If I had to pick one of my absolute favorite plant-based meals, it would be these tofu and veggies summer rolls! I may say that about a lot of recipes, but this meal just hits different.
They’re loaded with colorful veggies, and paired with the most amazing coconut peanut butter dipping sauce.
I’ve been making summer rolls for years, and can tell you from experience that they weren’t always easy for me to make. After a lot of trial and error, I finally figured out how to make the perfect summer roll, and am excited to finally share them with you!
The fillings in these is so customizable, so you can leave out or add in anything you prefer.
Tips for making the perfect summer roll
Chop your veggies ahead of time
Having your fillings washed & chopped, and all in front of you is key. I like to have them all on a cutting board, and usually start filling with the bigger veggie like the lettuce.
Don’t over soak your rice paper
Your rice paper should still slightly hold its form when it comes out of the water. It will continue to soften as it sits and gets filled, so you don’t want to start off with a soft rice paper.
Make sure your veggies don’t have sharp edges
When cutting lettuce or carrots, make sure the sharp ends are cut off, or stay in the center of the rice paper. I prefer shaving the carrots with a veggie peeler so that the carrot sticks don’t rip through the rice paper, and using the top part of the lettuce leaves.
Use pre-baked tofu
I try to bake my tofu at the beginning of the week so that I can easily throw together these summer rolls when I crave them. I simply marinate sliced tofu in coconut aminos for 20 minutes, then bake it or air fry it and store it in the fridge.
Watch the video below for an easy tutorial!
What you’ll need to make veggie & tofu summer rolls
- rice paper– I usually grab my rice paper at the Asian section in the grocery store
- colorful veggies: lettuce, carrots, purple cabbage, cucumbers
- avocado
- baked tofu– or you can swap you favorite baked protein like tempeh, fish or chicken!
- mint leaves– optional, but they add such a good freshness!
- peanuts for added crunch
You can seriously fill these with anything you like! The spicy coconut peanut dipping sauce is an absolute MUST for these! It’s sweet & spicy, and adds so much flavor.
I know they may seem overwhelming to make, but practice makes perfect so I hope you give these a try!
More vegan lunch ideas:
Vegan Broccoli Fritters with Chipotle Mayo
Kale Tahini Caesar Salad with Chickpea Croutons
Vegan Pesto Pasta
Tofu and Veggie Summer Rolls
Course: Lunch6
summer rolls25
minutes35
minutes1
hourNOTES:
1- Having all of your ingredients cut up and in front of you is key to simplifying the rolling process! Make sure no veggies have sharp ends, since they may cut through the rice paper.
2- I included a video above in the blog post as a tutorial!
Ingredients
6 sheets of rice paper
Warm water, to soak the rice paper
- Baked Tofu
1 block extra firm tofu
1/4 cup coconut aminos
1 tsp honey or maple syrup
Olive oil, to drizzle
- Fillings
Chopped lettuce, about 1 1/2 cups
3 large carrots, peeled and grated
1 cup shredded purple cabbage
1 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup mint leaves
2 cucumbers, sliced into strips
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
- Coconut Peanut Sauce
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup canned coconut milk
3 tbsp coconut aminos or low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sriracha
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp grated ginger
1 clove of garlic, grated
Pinch of salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Slice the tofu into strips and marinate it in the coconut aminos and maple syrup for 10 minutes. Layer it on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, then bake for about 35 minutes.
- Once you have all of your veggies prepped, dip your rice paper in the bowl of warm water for about 30-40 seconds, rotating it to cover all sides. Your rice paper should still hold its form and not be too sticky.
- Place it onto a cutting board or flat surface, and pat it dry with a towel.
- Start layering your fillings in the center of the rice paper. I like to start with the lettuce, and add all the fillings on top of that. Be careful not to overfill!
- Once all fillings are in, fold the bottom of the rice paper over the fillings, then fold in each side over the center and roll.
- Slice in half and repeat with remaining rice paper and fillings.
- For the sauce, blend all ingredients together in a blender until smooth. You can also whisk by hand, but I find the texture to be smoother with a blender!
- The rice paper is best when served fresh. If prepping it for later in the day, let it sit at room temp until serving.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @somethingnutritious on Instagram- I’d love to see your creations!
