Bright, fresh, snappy summer rolls dipped in delicious, flavorful peanut sauce. You’ll love how quickly these come together and how exciting and bold the flavors are! They’re the best spring or summer time snack.
A southeast Asian summer classic
Fresh summer rolls like this one are traditionally Vietnamese. They come in many different shapes and forms. For the most part, they’re made using tofu and veggies and are already vegan friendly.
I came to love these things as a go to vegan safe dish whenever I went out with friends to a local Asian restaurant.
A lot of different restaurants serve these a lot of different ways too. Some serve them with peanut sauce like I have here, others use a sticky sweet vinegar based sauce.
Those are the two most common I come across anyways.
They also vary in what vegetables they use. A lot of the recipes I’ve found online use purple cabbage, but I’ve never come across an asian restaurant that does that.
Instead, I rely on carrots for the snap, cucumber for the cooling affect, and fresh herbs like Thai basil and green onions for flavor. The butter lettuce is a beautiful and helpful way to bind everything together.
Something I’ve thought would be great to add but haven’t done here would be Jicama. If you give this one a try let me know how it goes!
why rice wrappers aren’t intimidating
Any Asian market will have rice wrappers in OVER abundance! Most specialty markets like Whole Foods or New Seasons will have a few in stock.
Same goes for the rice vermicelli, or rice sticks. These are so, so amazing in these wraps! They add so much texture, and definetly help to make them a more filling dish.
Wrapping these are actually super easy compared to some other wrappers. You don’t need to use water or egg to make them stick and seal shut, and they don’t require any cooking at all.
You simply have to soak them for 5-10 second and roll away.
Be careful to not over soak them, or they will become gluey, sticky, and hard to handle.
Making the peanut sauce
Peanut sauce is always such a draw of flavor to me. It’s one of those things you can slather on anything and it will automatically taste 1000X times better.
I mean, I would put this one a donut. It’d be good.
The other perk is it’s super easy to make!
You simply saute the garlic and ginger and then add the rest of the ingredients to thicken. It’s just that simple!
So easy, so tasty, so satisfying!
Fresh or fried spring rolls
I know these are a bit different from their more popular fried spring roll twin, but they’re honestly just as good! (and wayyyy healthier)
Which one do you prefer? Spring rolls, or these fresh summer rolls. Let me know in the comments section below!
Be sure to tag @alderspirit in any photos you share, and use #alderspirit so I can see your tasty creations.
Fresh Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
Fresh Summer Rolls
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 medium cucumber
- 1 bunch green onions
- 1 cup basil
- 2 heads butter lettuce
- 1 pack large rice wrappers
- 1/2 14 oz pack rice wrappers
- 1/2 14 oz pack extra firm tofu
- 3 tbsp 50 / 50 sesame seeds (black and white)
Peanut Sauce
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, fresh minced
- 1 tsp ginger, fresh minced
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tsp chili garlic paste
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 3 tbsp water
Instructions
Peanut Sauce
- Heat sesame oil over medium high in a small saucepan. Add the fresh minced garlic and ginger to the pan and saute for 2 minutes, or until fragrant.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the pan and cook for 2 more minutes to thicken. Set aside.
Fresh Summer Rolls
- Wash all of the veggies. Peel the carrots and cucumber and slice into matchsticks along with the green onions and tofu. Roughly chop the basil and break off the butter lettuce leaves, stacking in a nice pile.
- Boil a large pot of water and cook vermicelli noodles according to package instructions. Rinse in cold water and set aside.
- Pour some warm water into a large bowl and set aside. Gather your peanut sauce, chopped veggies, seasame seed, tofu, and noodles to prepare to roll. To roll:– Grab a dry rice paper and soak in the warm water for 5-10 seconds. It will still be slightly firm when you pull it out, but will continue to hydrate as you work. (NOTE: some wrapper packages show you how to wrap rolls. This might be helpful to you!)– Set the wrap down flat on the counter and add the butter lettuce to the lower center of the wrap. – Add a few strands of each ingredient on top of the butter lettuce and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Add peanut sauce inside the wrap if you'd like. – Roll the wrap by tucking in the bottom of the wrap with the butter lettuce over the ingredients and rolling upwards, tucking in the sides along the way. It will stick shut on its own. – Practice and experiment! Find a way that works for you.
- Serve immediately with warm peanut sauce. Enjoy!
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