Thai fresh spring rolls stuffed with colorful veggies, chewy rice noodles, marinated tofu, and served with a side of peanut dipping sauce. This easy-to-assemble recipe makes the perfect refreshing light lunch or appetizer. The vegetable rolls happen to be vegan and gluten-free too!

Whenever the weather gets warmer, I tend to gravitate towards lighter, cold meals, like Japanese tofu salad, vegan kimbap, and rice paper rolls like these amazing Thai fresh rolls.
Although the wrapping part might be a little overwhelming and tedious at first, once you get the hang of it, you will be whipping out batches of rice paper rolls in no time!
💚Why you will love this recipe
- The perfect light, refreshing yet satisfying hot weather meal
- Simple and easy to make with tons of helpful tips on wrapping rolls
- Highly customizable to fit your taste
- Paired with a creamy and addictive peanut sauce that will leave you wanting more!
🥕What you will need
📃Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Tofu - Make sure to use extra-firm or firm tofu that has been drained and pressed beforehand. I usually press my tofu with a tofu press, but you can also press it by stacking something heavy on top. For a more detailed explanation of how to do it, check out this post on how to press tofu by Food with Feeling.
- Rice paper rolls - usually come in 2 sizes, but I recommend getting the larger ones (about 22cm/8.5 in). You can find them in the international aisle of most groceries or at your local Asian market. I usually buy my rice paper online.
- Rice vermicelli - Also known as rice sticks. Similarly, they can be found in the international or pasta aisle of most groceries, and most Asian markets. Or, you could purchase your rice vermicelli online.
- Basil leaves - I am using Thai holy basil in this recipe. If you can’t find them, regular sweet basil can be used.
🔪How to make
Start by marinating tofu in soy sauce and sesame oil for at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 hours. Once the tofu is done marinating, pan-fry them in a non-stick pan for 2-3 minutes on each side. Set aside.
To make the peanut sauce, simply combine everything needed and stir to mix. Give it a taste, adjusting seasonings to taste.
Wrapping rolls
In a large deep dish or pie pan, add about an inch of water. Dip rice paper for a few seconds on both sides. It will still be stiff but will soften after a short while.
Place the wrapper onto a large plate or plastic chopping board with the smooth side facing down. Layer up all veggies along with 2 slices of tofu, some noodles, and a few basil leaves on the lower ⅓ of the wrapper.
Gently pull off the lower edge of the wrapper, and wrap it over the filling once while tucking in the ingredients simultaneously to ensure the fillings are tightly folded in.
Fold the left and right edges in, and continue rolling firmly until it is sealed.
Repeat for the remaining ingredients, serve and enjoy your Thai fresh spring rolls!
✔Helpful tips
- Layering 2 sheets of rice paper will make the rolling process much more manageable. However, the edges might be on the chewier side, but it is usually unnoticeable.
- Make your rolls on a hard and smooth surface, like a ceramic or plastic plate. You could also use a plastic chopping board. I would not recommend using a woody surface as it is porous and will cause wrappers to stick to it more easily.
- Keep all work surfaces moist to prevent rice paper from sticking.
- Avoid overstuffing your Thai fresh spring rolls. The filling should at most cover ⅓ of the wrapper.
- Make sure that your spring rolls do not come into contact to prevent them from sticking together.
✨Variations/add-ins
- Vegetables - You could use other kinds of veggies in place of what this recipe calls for. Shredded green cabbage, julienned bell peppers, and bean sprouts are some veg that works well in this Thai fresh spring rolls.
- Fresh herbs - Feel free to go wild with the fresh herbs if it is your thing! Although I am using only basil, you could add cilantro, parsley, and/or mint leaves.
- Spicy - If you are a spice lover, try adding chopped chilies or chili flakes to your rice paper rolls. Condiments like sriracha or hot sauce will work as well.
- Avocado slices
- Dipping sauce - Switch up the dipping sauce with other condiments like soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, or hoisin sauce.
