Fresh spring rolls might be one of my favorite things to eat ever! I love everything about them – the freshness, the filling versatility, the general healthful nature, and how easy they are to make! Our fresh spring rolls recipe today is vegan, gluten-free (can also use coconut aminos or soy sauce if gluten-free isn’t a concern).
I eat these for dinner all the time, they’re so hearty and filling and truly make such a delicious dinner. I also make them as great, light appetizers whenever I have friends or family over and they’re always a hit. Don’t even think about sleeping on that dipping sauce. It’s equally as fresh and vibrant as the rolls! If you want to serve them with a peanut sauce instead (or both!) we love using our soba noodle peanut sauce recipe as another option!
How to Make Our Fresh Spring Rolls Recipe
Ingredients to Note
Rice Paper Wrappers are thin, round, translucent sheets that can be found at many asian grocery stores as well as most American grocery stores, in the asian food aisle and online.
Process
DIPPING SAUCE
- Place vinegar and sugar in a small pot and simmer until sugar dissolves.
- Remove from heat and cool. Stir in remaining ingredients and set aside.
MUSHROOMS
- Place a skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. Sauté mushrooms for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add soy sauce and sugar and stir together until mushrooms are evenly coated. Remove from heat and cool.
ASSEMBLY
- Dip rice paper wrappers in warm water for 5 to 7 seconds until soft and pliable (they will soften more as you fill and roll them). Lay wrapper flat onto a clean surface.Lay a butter lettuce leaf onto the rice paper wrapper on the side closest to you. Add a small handful of the shredded cabbage in the center of the butter lettuce leaf. Top cabbage with some carrots and a few strips of red and yellow bell peppers. Top with some mushrooms and finally a mint leaf.
- Carefully wrap fresh spring roll as tight as possible, folding the sides of the spring roll inwards, while rolling. Repeat until all filling ingredients and rice paper wrappers have been used. Cut each spring roll in half and serve on a platter with the dipping sauce.
Tips and Tricks for Fresh Spring Roll Success
- Don’t dip the rice paper wrapper in the warm water for too long. You will end up having a hard time getting it to lay flat and roll.
- It’s important that the made spring rolls are not refrigerated. This will cause the rice paper wrapper to become hard instead of pliable and slightly chewy.
- Make the components ahead of time to save on time the day you serve them!
Prep Ahead and Storing Instructions
While the fresh spring rolls are best made the day of (up to a few hours before they’re consumed), the different components can be made ahead of time!
If you’re not serving the spring rolls immediately keep them whole and cover them at room temperature with a damp paper towel or clean, light weight kitchen towel to prevent the rice wrapper from hardening. Then when ready to serve, uncover, slice in half and serve with dipping sauce!
Dipping Sauce
The entire dipping sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Alternatively (just) the sugar and vinegar mixture can be made up to 1 week in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. An hour to 3 days before serving, just stir in the remaining ingredients!
Mushrooms
The mushrooms can be sautéed up to 2 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Vegetables
All of the other vegetables can be sliced and stored in an airtight container up to 3 days inadvance!
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Fresh Spring Rolls
INGREDIENTS
dipping sauce
- 1 cup rice wine vinegar
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon sambal chile paste
- 2 teaspoons minced cilantro
- 1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced
- 2 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon peeled and minced ginger
spring rolls
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons tamari (can use soy sauce or coconut aminos)
- 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
- 10 (8-9”) rice paper wrappers
- 10 large butter lettuce leaves
- 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
- 1 carrot, peeled and julienne
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienne
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and julienne
- 10 large mint leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
dipping sauce
- Place vinegar and sugar in a small pot and simmer until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool. Stir in remaining ingredients and set aside.
mushrooms
- 1. Place a skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. Sauté mushrooms for 3 to 4minutes.
- Add soy sauce and sugar and stir together until mushrooms are evenly coated. Remove from heat and cool.
assembly
- Dip rice paper wrappers in warm water for 10 seconds until soft and pliable. Lay wrapper flat onto a clean surface.
- Lay a butter lettuce leaf onto the rice paper wrapper on the side closest to you.Add a small handful of the shredded cabbage in the center of the butter lettuce leaf. Top cabbage with some carrots and a few strips of red and yellow bell peppers. Top with some mushrooms and finally a mint leaf.
- Carefully wrap the spring roll as tight as possible, folding the sides of the spring roll inwards, while rolling.
- Repeat until all filling ingredients and rice paper wrappers have been used.
- Cut each spring roll in half and serve on a platter with the dipping sauce.
NOTES
- Don’t dip the rice paper wrapper in the warm water for too long. You will end up having a hard time getting it to lay flat and roll.
- It’s important that the made spring rolls are not refrigerated. This will cause the rice paper wrapper to become hard instead of pliable and slightly chewy.
- Make the components ahead of time to save on time the day you serve them!
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Looks so amazing! Will make it for my family this weekend.