Spring Rolls - gluten-free, vegan, you can do this!
These spring rolls are healthy, vegan, and delicious! You can do this!!!
Prep Time45 minutesmins
Total Time45 minutesmins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian
Servings: 12to 20 spring rolls - serves 2-4 people
Author: Valerie Mates
Ingredients
Easy Baked Tofu - for soy-free spring rolls, substitute a cup of cashews for the baked tofu
1box of extra-firm tofu14 to 16 ounces - not silken!
2tablespoonssesame oil
2tablespoonstamari or gluten-free soy sauce
1tablespoonrice vinegar
optional: a pinch of garlic powder
Dipping Sauce
1clovegarlic - optional
2inchchunk of fresh gingerpeeled (fresh is better!) or 1 tablespoon dried ginger powder
1/2cupnut butteralmond butter, peanut butter, sunflower butter, etc.
3/4tablespoontamari or gluten-free soy sauceor 1/4 teaspoon salt
the juice of one lime or lemon
a drizzle of sesame oil
1/3cuphot water
Other Ingredients
1-2ouncesbean thread noodlesor other glassy white noodles
1cupgreens -- Napa cabbage or red chard or other greenswashed and shredded
1/2cupgrated carrot
2teaspoonsdried basil
optional: other grated veggies
12 to 20 8-inchround rice papersI searched for years to find organic ones - I love these!
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the tofu into thin slabs - you should get between 9 and 12 of them, a little more than 1/4 inch thick. Put the liquid ingredients (sesame oil, tamari, etc.) on a nonstick baking sheet. Stir. Add the tofu slabs. Dip each side of the tofu in the mixture, then bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool, then cut into small cubes, a little larger than 1/4 inch -- or grate them with the large side of a grater.
Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain. When they are cooled, put them on a plate or a cutting board and use a knife or kitchen scissors to cut them into pieces.
Shred the greens and carrots.
In a bowl, stir together the chopped, cooked, noodles, tofu cubes, shredded greens, shredded carrots, basil, and any other fillings.
Put warm water in a dinnerplate, and put a cutting board or large plate nearby.
Put a dried rice paper into the water on the dinnerplate and submerge it. It should soften in anything from seconds to a few minutes.
Take it out of the water and put it on the cutting board or large plate.
Put about 1/4 cup of filling on the rice paper, about 2/3 of the way down. Fold up the bottom flap against the filling, then fold the sides inward. Then roll up the wrapper, applying some pressure to compress the fillings. This takes a little practice but gets easier.
Repeat for the rest of the spring rolls. You may need to add more warm water to the soaking plate from time to time as it gets used up.
Tip: You can speed up the soaking by putting the next wrapper in to soak when you remove the previous one from the water. Another option is to ask family members to each fill and wrap their own spring rolls.
Tip: After the filling is used up, you can pour the water from the dinnerplate into the empty bowl that the filling was in. That is easier to carry to the sink than a plate of water.
Put all sauce ingredients in a small blender jar, and blend until smooth.
Serve each person five spring rolls and a small bowl of dipping sauce. Yum!