Tofu Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

This recipe features fresh, budget-friendly ingredients.

For the spring rolls:

• rice vermicelli noodles
• vegetable oil, for frying
• extra-firm tofu
• kosher salt
• ground black pepper
• square rice paper wrappers (bánh tráng)
• romaine lettuce
• red cabbage
• red bell pepper
• carrot
• fresh mint leaves
• fresh Thai basil leaves
• fresh cilantro

For the hoisin peanut sauce:

• creamy peanut butter
• hoisin
• Sambal Oelek
• warm water
• chopped peanuts

See the recipe card for quantities, and read the FAQ below if you have any questions about these ingredients.

Spring Rolls

Cook rice vermicelli noodles according to the package directions. Drain the noodles and set them aside for later.

In a deep frying pan or a Dutch oven (pictured above), heat about ½-inch of vegetable oil on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu and fry until golden, tossing occasionally to fry all sides, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Tip: The amount of oil needed will vary depending on the size of your pan. You may need to fry the tofu in batches depending on the size of your pan.

Place the tofu on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil and season with salt and pepper.

Ready for the rice paper? Dampen your counter or work surface with water or lightly grease it with vegetable oil to prevent your rice paper from sticking.

Dip a sheet of rice paper into a large bowl of warm water or pass it under gently running water. The entire surface should briefly come in contact with water, but do not soak the rice paper. The rice paper will soften as fillings are added.

Place the rice paper with one corner facing you. Create a small bed of shredded lettuce on the lower third of the wrapper, closest to you. Place a large pinch of vermicelli noodles on top, and then place 1 to 2 pieces of tofu on top of the noodles.

Next, add a large pinch of red cabbage, 2 to 3 pieces of red bell pepper, a large pinch of carrots, 2 mint leaves, 2 Thai basil leaves, and 2 cilantro leaves. To make it easier to roll, try adding these in horizontal rows working upwards instead of placing them a single pile (see photos).

Start your roll...

Fold the lower third of the rice paper over the filling.

Then fold in both the left and right corners over the filling (similar to rolling a burrito).

Continue to gently roll the rice paper from the bottom up. The rice paper should cling and seal itself. Dab water along the seams if it needs some help.

Cover your completed tofu spring rolls with a damp paper towel and repeat until you run out of filling ingredients or rice paper.

Note: The number of spring rolls you end up with will vary depending on how much of each ingredient is put into each spring roll. If you run out of a particular ingredient, you can add more of another.

Hoisin Peanut Dipping Sauce

In a medium-sized bowl, add the creamy peanut butter, hoisin, and Sambal Oelek. Whisk together and add one tablespoon of warm water at a time to thin. The amount of water will vary depending on the consistency of the peanut butter used. Top the sauce with chopped peanuts and serve immediately.

Substitutions

Have a substitution question not covered here? Hit me up in the comments, and I'll do my best to make a recommendation.

• Noodles - The vermicelli rice noodles can be substituted with other types of rice noodles, but beware that thicker rice noodles give the spring rolls a bulky, chewy mouthfeel compared to the thin rice noodles. I do not recommend using any type of wheat noodles as a substitute.
• Frying oil - I recommend vegetable oil for frying tofu. You can use canola, peanut, avocado, or any other high-heat frying oil you prefer. It may seem like a lot of oil is used in this recipe, but that’s the key to the crispy tofu. Most of the oil is discarded.
• Tofu - You can omit the tofu entirely if you’d like, or substitute it for another protein of your choice.
• Rice papers - I find square papers much easier to work with than the round ones. They’re easier to roll, and I’ve found that they break less often. However, the circular ones will work for this recipe.
• Fresh herbs - The cilantro, basil, and mint are essential to giving these spring rolls that fresh and herbaceous flavor you experience at Vietnamese restaurants. They are found in most grocery stores in the produce section. Do not use dried herbs in this recipe. If your store does not carry Thai basil, use Italian basil. I do not recommend substituting parsley for any of the herbs as it is too bitter for this recipe.
• Sambal Oelek - You can substitute this with sriracha, gochujang, or crushed red chili flakes.

Equipment

• Large pot to boil the vermicelli noodles
• Large dutch oven or a deep frying pan (one with tall sides) to fry the tofu
• Slotted metal spoon for frying the tofu
• Whisk for the peanut dipping sauce

Storage

These spring rolls can dry out quickly. Cover them with a damp paper towel as you complete each roll or before serving at a dinner or party.

These spring rolls will be good for up to one day when stored in the refrigerator. Cover them with a damp paper towel and store them in an airtight container, or seal with plastic wrap. These spring rolls do not freeze well and are best served immediately.