Make Vegetable Spring Rolls with a peanut ginger dip sauce for a healthy vegetarian/vegan lunch. Eat the rainbow with gorgeous fresh veggies!
These are also known as Vietnamese rice paper rolls. Each crunchy bite is filled with flavor, as the sauce adds just the right amount of savory sweet heat all wrapped up in tender rice wrappers.
Fresh spring rolls are an easy recipe to up your veggie game, rolling them is a breeze, and healthy is so stunningly beautiful...
Loving These Rainbow Rolls
There are so many reasons to love these veggie spring rolls...
- They are both vegetarian and vegan. Thanks to the use of rice paper wrappers and not egg roll wrappers, these vegetable rolls are perfect for vegetarians and vegans alike.
- The use of rice paper rolls makes them so pretty. Egg rolls hide all of the veggie goodness inside... and are typically deep-fried adding so many calories. Rice paper rolls are transparent, putting all of the beautiful contents on full display. And no frying is required.
- Rice paper wrappers are gluten-free, making the rolls gluten-free too if you use gluten-free ingredients like veggies.
- The Sesame Ginger sauce is so flavorful. The dipping sauce makes these, and you can make it spicier, tangy, or more creamy if you wish.
- Enjoy these vegetable rolls with more sides like a vegetable stir fry, hot garlic rice noodles, or veggie fried rice.
- They're ideal for a snack, lunch, or light dinner. These vegan rolls are perfect for any time you want a healthy, nutritious, vegetable-heavy meal.
- They are SO GOOD for you! With a rainbow of vegetables, these are guilt free, and fill you up stopping those cravings.
Vegetable Spring Rolls Recipe
- 1 package spring roll rice paper wrappers (you'll want about 4 wrappers per person). Rice paper wrappers are clear, and labeled for spring rolls don't get egg roll wrappers - those are for frying.
- purple cabbage shreds
- shredded carrots
- yellow & orange or red bell peppers 4" thin sticks
- jicama 4" thin sticks
- cucumber 4" thin sticks
- fresh basil leaves whole
- avocados thin slices
- broccoli sprouts
- sesame seeds
PRO TIP: Clean and cut all the veggie filling ingredients (bell pepper, jicama, avocado, cucumber) into 4" sticks or slices. Cut the cabbage and carrots into thin long strips or shreds.
Peanut Ginger Dipping Sauce
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon grated ginger or ginger paste
- 3 tablespoons peanut butter, tahini, or almond butter - each one adds a slightly different flavor and creaminess.
- 4 teaspoons red chili paste
PRO TIP: If you want to make a gluten-free dipping sauce, use a gluten-free soy sauce.
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Wrapping Rice Paper Rolls
PRO TIP: Store any remaining wrappers in an air-tight container or zip-top plastic container bag in the pantry, they will be good to use until the expiration date on the package.
spring roll filling
- Clean and cut all the veggies (bell pepper, jicama, avocado, cucumber) into 4" sticks or slices
- Cut the cabbage and carrots into thin long strips or shreds.
dipping sauce
- Whisk in a small bowl the soy sauce, water, grated ginger, peanut butter (or swap almond butter or tahini), and red chili paste.
- Serve this dipping sauce in small low bowls.
wrapping the spring rolls
- Have all the cut veggie filling items ready near a cutting board.
- Fill a large bowl with warm water, dip the spring roll wrapper in the water and turn it around several times for about 15-20 seconds.
- Remove the wrapper, and hang the edge off the end of the flat surface of a cutting board or your work surface. The wet rice paper wrapper will soften more on the board, and become very pliable.
- Place the fresh basil leaf down pretty side down first to show through the wrapper. I like to place basil leaves or other pretty things down first, as that will show on top.
- Next, add one single thin layer of each veggie in the middle of the wrapper, but try not to overfill.
- Fold up the bottom of the wrapper first, then the sides of the wrapper inward, and then be sure to roll the edge of the wrapper tight against the filling all the way to the end.
- Serve on a plate with a small bowl of homemade peanut dipping sauce. These hold really well for parties, and everyone loves them.
- You will want about four rice paper sheets per person for lunch and 1-2 for appetizers. You can make the dipping sauce sweeter or spicier as you prefer. Garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Dipping Sauce Swaps
The ingredient for my favorite dipping sauce for this homemade spring roll recipe are easy to find at the grocery store. You can adjust the flavor as you prefer, here are a few ideas.
