These vegan Tofu Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce are healthy and satisfying. The peanut sauce is dangerously good!
Have you ever gone to a restaurant and ordered fresh spring roll appetizers with peanut or sweet chili dipping sauce?
They are one of my favorites things to start a meal with. The spring rolls you get at a restaurant usually have carrots, cabbage, tofu (if you're lucky) and transparent rice noodles.
With the rice wrapper and the rice noodles, that's a lot of carbs!
If they come with the sweet chili sauce, and you like a lot of sauce like me, that's a lot of sugar! Even though I love them, I don't love all the carbs and sugar.
When I'm at home I eat the spring rolls as a meal, but I like to change it up by adding more protein and less carbs. Sometimes I eat these spring rolls with brown rice wrappers instead of white.
Here is my healthier version of restaurant spring rolls. They are delicious as, but have fun customizing them to suit your tastes!
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🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. To see the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Peanut Dipping Sauce
- Peanut butter: I used all natural creamy peanut butter. Shelf stable would also work.
- Red curry paste: Green curry paste would also work.
- Coconut milk: Full fat coconut milk or light coconut milk will work.
- Tamari: I like to use low sodium gluten-free tamari to control the amount of salt. You could also use soy sauce.
- Maple syrup: Adds sweetness. You could also use agave syrup or brown sugar.
Spring Rolls
- Tofu: I used firm tofu packed in water found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Extra-firm tofu would also work.
- Rice paper wrappers: You could use white rice paper wrappers or brown rice wrappers.
- Spinach: I like spinach for its mild flavor. You could also use kale or your favorite greens.
- Fresh mint leaves and fresh cilantro: I love the addition of these fresh herbs. They add a wonderful flavor. You could also use just one or leave them out. Basil would be another great herb to use.
- Coconut oil spray or olive oil: To cook the tofu.
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🔪 Instructions
Place ingredients for peanut sauce into a bowl. Stir to combine.
Drain and press the tofu. This will get the excess water out and the tofu will cook faster. Slice tofu.
Cook in a pan with coconut spray or olive oil on medium heat until golden brown.
Heat some water for the spring roll wrappers. Dip spring roll wrappers into the water until pliable.
Spread onto a plate or cutting board.
Place spinach or lettuce, tofu, cilantro, and mint onto rice paper wrapper.
Roll like you would a burrito by folding the sides in first, then the front. Roll away from you, pulling in the contents tightly so that it stays together.
Serve with peanut dipping sauce.
Can These Be Made Ahead of Time?
You can do one of two things. If you are going to eat the spring rolls later in the day, you can place a wet towel over the spring rolls.
Keep the spring rolls away from heat.
If you are going to eat your spring rolls the next day, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. This option is perfect for brown bagging it to work.
The peanut sauce can be made a couple of days in advance.
📖 Variations / Additions
- Sliced avocado
- Red bell pepper
- Cucumber
- Carrots
- Basil
- Rice vermicelli noodles
- Almond butter
Other Spring Roll Recipes
These vegan spring rolls are a healthy meal or appetizer.
This recipe was originally published on Nov. 23, 2014. I've added new photos and more text.
*Don't forget to come back and leave your feedback and star rating.
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🧂 You May Need
📋 Recipe
Tofu Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
Peanut Dipping Sauce
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon Thai Kitchen red curry paste
- ½ cup coconut milk or Lite coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons low sodium tamari
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Tofu Spring Rolls
- 14 oz sprouted firm tofu drained and pressed
- 4 rice paper wrappers
- 1 cup spinach or lettuce
- ¼ cup mint
- ¼ cup cilantro
- coconut spray oil or olive oil
- 2 cups water to soak the wrappers
Instructions
Peanut Dipping Sauce
- Mix all ingredients with a whisk or fork until blended.
Tofu Spring Rolls
- Slice tofu into squares. I like to turn the tofu so that it is standing up, then I slice it into thirds. Then I lay it flat and slice into fourths. This way you have 12 tofu squares, which is easier to flip on the frying pan.
- Spray frying pan with coconut spray oil and fry tofu until golden brown. Cut tofu into smaller chunks, or crumble. Set aside.
- Heat 2 cups of water in microwave or on stovetop until hot to the touch (approx. 3 ½ min.).
- After water is heated, put the water in a large enough container to hold the rice paper wraps.
- Dip one of the wrappers in the water, turning until it is pliable.
- Put the wrapper flat on a plate and fill with ¼ each of the above amounts of the cilantro, mint, spinach, and tofu.
- Roll like you would a burrito, folding two of the sides in, then the other two.
- Repeat with each wrapper.
- Serve with Peanut Dipping Sauce.
Nutrition
*Note: Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only. Different nutrition calculators give you different results.
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