Thai Fresh Spring Rolls

A plate of spring rolls served with a dish of peanut sauce with glass of water beside.

5 from 1 vote

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!

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Thai

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Marinating time 30 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings rolls

Calories 141kcal

Author Meesha

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)

US Customary - Metric

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

*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.

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.
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