These fresh homemade vegan summer rolls are loaded with crisp veggies, vermicelli noodles, tofu and served with an easy pesto dipping sauce. They’re gluten free, healthy and so easy to make.
This time of year all I want is lots and lots of fresh foods. It’s way too hot for anything else at this point, especially in Texas!
You can put so many different things in summer rolls, but these vegan summer rolls are loaded with crisp veggies like purple cabbage, creamy avocado, vermicelli noodles and served with my favorite homemade pesto.
They’re incredibly fresh, surprisingly easy to make and totally versatile. You can add in any extra veggies you like, more fresh herbs, whatever you can think of!
Summer rolls are sometimes called fresh spring rolls or Vietnamese spring rolls, but are different than spring rolls that are fried.
Key ingredients
Rice paper wrappers. A lot of the time, these will be labeled as “spring roll wrappers,” because they can also be called Vietnamese spring rolls, so don’t be alarmed if you don’t see summer rolls on the package. They’re made with rice flour and will be soaked in water before filling them up.
Vermicelli noodles. You could really use any type of rice noodle here, but vermicelli noodles are very thin and work really well in this recipe.
Veggies. I used purple cabbage, cucumber and avocado, but you can sub in or out anything else you like! Crispy lettuce, bell peppers are also delicious.
Tofu. I used extra firm tofu that I did not cook before adding it in, but you can easily pan fry it in some garlic and olive oil if you prefer a crispier tofu. You can even try my air fryer tofu or crispy pan fried tofu!
I suggest cutting the tofu into strips instead of cubes for these summer rolls.
Pesto. My homemade vegan pesto is the perfect dipping sauce for his recipe! It has some kale snuck in there too so you’re getting lots of veggies in this recipe.
How to make vegan summer rolls
Cook noodles. Cook the vermicelli noodles according to package instructions. Rinse the noodles with cold water once they’re done.
Prep sauce. Prepare the pesto sauce if you haven’t do so already. Set aside.
Soak wrappers. Add one rice paper wrapper to a shallow bowl of water for about 30 seconds or until soft and pliable.
Check package instructions for timing. Transfer to a dry surface and pat the top of the wrapper dry with a dish towel or paper towel.
Fill. Add some noodles, cucumber, sliced tofu, cabbage, avocado and a few fresh basil leaves to the bottom third of the wrapper.
Roll. Roll up, rolling in the sides as you go and tucking everything in. Repeat until you have used all ingredients. The wrappers can rip sometimes, so don’t worry if that happens. It helps to keep them on a towel or very dry surface so they don’t stick.
Serve. Cut in half and dip in the pesto sauce and enjoy!
Summer rolls vs. Spring rolls
Spring rolls are wrapped in a dough and then fried until crispy, whereas summer rolls are wrapped in a rice paper wrapper that is previously soaked in water.
Both are delicious, but these vegan summer rolls are definitely a healthier option!
Can you prep them ahead of time?
Yes! They’re definitely best fresh, but they will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.
The only issue is that the avocado will brown slightly, so keep that in mind if making in advance. The rice paper will dry out a bit in the fridge, so you may want to spray with water lightly before serving to help it soften up.
Variations
Try different veggies. It’s so easy to mix up the ingredients in vegan summer rolls to get a totally different flavor profile.
I love carrots, cabbage, lettuce, bell pepper, fresh herbs like cilantro or basil etc. Feel free to try out whatever you have on hand!
Use peanut sauce! Peanut sauce makes everything better, and I think it’s especially delicious with these summer rolls if you use veggies like carrot, bell pepper, cucumber etc.
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Fresh Vegan Summer Rolls
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- 8 rice paper wrappers
- 4 ounces vermicelli noodles
- 4 ounces extra firm tofu sliced
- 1 small cucumber sliced thin
- 1 avocado
- 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
- ½ cup fresh basil
- 1 batch homemade vegan pesto
Instructions
- Cook the vermicelli noodles according to package instructions.
- Prepare the pesto sauce if you haven't do so already. Set aside.
- Once the noodles are done cooking, rinse with cold water.
- Add one rice paper wrapper to a shallow bowl of water for about 30 seconds or until soft and pliable. Check package instructions for timing.
- Transfer to a dry surface and pat the top of the wrapper dry.
- Add some noodles, cucumber, sliced tofu, cabbage, avocado and a few fresh basil leaves to the bottom third of the wrapper.
- Roll up, rolling in the sides as you go and tucking everything in. Repeat until you have used all ingredients.
- Cut in half and dip in the pesto sauce and enjoy!
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