe for inspiration if you want to add extra flavor, just cut the tofu into strips instead of cubes.
🔪 How To Make Vegan Summer Rolls
Making my vegan Vietnamese summer rolls is super quick and straightforward! The first thing you need to decide is what you want inside. You also need some quality rice paper. The trickiest part of making a summer roll is getting the right amount of wetness on your rice paper. Too much will make it tough to work with. Follow along with my step-by-step instructions for the easiest, fool-proof approach!
Prepare Rice Paper: First, I soak a piece of rice paper in warm water for 5 seconds, then I place it on a flat surface.
Add Fillings: Next, I put a few pieces of each ingredient in the center of the rice paper, making sure to not overfill it.
Fold The Paper: Now, I fold one side inward over the fillings. Then, I fold the two adjoining sides inward over the folded side.
Roll: Finally, I roll tightly like a burrito. See post for step by step pictures. Rice paper tends to stick easily so don’t worry about it being perfect while you fold. As you roll it will stick and come out ok.
Serve: I love serving this with a variety of dipping sauces, and even as part of a bigger spread as an appetizer!
My #1 Secret Tip for this recipe is to have all of your fillings ready to go, and roll immediately after soaking the rice paper!
For the very best vegan summer rolls, I recommend having everything sliced and prepared ahead of time. That’s because rice paper is a bit finicky to work with, especially if it’s new to you. (I promise it does get easier!) If you let the paper sit too long after removing it from the water, it can start to dry up and will be less pliable.
By having everything ready to go you can add all the ingredients as soon as the rice paper is dampened.
Other Tips To Keep In Mind:
- Other Slicing Methods: I find it easy enough to just slice the veggies with a knife, but you can also use a mandoline for thinly sliced, even vegetables.
- Do Not Overfill: This might take a little trial and error like it did for me, but you will quickly get the hang of it. Ultimately you want to avoid overfilling as it will cause the rice paper to tear and the fillings will fall out.
- Soaking The Rice Paper: Do not use hot water to soak the rice paper – stick to warm or room temperature. Soaking for about 5 seconds should be plenty, as it will continue to soften a bit after as you add the fillings. If you soak the paper for too long you will likely need to discard that piece because it will get too sticky and messy.
- DIY Station: If you are having guests over or want your kids to get involved, set up a variety of filling options so everyone can make their own rolls.
📖 Variations
More Vegetables: My recipe uses green onions, mushrooms, cucumber, and red pepper but get as creative as you want! Try yellow or orange bell pepper, bean sprouts, shredded red cabbage, carrots, radishes, cabbage, avocado, fresh herbs like fresh cilantro or Thai basil, and so much more.
Other Proteins: Instead of tofu, these rolls could be filled with tempeh, chickpeas, or edamame. If you are not vegan, feel free to use any meat you like.
Herbs: Swap the cilantro for some fresh mint or thai basil! This adds a whole new flavor profile to the rolls.
Rice: Sometimes I like to replace the noodles with white rice or even brown rice! This adds a nice texture with every bite and the rice really absorbs any sauce well for more flavor.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
I love to serve my vegan summer rolls with a delicious dipping sauce, my favorite is peanut based but there are many options! These are a great appetizer but also perfect for a light lunch. Check out my top serving suggestions:
Dipping Sauces: My tofu summer rolls aren’t complete without a yummy sauce to dip them into! Give it a try with my favorites:
Lunch Ideas: While you can definitely enjoy these veggie summer rolls on their own for lunch, if you need something more filling and hearty here are my go-to recipes to pair these with:
🫙 Storage Instructions
Fridge: Storing my vegetable summer rolls is so easy! There are a few methods that I recommend in order to keep them as fresh as possible (listed below). All of these methods work well, but I personally like wrapping each one individually with plastic wrap because I feel it keeps the rolls the freshest. Here are my 4 tested methods for storing in the fridge:
- Cover them with a damp dish towel to hold the moisture
- Wrap them individually with plastic wrap.
- Rub each one with a tiny bit of sesame oil then wrap in plastic.
- Wrap each one in a lettuce leaf.
After you choose one of these methods, place the rolls in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Any of these methods will work well and keep your rolls tasting delicious for the next day or so. I don’t recommend freezing these rolls as the texture and taste will change once defrosted.
❓Recipe FAQs
Yes! My vegetarian summer rolls can be made ahead of time so that they are ready to go when it is time to eat. This is a great way to prep ahead, however you need to be careful how you store them as the rice paper can get dry and hard. While you can still eat them, they won’t be as good texture wise. So keeping them moist while storing them is key! Use one of my storing tips from above (like rubbing with a bit of sesame oil or individually wrapping in plastic) for best results.
It is honestly very easy to wrap these rolls once you get the hang of it! If you’ve wrapped a burrito, it is a similar method – fold the ends in first, and then roll.
The main trick is to not overfill them! This will either cause the wraps to tear or for everything to spill out as you roll. Either way, you will have a mess on your hands! Additionally, as I mentioned in the expert tips it is important to only soak the rice paper for about 5 seconds so that it is soft enough to work with but not too soft that it will break.
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📋 Recipe Card
Vegan Summer Rolls
If you’re looking for a fun, tasty way to use up veggies, my vegan summer rolls recipe is just the thing! Customize with your favorite vegetables and fillings, and dip into a drool-worthy sauce for a traditional Vietnamese experience. Within 10 minutes, you will have a healthy appetizer, snack, or lunch packed with nutrition!
Servings: 20 rolls
Calories: 158kcal
- You can add or sub any veggies you like in your rolls. See post for ideas.
- The tofu is optional, omit for soy free version.
- You can use the tofu as is or bake it (see the crispy tofu recipe from this post and simple bake in strips instead of cubes).
- Nutrition info is for summer roll only, it does not include sauces.
Serving: 1roll | Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 151mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 1g
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