Tofu Spring Rolls (Vietnamese Summer Rolls Recipe)
These Tofu Spring Rolls are the super tasty vegan version of my classic Vietnamese King Prawn Summer Rolls. They are naturally gluten free, spicy and packed with flavour. And they're easy to make, light and fresh to boot. Perfect.
Use kitchen roll to take as much moisture out of the tofu slices as possible.
Add 1 tsp Ginger Paste and 1 tsp Chilli Oil to a shallow dish. Soak the tofu slices into the chilli/ginger oil until it is all absorbed.
Heat a medium frying pan with 1 tbsp Veg Oil. Add the tofu slices and fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
You are looking for it to be a little crispy and golden brown. This will take longer to achieve than you might expect. Be gentle with the tofu slices and only flip them once or they are liable to fall apart.
Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
Prepare the Fillings
Pop the kettle on to boil.
Start by separating, washing and drying about 4 Leaves Little Gem Lettuce. Cut each in half lengthways and set aside.
Finely slice 50g Bell Pepper. Set aside.
Finely slice about 30g White Cabbage. It is best to aim for slices similar in size to the peppers.
Peel the outer layers and top & tail 4 Spring Onions. Finely slice on a long diagonal.
Wash and dry 8 Mint Leaves and 10g of Fresh Coriander. Set aside.
Cover 50g Thin Rice Noodles in boiling water and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Give them a quick rinse under cold water to separate them. Leave to the side.
Assemble the Summer Rolls
Gather all of the prepared and unused roll ingredients along with a board larger than the wrappers.
Add more boiled water from the kettle to a shallow dish. Something a little larger than the 4 Rice Paper Wrappers.
Take one of the wrappers and carefully dip it into the hot water. It does not need to be submerged for more than 10-15 seconds. Take it out while it is still holding its shape. Don't panic and over-soak it. The wrapper will continue to soften as you add the fillings.
Lay the soaked wrapper on a clean board and use a clean tea towel or kitchen roll to gently dab off any excess water.
Start to add the fillings to the centre of the wrapper one at a time. Always start with the tofu.
The add 2 mint leaves on top of the tofu.
Continue to layer a quarter each of the fillings - the cabbage, bell peppers, spring onion...
...the coriander, the lettuce and the rice noodles. You may not wish to use all of the rice noodles. If they feel overstuffed already, just use a bit less.
Take one side of the wrapper and fold it neatly over the fillings.
Repeat with the other side.
Take the side of the wrapper closest to you and fold it away from you. This is the time to squeeze everything as tight as possible as you continue to roll away from you until the roll is sealed.
Repeat with the remaining wrappers and fillings.
Make the Dipping Sauce
Combine 1 tbsp Lime Juice, 1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce, 1 tbsp Caster Sugar, 1 tsp Garlic Paste and 0.5 tsp Dried Chilli Flakes in a small bowl. Keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved.