These fresh Thai spring rolls are stuffed with colorful veggies, chewy rice noodles, and marinated tofu. Serve with a creamy peanut sauce, this recipe is excellent as an appetizer or light lunch.
These Thai spring rolls are a fusion of Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. Although not a traditional recipe, this delicious dish is commonly served in Thai restaurants worldwide, with different variations available.
In my version of Thai spring rolls, we will add Thai basil leaves and serve them with a side of peanut sauce to give the rolls a Thai twist!
If you prefer more authentic Vietnamese rice paper rolls, check out my vegan rice paper rolls. My egg rolls and vegetable lumpia are great for those who prefer fried spring rolls!
💚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 and preference
- 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 on something heavy. For a more detailed explanation of how to do it, check out this post on how to press tofu.
- Rice paper wrappers - 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.
- Vegetables - Other kinds of veggies, like bell peppers and bean sprouts, can also be used.
- Rice vermicelli - Also known as rice sticks. It can be found in Asian markets, groceries (usually in the pasta or international food aisle), or 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
Marinate tofu for at least 30 minutes.
Heat some oil in a pan, and pan-fry untouched for 2-3 minutes. Flip it over and cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes. Set aside for later use.
Add about an inch of water in a large deep dish or pie pan. Dip rice paper for a few seconds on both sides.
Place the wrapper onto a large plate or plastic chopping board. Layer up all veggies and 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.
Fold the left and right edges into the center.
Continue rolling tightly until it is sealed. Repeat until all fillings are used up.
Serve it with peanut sauce, and enjoy your Thai spring rolls immediately.
✔Helpful tips
- Do not oversoak the wrapper - Wrapper should still be quite stiff after soaking and will soften after a few seconds. Oversoaking will cause them to stick together and make them hard to work with.
- Roll spring rolls on a smooth and damp surface - Plastic or ceramic plates/boards work the best. Wooden chopping board will NOT work as it is too porous!
- Be careful not to overfill - Overstuffing increases the chance of the wrappers breaking.
- Avoid rolls from touching - Thai spring rolls stick together easily. Hence, it is best that you leave a gap between the rolls.
- Serve immediately - These rolls are best enjoyed fresh. They can be kept for a couple of hours covered with a damp tea cloth.
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✨Variations and add-ins
Vegetables - Feel free to use whatever veggies you have on hand! Lettuce, bell peppers, bean sprouts, and green cabbage are good choices.
Tofu - Not a fan of tofu? Substitute it with slices of seitan chicken, shrimp, or even ground beef!
Herbs - Other than Thai basil, you can also add other herbs such as mint and cilantro.
Dips - Other than peanut sauce, you can use condiments like sweet chili sauce, sriracha mayo, or satay sauce.
❄️Make ahead suggestions
In a couple of hours: Cover them with a damp tea cloth until ready to serve.
For a few days: I recommend prepping ingredients beforehand and only rolling them when ready to serve.
- Vegetables - Chop your veggies and store them in an airtight container lined with paper towels. They can be refrigerated for 2-3 days.
- Rice vermicelli - Will stay well in the fridge for 3-4 days in a sealed container. Just make sure to let the noodles cool down completely before storing them.
- Tofu - Pan-fried tofu can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
- Peanut sauce - I recommend making a large batch as it is incredibly versatile! Use it as a salad dressing, add it to your stir-fries, or pair it with other recipes (such as my air fryer rice paper rolls).
📖 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 dipping sauce and 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
- Roll spring rolls on a smooth and damp surface - Plastic or ceramic plates/boards work the best. Wooden chopping board will NOT work as it is too porous!
- Be careful not to overfill - Overstuffing increases the chance of the wrappers breaking.
- Avoid rolls from touching - Thai spring rolls stick together easily. Hence, it is best that you leave a gap between the rolls.
- Serve immediately - These rolls are best enjoyed fresh. They can be kept for a couple of hours covered with a damp tea cloth. However, individual components can be prepped ahead of time and refrigerated separately. All you need to do is assemble the spring rolls before serving!
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Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.
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 says
Sounds yummy! Recipe says this makes 8 Spring rolls. Is a serving just one Spring roll... 141cal??
Meesha says
Yes, along with the peanut sauce.😊