Recipe: Raw Vegan Spring Rolls
It’s been a little over two months now since I embarked on a (mostly) raw vegan lifestyle. Two months isn’t a long time in the grand scheme of things, but it has been long enough to prove to me that it is the right lifestyle for me. It isn’t easy and I mess up… a lot… but I am dedicated to continuing this lifestyle and to moving further and further away from mostly and closer to fully raw vegan.
Someday soon I will write a full post about the process so far, the benefits, the obstacles, and my personal results. But for now, I want to share some of the items and recipes that have become staples in my diet. There are a few that I will share in the coming weeks. The first one which I am going to share today is a recipe for Raw Vegan Spring Rolls.
These have become a true staple for me. I make them at least a couple of times each week. They are simple, delicious and absolutely loaded with vitamins, fiber, protein, and raw nutrition. It’s also a good flexible recipe, meaning as long as you have the spring roll wrappers on-hand you can add anything else that you happen to have in the fridge or the pantry.
I make these spring rolls lots of different ways with varying ingredients depending on what I am craving and what I have on-hand. The recipe I am sharing today is the one that I make the most often. I almost always have all of these ingredients and they come together so nicely. Above you can see everything that I use to make these rolls. Here is the ingredient list:
- organic greens
- sprouted seeds
- chia seeds
- spring roll wrappers
- organic carrots, shredded
- organic grape tomatoes, chopped
- homemade hummus (recipe coming soon)
Before I get into the “how-to” let me briefly explain that until very recently I was really intimidated by the idea of making spring rolls! I didn’t realize that you could purchase pre-made spring roll wrappers so I had always just assumed it would be a really difficult process and I wouldn’t be able to do it. One day I found these wrappers in the international section of my local grocery store and it was such a Godsend. When you take them out of the package they are stiff, like a wafer almost, and all you have to do is soak them in water and they become pliable and easy to work with.
There is a little bit of a learning curve in working with these. First, you need a wide, flat container to soak them in. The wrappers need room to lay flat, if a wrapper gets bunched up it will tear or fold and it’s hard to undo that. So I use a wide shallow egg dish, which just happens to be the perfect size for the process.
Anyway, don’t worry too much about what you use, but definitely do not be intimidated by making spring rolls if you have never done it. It’s so simple and after a few tries, you’ll have it down to a science. Of course you can also fry, steam or bake your spring rolls. Occasionally I will fry mine, but most of the time I leave them raw to protect all of the raw goodness inside from heat which breaks down nutrients.
Okay, so here are the steps, along with some photographs. Forgive me because I do not know the proper terminology to describe this process, but if you have any questions at all, give me a shout and I’ll be happy to clarify anything that may be confusing.
Remove one wrapper from the package and soak it in water according to package directions, usually about a minute. Don’t soak it longer than suggested because it will fall apart.
Next, carefully remove wrapper from water and spread it out flat on a separate plate. Add all of your desired ingredients to the middle of the wrapper.
Next, pinch one side of the wrapper and fold it over your “stuffing.” Then, pinch the other side of the wrapper, and fold it over the same way.
Next, fold one of the two remaining sides over the stuffing. Finally, hold the center of the roll together and roll everything tightly toward the remaining unfolded side of the wrapper.
Now you will have a completed, wrapped spring roll. Remember, it will take a little time to develop your technique. The first few times I made spring rolls, my rolls looked more like dumplings than rolls. But whatever, they still tasted good and the technique comes with time.
Simply repeat the entire process until you have as many spring rolls as you desire.
For my dipping sauce this time, I used some homemade hummus, added a couple of splashes of soy sauce, and mixed well with a fork. There are lots of variations of dipping sauce that you can try. I’m looking forward to trying this ginger carrot dressing soon.
So, that’s all friends! I hope that you enjoyed this recipe. These spring rolls are seriously just so good. I love them and I hope you will, too. xo
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Looks yummy. I made shrimp spring rolls a couple weeks ago, and made the mistake of over-stuffing! I’ll have to try these soon.
They’re so good but yes, it’s so rad to overstuff. Haha. Now I want shrimp rolls. 😍
Amazing!