This rainbow spring roll recipe is a tried and true classic. Spring rolls make for a delicious lunch or dinner. They contain tons of great proteins and veggies, and make for a no-fuss, light, and satisfying meal (and they are very fun to make!)
Spring rolls use large rice paper wraps. You can find rice paper wraps in your local asian market, in the international section of a well stocked grocery, or online. Rice paper wraps come dried and can be stored in your pantry. Spring rolls use fresh, not fried rice paper wraps.
First, prepare all of your filling ingredients. Chop all produce into long strips, including cucumber, bell pepper, avocado, jalapeno, and precooked tofu. Prepare your shredded cabbage, and chop herbs.
When you’re ready to assemble your rainbow spring rolls, fill a large bowl with about 2 inches of cold water. Get a clear surface prepared that you can roll and assemble the spring rolls – a cutting board, clear counter, or plate works great. You need to use a bowl that is bigger than your rice paper wraps – we like to use a saute pan. Submerge the rice paper into the water for around 5 seconds. The rice paper will soften right away, and it will continue to soften even after you take it out of the water.
Place your rice paper wrap onto a clear surface. Stuff the rice paper with your rainbow spring roll toppings. The width of your fillings will be the width of your spring roll, just make sure you leave an inch or two on each side.
Next, roll the filling. Carefully pull the bottom of the wrapper up and over all of the filling. Roll upwards, trying to keep the filling compact. Finally, make an envelope out of the spring roll by folding in the sides.
Below is a list of just some ideas for other spring roll fillings.
You can get so creative with spring rolls. We love this recipe as is, but as always, feel free to experiment. Spring rolls are so great because they work with endless combinations of proteins, fruits and veggies, greens, and herbs.
Below are some other ideas if you’d like to get creative!
Proteins:
- Tofu
- Tempeh – marinated in soy sauce and sauteed
- Seitan
- Edamame
- Oven roasted chickpeas
Fruits and Veggies
- Cucumber
- Carrots
- Jalapeno
- Kimchi
- Asparagus
- Bell Pepper
- Avocado
- Sweet Potato
- Mango
Greens and Herbs:
- Cilantro
- Mint
- Basil
- Green Onion
- Cabbage
- Spinach
We highly recommend serving up the rainbow spring rolls with a delicious dipping sauce. We recommend this easy and versatile peanut sauce.
Rainbow Spring Rolls
Ingredients
Spring Rolls
- 12 Rice Paper Wraps
- 1 Cucumber sliced into sticks
- 1 Avocado thinly sliced
- 1 Mango thinly sliced
- 1 Bell Pepper thinly sliced
- 1 Jalapeno (optional) thinly sliced
- 1 package precooked tofu cut into half inch thick slabs
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- ½ cup mint chopped
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
Peanut Sauce
- ⅓ cup peanut butter (creamy, unsalted)
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- ⅓ cup hot water
Instructions
- Chop the fruits and vegetables into equal pieces, about 4 inches long: cucumber, avocado, jalapeno, bell pepper, mango. Chop tofu into similar sized strips. Dice mint and cilantro.
- Fill a bowl (that is larger than your rice paper wraps) with 2 inches of cold water. Make sure all of your prepared fillings are within reach. For steps 3, 4, and 5, complete one spring roll at time.
- Submerge a single rice paper wrap for around 5 seconds and lay flat on a clean surface.
- Fill the spring roll with rainbow toppings. Leave about 2 inches of wrapper on either side of the fillings.
- Wrap your spring roll by gently pulling the bottom of the wrapper up over the fillings and slightly tucking it. Continue rolling from the bottom, working to keep all of the toppings together. Then, fold the sides of the wrapper in like an envelope.
- Repeat steps 3, 4, and 5 for each spring roll and enjoy with a dipping sauce (we’ve included our peanut dipping sauce which pairs beautifully!)
