These vegan lumpia Shanghai, or Filipino spring rolls, are incredibly flavorsome and addictive! Baked instead of fried, this version is lighter and lower in calories. They are also easy to make too!
If you are looking for a healthier version of traditional lumpia, give this vegan baked lumpia a try! Although meatless, their texture and flavors are spot on. In this recipe, you can bake them in a conventional oven or air fryer.
💚Why you will love this recipe
- Jam packed with flavor and tasty -Trust me, even meat eaters will be impressed by this dish! They are savory, warm and irresistibly yum.
- Baked, not fried - Which means that these vegan lumpia are lower in calories and less greasy. Plus, it is much easier to clean up afterwards, which is definitely a win!
- Great for feeding a crowd - These vegan baked lumpia are a crowd pleaser, and makes the perfect finger food for parties, gatherings or any other occasions!
- Can be make-ahead - You can refrigerate and freeze these vegan lumpia either cooked or uncooked. The ingredients can also be easily multiplied to make a larger batch.
🤔What is lumpia
Lumpia is essentially the Filipino version of spring rolls. Unlike Chinese spring rolls, they are longer and thinner in shape. Lumpia are usually filled with ground pork or beef, along with onion, garlic, and veggies like carrot, water chestnut, and bean sprouts. They are then being deep-fried until crispy and golden.
To make this vegan, we will be using veggie ground to replace meat.
🧅What you will need
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Veggie ground - You can use any veggie ground like Beyond beef, Yves veggie ground, or Omnipork. You can also substitute it with 1 block of extra firm tofu. Press, drain and crumble it up into small pieces before using.
- Soy sauce - Can be substituted with tamari or shoyu. Use gluten-free ones, if needed.
- Wrappers - Both fresh or frozen spring roll wrappers can be used. To make it gluten-free, you can use Vietnamese rice papers instead.
🔪How to make
Here is a quick rundown of the process involved in making vegan lumpia. The full recipe will be in the recipe card below.
If you are using tofu, crumble it up into tiny pieces with your hands before using it.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.
Wrapping lumpia
Place the wrapper in such a way that a corner is facing you. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of mixture onto the wrapper, about 2 inches from the edge closest to you. Shape it into a thin cylinder, about 4-5 inches long.
Fold the corner facing you up, then fold in both edges like making a burrito. Tightly roll it up into a log. Wet the last inch of wrapper using your fingers, then seal it. Repeat for the remaining mixture.
Cooking
Brush on some oil using a pastry brush before cooking.
Now, you can either bake vegan lumpia in the oven, or air-fry them!
✔Helpful tips
- If you are unsure if filling for vegan lumpia is salty enough, do a taste test by frying a small spoonful of filling. Taste and adjust the seasoning from there.
- Let frozen spring roll wrapper thaw completely before using. You can do so by placing it overnight in the fridge, or on countertop for 30 minutes or so.
- Cover unused wrappers with a damp towel while wrapping lumpia to prevent them from drying out and turning brittle.
- If you can't securely seal lumpia with just water, use a cornstarch slurry instead by combining 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water.
- Avoid overfilling your lumpia. Depending on the size of your wrappers, about 2-3 tablespoons of filling should be sufficient.
🍜How to serve
These vegan baked lumpia are incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed as a quick snack, appetizer, or sides to accompany Asian main dishes. They are also a great finger food to serve at parties and potlucks too!
- Dipping - Some classic dipping includes Thai chili sauce, sweet and sour sauce, ketchup or plum sauce.
- Rice and rice dishes - You can serve vegan lumpia with some freshly steamed white or brown rice, or this vegan egg fried rice if you are looking for something more substantial.
- Noodles - A classic Asian combo! You can pair baked lumpia with literally any kinds of noodles, but I love pairing mine with some chow mei fun or tofu pad see ew.
❄Storing suggestions
Fridge - Place either cooked or uncooked vegan lumpia in a sealed container or Ziploc bag. You can refrigerate them for 2-3 days.
Freezer - If storing cooked lumpia, you can simply transfer them to a container or Ziploc bag, then freeze them.
As for uncooked ones, you will need to first place them on a lined baking sheet in one layer. Pop them into the freezer for an hour or so, or until they are frozen. Transfer them to a container or bag before freezing.
Both will stay well in the freezer for 3 months.
Reheating - You can reheat vegan lumpia without thawing.
For cooked ones, you can either bake them in the oven preheated to 200C/400F for 10-15 minutes, or in the air fryer for 6-8 minutes, until they are thoroughly warmed. As for uncooked lumpia, follow recipe instructions, but increase cooking time by 5 minutes or so.
❔Commonly asked questions
Lumpia are not gluten-free as the wrappers are usually made from wheat flour. However, you can modified this recipe to make it gluten-free by using Vietnamese rice papers. They can be trickier to work with, but it should be pretty easy once you get the hang of it!
However, you have to be careful to not let them come into contact with each other as they will stick together really easily.
Unlike egg rolls, the filling of lumpia are usually not cooked before wrapping. As they are on the thinner side, the filling will be cooked thoroughly after frying or baking.
🍽More Asian appetizers
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Baked Lumpia Shanghai (oven/air fryer)
Ingredients
- ½ lb veggie ground or tofu (see notes)*
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium carrot shredded
- ½ medium yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12 sheets spring roll wrappers or rice papers (see notes)**
Instructions
- If you have decided to bake them, preheat oven to 200C/400f.
Making filling
- In a large bowl, combine together veggie ground, onion, garlic, carrot, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
Wrapping lumpia
- Place the wrapper in such a way that a corner is facing you. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of mixture onto the wrapper, about 2 inches from the edge closest to you.
- Fold the corner facing you up, then fold in both edges like making a burrito. Tightly roll it up into a log. Wet the last inch of wrapper by brushing on some water using your fingers. (I usually keep a small container of water near me to wet my fingers) Repeat for the remaining filling.
- Brush on some neutral tasting oil before cooking them.
Cooking lumpia (oven or air fryer)
- Oven – Place them in a lined baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes. Turn them over and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until they are lightly browned.Air fryer – Cook for 10-12 minutes at 200C/400F, or until they are brown and crispy.
Notes
- If you are unsure if the filling is salty enough, do a taste test by frying a small spoonful of filling. Taste and adjust the seasoning from there.
- Let frozen spring roll wrapper thaw completely before using. You can do so by placing it overnight in the fridge, or on the countertop for 30 minutes or so.
- Cover unused wrappers with a damp towel while wrapping lumpia to prevent them from drying out and turning brittle.
- If you can't securely seal lumpia with just water, use a cornstarch slurry instead by combining 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water.
- Avoid overfilling your vegan lumpia. Depending on the size of your wrappers, about 2-3 tablespoons of filling should be sufficient.
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.
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