Vegetable Spring Rolls

These fresh vegetable spring rolls are packed with Thai basil, carrots, lettuce, green onion, and more! Bonus: they’re naturally gluten-free.

Here’s a recipe to go along with our Cambodia posts! Almost all of the places we stopped to eat had vegetable spring rolls, both fresh and fried. We enjoyed both, but loved the fresh rolls for their delicious crunch and vegetable goodness.

We’ve made spring rolls for this blog before, as well as to prepare before our trip with Paul, the chef behind the Green Mango Café (a post to come on that soon!). Rolling the spring rolls has always been a challenge, since the rice paper wrappers can get sticky and rather hard to work with!

However, we finally feel like after some practice we’re starting to get the hang of it!  These rolls do require a little bit of time investment, but are fun to make as a “food project”, especially with family!  We were glad that everyone seemed to enjoy both making and eating them.

How to make vegetable spring rolls

Although vegetable spring rolls require a little TLC when assembling them, they really aren’t that hard to make. To make these vegetarian spring rolls, you first need to prepare the vegetable fillings. Chop the basil and green onion, and shred or finely chop the carrots. (Feel free to use whatever veggies you have on hand!). You’ll also need to cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions.

Once the vegetables have been prepped, you can begin assembling the rolls. Carefully slide a rice paper wrapper into a bowl of warm water and let it soak until it’s soft and pliable. Then transfer the wrapper to a cutting board or flat work surface and fill it with veggies. Fold each side of the wrapper inward, and then roll it up. This will take some practice, so don’t fret if the wrappers tear!

Once the vegetable spring rolls are assembled, whisk together the dipping sauce and dig in.

How to store vegetable spring rolls

These vegetarian spring rolls are best enjoyed within an hour or two of making them, as the wrappers become rubbery in the fridge. If you need to prep these spring rolls ahead of time, make them up to two hours in advance and cover them loosely with plastic wrap and a damp paper towel. This will keep them from drying out too much.

Tips for making vegetable spring rolls

• Use fresh herbs — If you can, try to get ahold of some fresh herbs for the rolls, especially Thai basil, which is a fairly typical ingredient. We made the rolls this weekend with family, and everyone commented on the basil! It has a slight licorice-y taste, and can be grown in your garden or found at Asian markets. (If nothing else, it’s good idea for some seeds in the garden this year – or try growing some herbs in a pot!)
• Don’t stack the spring rolls — The rice paper wrappers are incredibly sticky, so be careful not to stack the rolls on top of each other as you’re rolling them.
• Use fish sauce for a more authentic flavor — We chose to use soy sauce in the dipping sauce instead of the more traditional fish sauce. If you want to make truly authentic spring rolls, use fish sauce instead!

Looking for more easy Asian recipes? 

• Teriyaki Stir-Fry with Vegetables
• Thai Salad with Peanut Sauce Dressing
• Veggie-Packed Quinoa Fried Rice
• Incredible Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

This recipe is…

These vegetable spring rolls are vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free. (Double check that your soy sauce doesn’t contain gluten!).

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