Vegetarian Rice Paper Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

These healthy rice paper rolls come together in a matter of minutes and are so delicious! They are fresh, light, and can easily be adapted with whatever vegetables you have on hand. Pair them with my homemade creamy peanut dipping sauce for a perfect vegan and gluten-free meal!

What are Vegetarian Rice Paper Rolls?

These Vegetarian Rice Paper Rolls are a homemade version of one my go-to dishes at my favourite Thai and Vietnamese restaurants: Fresh Spring Rolls. Cue the heart-eyes emoji.

Basically, fresh spring rolls (aka rice paper rolls) are made of rice paper wraps filled with fresh vegetables, herbs (like cilantro or mint) and occasionally a protein like tofu. Instead of being deep fried like the spring rolls many of us are used to, these ones are served fresh. Typically they are served with a side of hoisin or peanut sauce for dipping.

For this homemade version, I add lots of vegetables, edamame beans for protein instead of tofu, mint or cilantro, and a homemade peanut sauce for dipping. The sauce is super similar to the dressing I use on my delicious Vegan Peanut Noodle Salad recipe!

These are quick and simple to make (once you get the hang of rolling them!), they’re naturally vegan and gluten-free, and they’re crisp, fresh, and delicious. Depending on the serving size you choose, these rice paper rolls make a great plant-powered lunch or healthy snack idea that comes together under 30 minutes. I can’t wait for you to make them!

What is Rice Paper Anyways?

You might be curious what the rice paper that these rolls are wrapped in actually is. If the title doesn’t give it away, rice paper wraps are thin, translucent wrappers that are traditionally made from rice flour, water and salt.

In their packaging, the sheets of rice paper are brittle and rather fragile. Once they are soaked in water, they become softened and pliable, so you can wrap them around various fillings to create delicious rice paper rolls.

Once they are soaked in, rice paper doesn’t require any further cooking, but you can deep fry it, as you would when preparing crispy spring rolls.

Do Rice Paper Rolls Contain Gluten?

No, rice paper rolls do not contain gluten. Unless you add a gluten-containing ingredient to the rice paper wraps, rice paper is generally gluten-free, as it is made of rice flour (which is gluten-free), water and salt.

Where Can I Buy Rice Paper Rolls?

Generally, you can find rice paper rolls at a variety of locations, like:

• Major grocery stores
• Health food stores
• Asian grocers and markets
• Amazon

Are Rice Paper Rolls Healthy?

They absolutely can be! As a dietitian, I’m happy to report that this recipe for Vegetarian Rice Paper rolls is very healthy. There are a few different things that make these rice paper rolls healthy, which I will outline below.

• They’re fresh, not fried. While fried food is totally fine to enjoy on occasion, deep-fried foods tend to be high in saturated and trans fats, which we generally want to eat less of. These fresh spring rolls actually don’t require any cooking, but they’re super crisp, crunchy, and flavourful!
• They encourage you to eat the rainbow. One key aspect of a healthy eating pattern is variety. These rice paper rolls contain a colourful range of vegetables, which means you’ll be eating a variety of important nutrients, like vitamins and minerals.
• They’re high in fibre. This recipe is packed with plants like carrots, bell peppers, edamame, cabbage, cucumber, and bean sprouts. And fibre comes from plants! Fibre is important for health because it keeps blood sugars stable, can help lower cholesterol, keeps you feeling full, and helps to regulate digestion.
• They also include plant-based protein. To make sure this recipe is balanced and filling, I made sure to include a source of protein: edamame beans! These are a great plant-based source of protein.
• Peanut dipping sauce offers healthy fat. To really round out a balanced meal, we need a source of fat. The peanut butter in our peanut sauce for dipping is a good source of monounsaturated fat, which is one of the types of fat that we want to eat more of.

Ingredients for Rainbow Vegetarian Rice Paper Rolls:

To make this fresh, colourful, and healthy rice paper rolls recipe, here’s what you’ll need. Keep in mind that these are flexible suggestions, and you can easily adapt the recipe to use more or less of whichever veggies you have on hand.

• 6-8 each rice paper wraps
• 4 large romaine lettuce leaves
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper sliced into strips
• 1/2 medium yellow bell pepper sliced into strips
• 2 medium carrots cut into sticks
• 1/2 medium cucumber cut into sticks
• 1/2 cup red cabbage chopped
• 1 cup edamame shelled, cooked
• fresh mint or cilantro chopped, for garnish

For the Peanut Dipping Sauce:

To make the peanut sauce for dipping, here are the ingredients you’ll need:

• 2 tbsp natural creamy peanut butter
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp srirachia hot sauce
• 2 tbsp hot water

How to Make these Vegetarian Rice Paper Rolls:

To make the rolls at home, I have a few pointers for you.

• A lot of the instructions on rice paper wrap packaging tells you to soak the wraps in hot water to soften them prior to rolling. Instead, I use cold water to soak them. This keeps them from getting super sticky and sticking to your hands or plate when you’re trying to make your rolls.

• After you’ve soaked the wrap, we’ll add the sliced veggies and edamame, roll them up, and repeat. I advise you not to put too many items in each wrap prior to rolling! I know you want to stuff them with all the goods, but this will make it more difficult to roll them up and make the rice paper more likely to rip.

To roll the wraps, fold in the right and left sides first, then take the bottom end of the wrap, fold it over the ingredients in the centre, and the continue roll it up all the way. If you like, you can slice each roll in half or leave them as is. Don’t get discouraged if the first handful of times you roll the rice paper it doesn’t go as perfectly as you hoped. The rice paper wraps are super delicate and it took me several tries before I felt like I could roll one gently enough to not rip it but firm enough to hold everything inside.

• As for the peanut sauce, the recipe is adapted from my own Peanut Lime Sauce recipe and it’s really easy to make. Just whisk the ingredients together in a dish, and you’ve got dipping sauce!

Can You Freeze Rice Paper Spring Rolls?

Unfortunately, fresh rice paper spring rolls do not freeze well, so I would not recommend storing them in the freezer. Cooked (fried) spring rolls, on the other hand, can be frozen.

While they are best served fresh, if you do have leftovers, I recommend is storing leftover rice paper rolls and peanut dipping sauce in the fridge, in separate air tight containers. For maximum freshness, wrap the leftovers in a clean, damp kitchen towel to prevent sticking and preserve freshness.

The spring rolls will keep in the fridge up to 5 days and the peanut sauce will keep up to 1 week, which makes this recipe great for meal prep!

Substitution Suggestions:

As I mentioned, the ingredient list for this recipe is flexible and can easily be adapted with whatever vegetables you have on hand. And if you’re feeling creative, here are some ingredients that you can use as substitutions or additions:

• Sliced mango
• Cooked vermicelli noodles
• Tofu
• Avocado
• Almond butter or sunflower seed butter (in the sauce!)

More Healthy Vegetarian Recipes:

• Spicy Black Bean Burgers with Cilantro Avocado Sauce
• Buffalo Cauliflower Bowls
• Balsamic Grilled Veggie Wraps
• Curry Chickpea Salad Sandwiches
• Vegetarian Potato Nachos

Connect with Hannah Magee, RD

I hope you guys love this recipe as much as I do (who am I kidding, I know you will!). If you make these Rainbow Vegetarian Rice Paper Rolls, don’t forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram or Twitter!

And if you really enjoyed the recipe, I’d love if it you left a comment and a recipe rating below. It helps more people find my recipes. 🙂