If you’re looking for a quick, fresh and stylish appetizer, as well as a fantastic finger food, then look no further than these fresh vegan spring rolls – a perfect culinary representation of spring in all its vernal splendor and glory.
The Freshest of Ingredients
Depending on where you live and the kind of fresh food that you do or do not have access to, your fresh vegan spring roll may look and taste a little different than these.
Do the best with what you have available to you.
Here’s a brief list of all the raw vegetables and herbs that I used inside my spring rolls, as well as other veggies that would also work, if your supply is limited.
Fresh Vegan Spring Rolls
- Carrots
- Radishes
- Pickled cucumbers (or simply fresh cucumber slices work, too)
- Red bell pepper
- Fresh basil
- Fresh mint
Other Veggies To Include, Possibly
- Pickled red onion (or fresh, of course – if you like the tartness)
- Baby spinach
- Other peppers, like jalapeños for more spiciness
- Sprouts, like radish, alfalfa or clover sprouts
Working with Rice Paper
Rice paper can be a pain to work with.
Delicate, sticky, thin, transparent, slippery, unforgiving, wet. The list goes on..
But there are many good qualities to rice paper too, once you know how to tame it. It can be a great vessel for fresh and colorful food, which is the intention for this spring roll.
I myself am not an expert at folding or working with it still, but I understand the gist of it.
How To Manipulate Rice Paper – The Gist of It
1. First word of advice is to fill a large, round and shallow plate with lukewarm water. You need a big enough surface to completely immerse the rice paper in, so that it doesn’t fold over itself in the process of soaking.
2. Then, soak the rice paper in lukewarm (not scolding hot) water for about 10 – 15 seconds, until the paper is no longer unyielding and well, .. papery-feeling. Keep a two-handed grip on it at all times, or it might just disappear on you as it softens.
3. Remove the paper from the water with two hands on opposite ends, and let it drip and drain a bit before placing it carefully and evenly on a dry cutting board. This will rid it the paper of excess moisture before you start folding.
4. Once loaded with ingredients, tuck the sides inwards towards the ingredients, and then roll it up, so you have a nice rounded seal on each end.
5. Let the spring rolls dry off a bit on a plater before serving – not on a paper towel (the sticky rice paper can and will adhere to the paper towel – trust me on this).
The Sauce
The sauce on the inside of a fresh spring roll needs to be contrasting to add depth and additional interest for your taste buds. In this case, you can achieve a contrast of flavor with a salty, umami peanut sauce that compliments the fresh veggies nicely.
The sauce is simply a combination of peanut butter, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and an optional inclusion of sriracha, if you want a spicier note.
Layering the Fresh Vegan Spring Roll – The Aesthetics
The sauce itself is brown, and not as pretty as the rainbow palate of fresh vegetables at your disposal. For this reason, try and conceal the sauce inside the layers of veggies, for best appearance.
As you can see, I didn’t always manage to conceal the sauce successfully, but here’s what I’d do differently next time.
- Lay down a whole leaf or two of basil and mint.
- Spread the sauce on the inside of the leaves.
- Layer the veggies on top.
- Roll the spring roll.
But if you’re less concerned with the appearance of these fresh vegan spring rolls, do it however feels right to you.
An Easy Appetizer and Snack
Fresh vegan spring rolls are an easy, no cook appetizer and/or finger food that are fun to make, once you get the hang of rice paper.
I’d recommend these for pretty much anyone. Also, if you use gluten-free tamari in the peanut sauce, they’re also gluten-free.
Give these fresh vegan spring rolls a try – they’re quite good!
Fresh Spring Rolls
Equipment
- Large and shallow plate or dish, for soaking rice papers
Ingredients
- 8 rice papers
- Luke warm water
- 1 – 2 large carrots, cut into thin strips
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
- Some fresh radishes, cut thinly
- Some pickled or fresh cucumbers, pickled cucumber recipe below
- 10 – 12 big leaves of fresh basil
- 12 – 15 leaves of fresh mint
For the peanut sauce
- 1 ½ – 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon gluten-free tamari, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon sriracha, optional
For the pickled cucumbers
- 4 small cucumbers, skinned and sliced thin
- ½ cup seasoned rice vinegar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables.
- Make the sauce by combining the peanut butter, tamari, rice wine vinegar and sriracha together. For a thinner texture, dilute with a little water, but I would recommend a thicker sauce (so it doesn't leak out of the spring roll).
- Soak the rice paper in luke warm water for 10 – 15 seconds, then remove from the water and let drip and dry for a couple seconds. Place carefully and evenly on a dry cutting board. Lay down the leaves of basil and mint, then spread the sauce on, then layer the fresh veggies. Tuck the sides of the rice paper inward, and then roll tightly upward.
- Place the spring rolls on a plater to dry a little bit before serving.
Optional: Pickled Cucumber
- Prepare the pickled cucumber beforehand, preferably a day to a couple hours before you serve the spring rolls.
- Skin and then chop up the cucumber, then soak in the pickling liquid (vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper) for a couple hours in the fridge or overnight.
Nutrition
I hope that you enjoyed these fresh vegan spring rolls. If you did, please leave a comment and recipe rating before you go.
Also, if you’re looking for another delicious, unique and mildly challenging appetizer to serve guests, check out these Heart of Palm Spanakopita! The skills acquired from wrapping the spring rolls also kind of apply here, too.
May you have good food in good company,
That Vegan Nephew
Consider subscribing to the blog to be notified of upcoming recipes via email.
These fresh, crispy, and delicious rolls were a delightful way to end the day. The peanut sauce was perfectly attuned to the lovely fresh veggies. YUM@
“a perfect culinary representation of spring in all its vernal splendor and glory” You have the soul of a poet! I am all about your pickled cucumbers. I just linked to this recipe because it’s such a fabulous idea.
Haha – thank you, Amy! Homemade quick-pick cucumbers are just about the best garnish ever, and I always have a bowl of them in the fridge.
I was just in the middle of reading your fantastic spring roll recipe! I seriously need to try that oven-baked sriracha tofu on the inside of a spring roll now..