- brown sugar - makes it sweeter
- rice vinegar - a teaspoon adds a tangy kick
- hoisin sauce - adds salty/sweet umami
- sweet chili sauce or chili garlic sauce - will add a garlicky heat
- sesame oil - for a toasted nutty flavor
- red chili powder (cayenne) - just a teeny tiny pinch for added heat
More Fresh Vegetables To Try
- fresh mint
- mung bean sprouts
- snow peas or snap peas
- mushrooms
- favorite microgreens
- zucchini
- organic edible flowers (nasturtium or pansies)
- radicchio
- shaved broccoli
- kale
- watercress
- fresh spinach
- radishes
- baby organic spring mix salad greens
- green onion or spring onions
The key to making the best rice paper rolls is to make them as close to serving time as possible.
However, if you need to make them up to an hour or two in advance, the key is to keep them at room temperature and not place them in the fridge (which will dry them out). Vegetable spring rolls are better fresh, and not as good the next day.
The term "spring roll" is used to describe a variety of different rolls with different types of wrappers and fillings. There are rice paper rolls with vegetables wrapped in a rice paper wrapper. And fried spring rolls which typically have a cooked filling like chicken or pork and wrapped in an egg roll wrapper and then deep-fried.
Fun fact: Not surprisingly, spring rolls got their name (most likely in China) from being a popular food eaten primarily in the spring.
Rice paper wrappers are a nice alternative to fried egg rolls which require an egg roll wrapper that is filled and then fried.
Spring roll wrappers typically contain only a few ingredients:
Rice flour
Tapioca
Filtered water
Salt
More Healthy Recipes
- Another bright colorful lunch idea is this Broccoli Grape Salad.
- Italian Tuna Salad: Made in a bell pepper bowl or a tortilla wrap, make a light and healthy lunch that can be great for the whole family.
- You can't go wrong with Avocado Toast for a snack, lunch, or light dinner.
- For a drink on the lighter side, try my Hibiscus Cocktails (Low Sugar/Carb/Keto), it is super refreshing and skips the sugar!
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Vegetable Spring Rolls with Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
spring roll filling
- 1 package Spring roll wrappers (rice paper) You'll want about 4 wrappers per person. Rice paper wrappers are clear, and not egg roll wrappers.
- purple cabbage thinly shredded
- shredded carrots
- yellow & orange, or red bell peppers 4" thin sticks
- jicama 4" thin sticks
- cucumber 4" thin sticks
- fresh basil leaves whole
- avocados thin slices
- broccoli sprouts
- sesame seeds
dipping sauce
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon grated ginger or ginger paste
- 3 tablespoons peanut butter or almond butter or tahini
- 4 teaspoons red chili paste
Instructions
spring roll filling
- Clean and cut all the veggies (bell pepper, jicama, avocado, cucumber) into 4" sticks or slices
- Cut the cabbage and carrots into thin long strips or shreds.
dipping sauce
- Whisk in a small bowl the soy sauce, water, grated ginger, peanut butter (or swap almond butter or tahini) and red chili paste.
- Serve this dipping sauce in small low bowls.
wrapping the spring rolls
- Have all the cut veggie filling items ready near a cutting board.
- Fill a large bowl with warm water, dip the spring roll wrapper in the water and turn it around several times for about 15-20 seconds.
- Remove the wrapper, and hang the edge off the end of the flat surface of a cutting board or your work surface. The wet rice paper wrapper will soften more on the board, and become very pliable.
- Place the fresh basil leaf down pretty side down first to show through the wrapper. I like to place basil leaves or other pretty things down first, as that will show on top.
- Next, add one single thin layer of each veggie in the middle of the wrapper, but try not to over fill.
- Fold up the bottom of the wrapper first, then the sides of the wrapper inward, and then be sure to roll the edge of the wrapper tight against the filling all the way to the end.
- Serve on a plate with a small bowl of homemade peanut dipping sauce. These hold really well for parties, and everyone loves them.
- You will want about four rice paper sheets per person for lunch and 1-2 for appetizers. You can make the dipping sauce sweeter or spicier as you prefer. Garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
These are so beautiful I wanted to make and take them for lunch. They were really simple to make (bonus) and so fresh and satisfying. I could easily see making these with shrimp or tofu for extra protein too. Perfect for spring!