❄Storing suggestions
These Thai fresh spring rolls are best enjoyed within 2 hours, as the wrappers will turn dry and brittle over time. However, you can choose to prep individual components ahead of time.
- Vegetables - Chop your veg and refrigerate them in an airtight container. They will last for 2-3 days.
- Rice vermicelli - This will stay well in the fridge for 3-4 days in a sealed container. Just make sure to let noodles cool down completely before storing them.
- Tofu - Cooked tofu can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
- Peanut sauce - I recommend making a large batch of this as it is incredibly versatile! Use it as a salad dressing, add it to your stir-fries, use it as a dip for raw veggies, or even as a sauce for noodles.
- When ready to enjoy, simply assemble and wrap up the rolls.
❔Commonly asked questions
If you prefer your rice paper rolls to have a crispier edge, bake them for 10-15 minutes at 200C/400F. Optionally, spray on some cooking oil before baking to make them crispier.
It is not recommended to refrigerate these Thai fresh spring rolls as the rice paper will dry up in the fridge and turn hard and brittle.
Prepare and cook individual components in this recipe and refrigerate them in separate containers in the fridge to make them ahead of time. Hence, all you have to do is assemble the rolls when ready to enjoy!
These Thai spring rolls are naturally gluten-free, provided that a gluten-free soy sauce is used to marinate the tofu.
🍽More refreshing vegan recipes
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📖 Recipe
Thai Fresh Spring Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
For tofu
- ½ block extra-firm tofu drained, pressed, and sliced* (7oz/200g)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari/shoyu (use gluten-free if needed)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
For peanut sauce
- 3 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari/shoyu (use gluten-free if needed)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or another liquid sweetener
- ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon chili powder
For spring rolls
- 2 oz dried rice vermicelli noodles or rice sticks
- 8 sheet rice papers
- 1 medium carrot grated
- 1 medium cucumber julienned
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage
- ½ cup Thai basil leaves loosely packed (or regular basil)
Instructions
Preparing filling
- In a large plate or container, place sliced tofu along with the soy sauce and sesame oil. Toss to combine and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare vegetables, and make peanut sauce by combining all ingredients needed. Give it a taste, adding more seasonings if needed.
- For rice vermicelli, soak it in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, or until they are cooked. Drain and set it aside.
- To cook tofu, heat up around ½-1 tablespoon of neutral-tasting oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Place tofu in one layer, and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Wrapping rolls
- Add an inch or so of water to a large deep dish or pan. Dip rice paper for a few seconds on both sides. Rice paper will still be fairly stiff at this stage but will soften after a short while.
- Place rice paper (with rough sides facing up) on a damp plate or plastic chopping board. Layer on the veggies, tofu, noodles, and basil leaves on the lower ⅓ side of the wrapper.
- Gently pull off the lower edge of the wrapper, and wrap it over the filling once while tucking in the ingredients simultaneously to ensure the fillings are tightly folded in.
- Fold the left and right edges in, and continue rolling firmly until it is sealed.
- Repeat for the remaining ingredients, serve and enjoy your Thai fresh spring rolls!
Notes
- Layering 2 sheets of rice paper will make the rolling process much more manageable. However, the edges might be on the chewier side, but it is usually unnoticeable.
- Make your rolls on a hard and smooth surface, like a ceramic or plastic plate. You could also use a plastic chopping board. I would not recommend using a woody surface as it is porous and will cause wrappers to stick to it more easily.
- Keep all work surfaces moist to prevent rice paper from sticking.
- Avoid overstuffing your Thai fresh spring rolls. The filling should at most cover ⅓ of the wrapper.
- Make sure that your spring rolls do not come into contact to prevent them from sticking together.
- Thai spring rolls are best enjoyed within 2 hours after wrapping. However, you can prep fillings ahead of time, and store them in separate containers. For more details, check out the "storage suggestions" section above.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
CAROL A MCCOLLUM
Sounds yummy! Recipe says this makes 8 Spring rolls. Is a serving just one Spring roll... 141cal??
Meesha
Yes, along with the peanut sauce.😊