These vegan summer rolls are fun to make, full of flavor, and perfect as an appetizer or light meal! They're packed with hoisin tofu, tender noodles, crispy veggies and sweet mango, and served with a luscious peanut dipping sauce.
Have you had summer rolls before? They're amazing! The first time I tried one at a Vietnamese restaurant I was in absolute heaven.
This is my version of vegan summer rolls, and I think they're the best ones I've ever eaten. They're loaded with good stuff, but at the same time each of these rolls is so much better than the sum of it's parts. Savory tofu, juicy mango, veggies and fresh herbs come together to create a flavor bomb of deliciousness!
Let's talk about how they're made.
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What You'll Need
For the Summer Rolls
- Tofu. Extra-firm or super firm tofu works best for this recipe. Extra-firm tofu will need to be pressed first.
- Peanut oil. Or use your favorite high-heat oil — canola, corn or vegetable oil will all work!
- Hoisin sauce. Look for this in the international food section of your supermarket.
- Rice noodle vermicelli. Grab this in the international foods section while you're picking up that hoisin sauce.
- Rice paper wrappers. You guessed it...these can be found in that international foods section! If this (or any of the other other international ingredients) can't be found there, try an Asian market or Amazon.
- Mango. Peaches will also work if you can't find a good mango.
- Red bell pepper.
- Avocado.
- Fresh herbs. You'll need scallions, mint and basil. I highly recommend using all three if you can, as the flavors together are like magic! Having said that, if you can only get your hands on two of the three, your rolls will still be tasty.
- Sesame seeds. These are totally optional, but they make a great garnish for summer rolls. Use white, black, or a combination of seeds.
For the Sauce
- Peanut butter. Creamy natural peanut butter works best for this recipe. If peanut butter isn't an option for you, try making the sauce with almond butter instead.
- Soy sauce. Gluten-free tamari or liquid aminos can be substituted if needed.
- Maple syrup. You can use another liquid sweetener like agave if you like.
- Hoisin sauce.
- Lime juice. Use freshly squeezed for the best flavor.
- Water.
How to Make Vegan Summer Rolls
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!
- Cook your tofu. Heat some oil in a skillet and add tofu strips. Pan-fry them for a few minutes on each side, until lightly browned and cripsy.
- Brush or spoon hoisin sauce over the tofu and cook it for a few minutes more, just long enough for the sauce to dry up a bit and caramelize on the tofu.
- Prep all of your remaining fillings. This means cutting your herbs, peppers, avocado, and mango. Cook or soak your noodles according to the package directions, then give them a rinse in cold water. While you're at it, mix up your sauce so it's ready to go when you need it!
- Fill a shallow bowl or dish with warm water. I like to use a 9-inch round cake pan — it's the perfect size!
- Now submerge a rice paper wrapper in the water and soak it briefly. I like to take mine out just before it saturates completely — this makes it easier to handle, and it will continue to soften up after you take it out.
- Arrange your fillings in a strip down the middle of your wrap. Now fold the top over the fillings, tuck in the sides, and roll the entire thing towards you.
- Optionally top your summer rolls with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Rolling Tips
- Rolling can be tricky if you've never made summer rolls before. Have some extra rice paper wraps on hand.
- If you have a wrapper tear after you've made a roll, feel free to unwrap it and start over with the same fillings and a brand new wrapper. (Snack on the torn one so it doesn't go to waste!)
- You can also resolve tear issues by going for the double roll cheat: take a fully rolled summer with a tear in it, and wrap the whole thing up in a second wrapper. Nobody will ever know there's two layers of wrapper!
- Your first batch of vegan summer rolls might not win any beauty contents. That's okay! Even ugly summer rolls are delicious.
Leftovers & Storage
Summer rolls are best eaten on the day they're made. If you do have leftovers, store them in a tightly sealed container to minimize drying out of the wrapper. They'll last about 2 days in the fridge.
Leftover peanut sauce will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 5 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
They are if you use gluten-free hoisin sauce and gluten-free tamari in the peanut sauce.
Tempeh would work well, or you could simply leave the tofu out and increase the other fillings.
Any of the fillings can be omitted or substituted with your favorite fresh veggies or fruit. Try julienned carrots, cucumber, sliced cabbage, or fresh peaches.
More Vegan Appetizers
- Pico de Gallo
- Scallion Pancakes
- Mushroom Crostini with Herbed Cashew Cheese
- Smoky Tofu Dumplings
- Vegan Stuffed Phyllo Cigars
Vegan Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce
These vegan summer rolls are fun to make, full of flavor, and perfect as an appetizer or light meal! They're packed with hoisin tofu, tender noodles, crispy veggies and sweet mango, and served with a luscious peanut dipping sauce.
Ingredients
For the Peanut Sauce
- ¼ cup creamy natural peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons water, or as needed
For the Summer Rolls
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil, or high-heat oil of choice
- 7 ounces extra-firm or super firm tofu (pressed if using extra-firm), cut into strips (about 20 of them, 1-inch long by ½ inch wide and thick)
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 ounces rice noodle vermicelli
- 10 rice paper wrappers
- 1 small mango (or ½ of a large one), sliced into 1-inch long strips
- ½ medium red bell pepper, julienne cut
- ½ medium avocado, thinly sliced
- 3 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 20 fresh basil leaves
- 20 fresh mint leaves
- Toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
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Make the peanut sauce by whisking all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Thin with as much water as you need to reach the desired consistency.
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Coat the bottom of a medium skillet with the oil and place it over medium heat.
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When the oil is hot, add the tofu strips in an even layer.
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Cook the tofu strips for about 5 minutes, carefully flip and cook for about 5 minutes more, until browned on both sides.
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Brush or spoon the hoisin sauce over the tofu, rotating the strips to coat all sides.
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Continue cooking the tofu for about 2 minutes, until the sauce begins to dry up and caramelize.
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Remove the tofu from the skillet and transfer it to a plate.
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Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions, then drain and rinse them with cold water.
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Fill a shallow bowl or dish with warm water.
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Submerge a single wrapper in the water and soak it until it become just pliable.
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Remove the wrapper from the water and place it on a work surface.
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Arrange the fillings in a strip along the middle of the wrapper: noodles, tofu, mango strips, pepper strips, avocado slices, scallion pieces, basil and mint leaves.
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Fold the upper section of the wrapper over the fillings, tuck in the sides, then roll the wrap closed.
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Repeat until all of the fillings and wrappers are used.
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Optionally, sprinkle the rolls with sesame seeds. Serve with peanut sauce on the side.
I got lazy, made 2 spring rolls, and then turned the rest into a noodle bowl lol. The peanut sauce is really good.