bean sprouts | One Small Vegan

Vegan MoFo 2012 Post #2

A few months ago my sister Jem and I made these fresh spring rolls using rice paper, smoked tofu, and fresh veggies and herbs. They were really good, and even though it takes a little bit of time, we had fun putting them together. Even though we raved about them and I still had about half a pack left of rice papers, we hadn’t yet got around to making them again.

So, when I saw this recipe for Baked Rice Paper Rolls I knew exactly what we were making for our next dinner together! I love vegetable spring rolls, but had never even thought of making my own using rice paper. We didn’t follow the recipe above, but used our own mix of vegetables for the filling. Sorry, we didn’t really measure anything, just made a big pan full of vegetables (actually added more after the photos), but I’d estimate that we had about 4 cups of cooked vegetables. The amount that we used made 12 rolls, though as you can see ours are varying sizes, so you will get more if you make thinner ones, as I really suggest you do. The larger ones were difficult to eat, and needed to be baked a little longer.

It only takes a few minutes to sauté the vegetables, and while working with the rice paper can be a little tricky at first, it is very quick and easy once you get the hang of it. Plus, its really fun to do!

Baked Vegetable Spring Rolls
2 tsp sesame oil
Shredded cabbage
Grated carrot
Thinly sliced mushrooms
Bean sprouts
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp minced ginger
Roasted sesame seeds
Rice paper sheets (12-16)
Warm water

You also need a large shallow bowl or clean sink to have the water in, for wetting the rice paper, a large tea towel (not a really fuzzy one), a flat plate or cutting board for rolling the spring rolls on, and a lightly greased baking sheet to place the spring rolls on.

Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add in garlic and ginger. Sauté for about 1 minute, then add in the carrots, mushrooms, and cabbage. Stir everything together, then let cook a few minutes, until the vegetables release moisture. Stir in bean sprouts and cook for another minute. You don’t want to overcook the vegetables, as they will cook more in the oven. Turn off heat and transfer cooked vegetables to a large bowl.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Fill your sink or bowl with warm water, just enough to be able to wet the rice paper in it. Set out your bowl of veggies, tea towel, plate or cutting board, and greased baking sheet.

To assemble spring rolls, first take one rice paper sheet and place it in the warm water for no 30 seconds. Place on tea towel for a moment, to absorb excess moisture, and then move to plate or cutting board. The rice paper should no longer be hard, but pliable and almost completely see-through. Place a small amount (roughly a 1/4 cup) of your cooked vegetable mixture onto the centre of the prepared rice paper. Sprinkle some roasted sesame seeds on top.

Fold the two short sides of the rice paper over the vegetable mixture.

Now fold one of the remaining sides toward the other remaining side, over the vegetable mixture. Holding onto the bundle of vegetables roll it to the end of the rice paper, forming a cylinder, with the vegetables safely tucked in the centre. I feel like I’m not explaining it very well, but you can see the process in the photos. (Thanks to Jem for demonstrating!)

Place on baking sheet and continue process until you run out of rice paper or vegetables. Don’t worry if your rolls aren’t perfect! It takes a little practice, and they’ll taste great no matter what they look like!

Lightly spray or brush with oil and place in warmed oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes (depending on how large your rolls ended up). Serve with your favourite dip. I used soy sauce and Sriracha. Jem used soy sauce and plum sauce.

These were so good! Just as tasty and satisfying as spring rolls from a restaurant or grocery freezer, but way healthier! Plus, you can customize with your own choice of vegetables (a super plus for me as I very strongly dislike onions and most spring rolls are heavy on the onion).

Enjoy!

This recipe has been submitted to Healthy Vegan Friday #12. You can see all the other submissions here.