Crispy Tofu Spring Rolls

Yield 6

Pillar of Nutrition Eat the Rainbow

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Crispy Tofu Spring rolls

A fun and interesting take on spring rolls using rice paper.

Ingredients

• Spring Roll Filling
• 1 grated carrot
• ⅛ head of cabbage, finely chopped
• ¼ inch block of tofu, dried and crumbled
• 3 tablespoons avocado oil, divided - half for saute of veggies and half for pan frying dumplings.
• 2 tsp of grated ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 green onions, sliced
• ¼ tsp coarse kosher salt plus a small pinch, or to taste
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 12 pieces rice paper Round 22cm (8.67 inch) per sheet
• Sauce
• 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 1-2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• ¼ tsp sriracha sauce or chili garlic sauce, optional
• Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds, optional

Directions

1. Filling:
2. Prep the vegetables: grate the carrot and finely chop the cabbage.
3. Crumble the tofu into a medium bowl.
4. Grate the ginger, mince the garlic and slice the green onions. Put in a small bowl.
5. Preheat a large saute pan over medium then add 1 ½ tablespoons oil. Saute the garlic, ginger, and scallions with a pinch of salt until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
6. Add tofu and cook until dried out.
7. Add the veggies. Season with ¼ tsp salt, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Saute until the vegetables sweat a bit but are still crisp, about 3 minutes. Cook just until the vegetables are crispy and not watery or wilted. Set them aside to cool to room temperature before wrapping.
8. PREPARE THE RICE PAPER: Dip the rice paper in a large bowl of cold water for only a few seconds. Do not oversoak the rice sheet. It should still be quite firm but will continue to soften out of the water. Lightly moisten your work surface (e.g. a big cutting board) so that the rice paper sheets won’t stick to the surface.
9. FOLD THE DUMPLINGS: Add a little more than 1 tablespoon of the filling to the center of the rice paper sheet. Fold the dumpling by bringing the bottom-half up to cover the filling, bring the left-side up and over to the center, and right-side up and over to the center. Roll the dumpling from bottom-up (away from you) to make an envelope-shape. For reference, I use 1 rice paper sheet. You can use 2 sheets to prevent the dumplings from breaking apart. See notes.
10. If you use a tray or big plate to hold the dumplings, brush the tray with a thin layer of oil so they won’t stick
11. PAN-FRY THE DUMPLINGS: Add 1 ½ tablespoons oil to a ceramic or non-stick large skillet and heat over medium until oil is shimmering. Pan fry the dumplings in 2 separate batches so they won’t stick together and are easier to flip.
12. Pan fry the first side for 3 minutes and flip over for an additional 3 minutes or until both sides are golden brown. Serve with sauce. Enjoy!
13. DIPPING SAUCE: whisk all ingredients except optional sesame seeds together until smooth. Top with sesame seeds, if using.

Notes

Substitution and variations

• Try adding another protein, such as shrimp or chicken instead of tofu. 
• Add fresh mint or other fresh herbs to the filling, especially refreshing during summer. 

Something to Chew On

• What else can you make with rice paper sheets?
• What other types of dumplings have you made?

Nutritional information is based on one serving.