They say you eat with your eyes first. Well, I hope your eyes are hungry because these easy vegan salad rolls are almost too pretty to eat. Extreme emphasis on the word “almost.”
I had a little war with myself over what to call these salad rolls. That’s because I call them by different names all the time, and restaurants don’t seem to have a standard name either. You can find them called spring rolls, salad rolls, summer rolls, fresh rolls – pretty much the only thing constant is the word “roll”. Why the heck does it matter what I call them anyway, you might wonder? Well, it’s because I want people to be able to find this recipe when they search the all-knowing Google. If I called them Beautiful Vegetable Filled Rolls of Wonder and Delight (which they ARE), chances are not many people are going to search for that keyword. And that, my friends, is how much of a nerd I am about this blogging thing. I actually think about things like search engine optimization. So if you found this post by doing a search on Google, you’re welcome. And if not, I’m sorry. 🙂 Anyway….
The reason I ended up calling these easy vegan salad rolls is because they are easy, they are vegan, and they are essentially salad in a roll. So that made it a simple decision. 🙂 If you’ve ever cringed at spending $5 on two skimpy rolls at a restaurant, I’m here to show you that you can make your own at home for a fraction of the cost of takeout, and you’re in control of what goes in your salad rolls. Here I give you a couple of ideas for a filling, but you truly can make these your own. Let’s get started!
Here’s what you’ll need to make the salad rolls:
Rice paper spring roll wrappers (find them in the Asian section of your grocery store)
Romaine lettuce
Rainbow carrots (because GORGEOUS)
Firm tofu (yay protein!)
Fresh mint (huge flavor factor)
Thai basil (worth seeking out, but you can sub cilantro or omit it)
Oh, and of course you’ll want to have something in which to dip the rolls. May I suggest this Sweet Potato Peanut Sauce? 🙂
I know what you’re probably wondering right about now. You’re wondering how I made those beautiful carrot ribbons, aren’t you? Well, I’ll tell you. I have a new favorite tool in the kitchen, and it cost me about 6 bucks. Allow me to present to you the Kuhn Rikon Swiss Peeler. It is a Y-blade shape, made of carbon steel, and it is amazing. If you don’t believe me, just check out the 1,875 reviews on Amazon. I, of course, have it in purple, but recently discovered that it is also available in a red and white polka dot pattern. I don’t need it, I don’t need it, I don’t need it…
If you’re not picky about the color, you can get a set of 3 for $6.64 on Amazon (red/green/yellow). Score!
If you don’t have a nifty Y-blade peeler, don’t worry, you can still make the ribbons with a regular peeler. It’s a little bit awkward but totally do-able. And if you just don’t give a darn about having vibrant rainbow carrot ribbons on the outside of your salad rolls, then for crying out loud just grate the carrots already. I won’t tell anyone.
So, I am a visual learner. And when it comes to making salad rolls, I am pretty sure that seeing the process is way better than me telling you about it. So, with that in mind, here are the visual instructions for assembly.
Any questions?
You should know that I showed you the process of the first roll that I made in the photo shoot for this post. I did that on purpose, because I wanted you to see that the first one isn’t going to turn out super fantastic. It’s just one of the laws of Salad Roll Making. The first one is the one you eat before anyone else notices. The rest will all look awesome because you are now a pro. Congratulations!
I made these on tv! If you ever want to experience the fastest 6 minutes of your life, go on live television. These were so fun to share on AM Northwest. Click here to see the video!
Whether you serve these as a side or gobble them up as a full meal on their own, these are the perfect way to celebrate that spring is here and summer is just around the corner! So go out there and pick up some salad roll fixins – then come back here and leave a comment to tell me all about your salad roll making prowess. Or take a picture and tag #eatwithinyourmeans on Instagram or Twitter so I can see!
Keep calm and roll on.
Easy Vegan Salad Rolls
Ingredients
- 3-4 large carrots (peeled into thin ribbons (look for rainbow carrots))
- 1 head of romaine lettuce (finely shredded)
- 1 inch block of firm tofu (sliced lengthwise into 1/2 thick strips)
- 1 package of spring roll rice paper wrappers
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 cup thai basil leaves or cilantro
Instructions
- Dip a rice paper wrapper into warm water and immediately pull it out of the water, letting the excess moisture drip off before placing on a clean surface.
- Lay out several strips of carrots side by side in the center of the rice paper wrapper.
- Layer on lettuce, tofu, mint, and thai basil.
- Pull up the bottom of the rice paper wrapper and fold it over the filling ingredients, tucking the edge underneath the filling.
- Fold each side of the rice paper wrapper in, as if you were rolling a burrito.
- Roll the rice paper wrapper forward over the filling to meet the top edge.
- Slice in half with a sharp serrated knife, and serve with Sweet Potato Peanut Sauce for dipping.
From the moment I first saw these on your post for the SP sauce, they were so gorgeous, I was speechless!! Plus, I remember the time I tried to make salad rolls and how tough it seemed…but you make it look so easy!! I may just have to try it again. I certainly have been craving them, and besides, it’d give me something to dip into that sauce (that looks 100% slurpable, BTW!). ?
I am so in Love with the colors of these rolls, they make me happy every time I see them! The recipe looks so simple and delicious too, can’t wait to try them Beth!
I saw this post while sharing my own posts on Foodgawker and was instantly amazed. What an AWESOME way to beautify spring rolls! I’ll definitely be trying this next time we pull out the spring roll wrappers!
Wow, super creative! I’m so excited to try this.
I gotta try these. They look so tasty, thanks for the idea
These are so good. I fried the tofu first and added some baby spinach into mine with some fresh ginger. Excellent vegan food!
OH yay!!!! So glad you liked them! Love your changes/additions. They’re so adaptable!
Now I know what I’m making for dinner tomorrow. So pretty, so tasty and so easy. And I have the sweet potato for the sauce already.
Today I made your recipe for spaghetti squash with Alfredo sauce, made with cauliflower. Oh ! Yum yum . It was a huge hit and requested again. Thank you Beth for such fabulous recipes.
I need to find the electric Instant Pot now and my gadgets will be almost complete..
These are stunning and oh I hate SEO at times!!
I love the stripes!!!
I love food that makes me feel good. These look amazing!
These rolls are truly fantastic, and that peanut sauce…WOW! I could sit and eat a whole pot of it at a time, just by itself. Another bonus: I feel so fresh and happy after eating these! Thanks for sharing such a brilliant recipe!
This looks amazing, Can’t wait to try, where can I find the recipe for the dipping sauce ?