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Vegan summer rolls recipe with a delicious and creamy peanut sauce for dipping! A delicious, healthy, light, and popular Vietnamese dish!
What are Vietnamese Summer Rolls?
Rice paper filled with raw vegetables, tofu, rice noodles, salad, and fresh herbs. They are rolled up like spring rolls, and in fact, are almost identical. But instead of being fried in fat like classic spring rolls, they are served raw and are therefore much healthier and lighter.
And boy, let me tell you, they are perfect for dipping! Best served with a creamy peanut sauce or a light dipping sauce made with soy sauce (in case you are allergic to peanuts).
It is a classic dish of the Vietnamese cuisine and is mainly served as an appetizer among Asian countries. But I do love to enjoy those rice paper rolls as a light dinner during summer. Plus, no oven nor stove needed!
In a nutshell: An Asian finger food that is super healthy yet tasty!
Ingredients
Fill them according to your mood. There are no rules! In this recipe, I will show you my favorite vegan summer rolls filling with carrots, cucumber, rice vermicelli, tofu, lettuce, and fresh herbs such as cilantro and mint.
If you like, mix and match with other vegetables such as bell pepper, red cabbage, or spring onions. Make sure to choose vegetables with a crunch, softer veggies such as tomatoes aren’t suitable for this kind of recipe.
The key ingredient for summer rolls is rice paper. Visit an Asian shop for the cheapest rice papers and make sure to choose round ones (there are also square ones available) with a size of 8.5 inches or 22 cm. Supermarkets usually have them available within the Asian aisle, but they are often much more expensive than bought directly from an Asian store.
I always buy a large pack as you can keep them for up to one year in your cupboard. Very easy to store! 😉 Plus, you can use them to make this vegan sushi with rice paper recipe, no nori sheets needed!
Peanut Dipping Sauce
Peanut sauce & summer rolls simply belong together! It’s the perfect dip: creamy, nutty, salty, and slightly spicy! This peanut sauce recipe is very easy to make and can be used for almost any Asian recipe. Add it to stir-fry sauce, tofu satay, rice noodle salad, and much more.
If you are allergic to peanuts, use almond butter.
How To Make Summer Rolls – Recipe with Visual Guide
This visual guide with step-by-step pictures should help you along the way- definitely recommended if you are preparing summer roles for the first time.
Rolling them up can be a bit tricky, especially if it’s your first time. But I am confident that with this guide and a little practice, you will do just fine. Likely, your first summer rolls won’t be perfect, but please don’t be too harsh with yourself; perfection comes with practice.
The exact quantities and everything else you need to know for the recipe can be found in the recipe card below.
- Start with making the peanut sauce: Add all ingredients in a bowl and stir until you have a smooth sauce. Thin with more water if needed.
- Cook the rice vermicelli according to the package instructions. → I usually cook mine this way: Place the rice vermicelli in a large bowl, pour over with boiling water from the kettle, soak for 2 minutes, drain, wash with cold water, and let the excess water drain over a sieve. Keep in mind that the cooking time/method can vary between brands.
- Slice the veggies and tofu into long thin sticks or use a julienne peeler. Wash the lettuce & fresh herbs and pat dry.
- Fill a large bowl (I use a tart form) with cold water and soak one rice paper at a time for about 15 seconds in it. It should be soaked yet still a little hard, definitely not too soft.
- Lay it on a cutting board or directly on a clean working surface. Place ingredients in the following order at the bottom of the rice paper:
- Mint/cilantro leaves
- Carrots, cucumber, tofu. Then rice vermicelli, and a small lettuce leave.
Now, roll them up!
- Fold the end tight over the filling.
- Fold in both sides.
- Roll it up very tight. → You must roll them up very tightly. Otherwise, the ingredients will fall out easily when dipping. Work with wet hands if the rice paper is too sticky.
- Repeat with the remaining rice papers & ingredients.
- Cut the summer rolls in half and serve with the peanut sauce.
Recipe FAQ
Do you want to make the peanut butter from scratch? Place 1 cup (125g) of unsalted peanuts in a food processor or high-speed blender and blend until you have smooth peanut butter.
Can I make the rolls without lettuce? I found that it’s much easier to roll them up tightly when using a small leave of lettuce versus no lettuce at all. Try both versions if you are curious.
Can I use other vegetables? Sure, anything that is crunchy and can be cut into thin sticks.
Can I also use glass noodles for this recipe? Sure! I sometimes use glass noodles when I don’t have rice noodles at home. Make sure to always go for the thinnest, also called vermicelli.
Can I use regular tofu? Absolutely. Use firm tofu, cut it into sticks, cook it in a skillet with some oil, and, if desired, season with soy sauce. Smoked or baked tofu doesn’t need to be cooked and can be eaten raw.
Can I keep leftovers? Yes, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for one day in the fridge. The peanut sauce can be stored for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
More Asian Recipes You’ll Love:
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📖 Recipe
Summer Rolls
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Ingredients
Peanut Sauce
- ½ cup (125 g) peanut butter
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
- 2 ½ tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sriracha sauce or chili sauce of choice
- ½ tsp maple syrup
- 1 small clove garlic finely grated or pressed
- ½ tbsp ginger finely grated
Summer Rolls
- 14 rice papers ∅ 8.5 inch / 22cm
- 3 oz (85 g) rice vermicelli
- 7 oz (200 g) smoked or baked tofu cut into sticks
- 2 carrots cut into thin sticks
- ½ cucumber seeded & cut into thin sticks
- 14 small leaves lettuce or a few large ones, teared apart
- a bunch fresh mint leaves & cilantro optional
Instructions
Peanut Sauce
- Add all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until you have a smooth peanut sauce. Thin with more water if needed.
Summer Rolls
- Cook the rice vermicelli according to the package instructions. → I usually cook mine this way: Place the rice vermicelli in a large bowl, pour over with boiling water from the electric kettle, let them soak for 2 minutes, drain, wash with cold water, and let the excess water drain over a sieve. Keep in mind that the cooking time/method can vary between brands.
- Slice the veggies and tofu into thin long sticks or use a julienne peeler.
- Fill a large bowl (I use a tart form) with cold water and soak one rice paper at a time for about 15 seconds in it. It should be soaked yet still a little hard, definitifely not too soft.
- Lay it on a cutting board or directly on a clean working surface. Place mint/cilantro leaves, followed by carrots, cucumber, tofu, rice vermicelli, and a small lettuce leave at the bottom of the rice paper.
- Fold the end tight over the filling, then fold in both sides. Roll it up very tight. → Work with wet hands if the rice paper is too sticky.
- Repeat with the remaining rice papers & ingredients. Cut the summer rolls in half and serve with the peanut sauce.
Notes
- Do you want to make the peanut butter from scratch? Place 1 cup (125g) of unsalted peanuts in a food processor or high-speed blender and blend until you have smooth peanut butter.
- Can I use other vegetables? Sure, anything that is crunchy and can be cut into thin sticks.
- Tofu: If you don’t have smoked or baked tofu at hand, you can use regular firm tofu. Cut it into sticks, cook it in a skillet with some oil, and if desired, season with soy sauce.
- Leftovers: Can be stored in an airtight container for one day in the fridge. The peanut sauce can be stored for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
