I’ve been meaning to share a crispy vegetable spring roll recipe for a while now, but the prospect of deep-frying kept me from acting on it. I try to limit frying in my kitchen because it’s not the healthiest cooking method. Plus it’s rather messy, and dealing with all that oil can be a pain! So instead of frying, I opted to create a baked spring rolls recipe. Much easier and much lighter! Baking a spring roll that’s nice and crispy can be a challenge, but I think I nailed it! These vegan spring rolls were delicious and pretty darn easy to make.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Vermicelli rice noodles. Look for these in the international foods section of your supermarket.Peanut oil. Just about any high-heat oil can be substituted. Peanut, vegetable, and coconut oil are all fine choices!Shiitake mushrooms. Scallions.Garlic.Ginger.Napa cabbage. Green cabbage can be substituted if needed — it might need a little extra cook time though!Carrots.Soy sauce. Tamari or liquid aminos can be substituted if needed.Rice vinegar.Brown sugar. Make sure you’re using organic sugar in order to keep the recipe vegan.Toasted sesame oil. This can also be found in the international foods section of your supermarket.Spring roll wrappers. We’re using wrappers made from wheat flour, and not rice paper wrappers like we might use for summer rolls. These can be found in the freezer section at most supermarkets, or at Asian markets. Be sure to check the ingredients to ensure that the brand you buy is vegan. I used Dynasty brand spring roll and egg roll wrappers (which are actually egg-free!).Dipping sauce. I really enjoy these with peanut sauce, but they could also be served with sweet chili sauce, duck sauce, hoisin sauce, or plain old soy sauce. Use what you like!
How They’re Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Start by soaking your noodles in some hot water. Refer to the package directions, which should tell you how long to soak them for. Drain them when they’re done.
Tip: I like to leave my noodles sitting in the strainer so they continue to drain as I prepare the other ingredients. This helps to prevent the filling from becoming overly watery.
Heat your peanut oil in a skillet, then add sliced shiitake mushrooms. Cook them for a few minutes on each side, until they’d browned and tender.
Push the mushrooms to the side and add chopped scallions (white parts only), minced garlic, and fresh grated ginger. Cook it briefly until the mixture becomes very aromatic.
Add sliced napa cabbage, julienne cut carrots, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and brown sugar to the skillet. Cook everything briefly until the cabbage just begins to wilt.
Add the noodles to the skillet, along with the sesame oil and green parts of your scallions. Toss everything to combine, then remove the skillet from heat.
Lay a spring roll wrapper diagonally on a work surface.Spoon some filling onto the wrapper, then fold the corner closest to you over the fillings. Fold the side corners inward, then roll everything upward.
Tip: You may find the filling to be a bit liquidy as you get to the bottom of the batch. Just scoop up as much of the noodles and veggies as you can while leaving the excess liquid in the skillet.
Place your spring rolls on an oiled baking sheet, then mist or brush them with oil. I recommend being generous here. More oil will give you crispier spring rolls!Serve your baked spring rolls immediately for the best texture. I like to dip mine in homemade vegan peanut sauce.
Variation: Air Fryer Spring Rolls
These vegan spring rolls can be cooked in an air fryer if you’d like! Preheat the air fryer to 450°F and cook them for about 10 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
Leftovers & Storage
Baked spring rolls are best served right away (they don’t stay crispy for long!), but if you have leftovers they will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 4 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months. They can be reheated by placing them under a broiler until they’re hot and crispy again.
More Vegan Appetizers
Smoky Tofu DumplingsVegan Stuffed MushroomsVegan Jalapeño PoppersVegan Scallion PancakesVegetable Fritters
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