These tofu summer rolls are salad in a roll! They are light, fresh, vegan, gluten-free and healthy! They take a little bit of planning but are surprisingly easy to make. With this gorgeous meal you’ll get a variety of nutritious, colorful vegetables which are all foundations of how to “eat beautifully”.
Make Fresh Summer Rolls at Home
Admittedly I’ve been putting off this recipe for a while because I was intimidated but these tofu vegetable summer rolls are surprisingly easy to make once you line up all the ingredients. Once I had a chance to taste these finished product I knew that I would certainly be making these again!
This recipe is vegan (but can be easily made with shrimp), gluten-free, healthy and not to mention beautiful!
Are Summer Rolls Healthy?
Summer rolls are typically filled with vegetables and are a fun way to get your “salad in a roll”. These tofu vegan summer rolls include:
- Tofu – I use marinated grilled tofu to keep this recipe vegan but you can easily swap the tofu for shrimp (see notes). If you use tofu, its important to buy organic and non-GMO since conventionally grown soy is often heavily contaminated with pesticides.
- Shiitake mushrooms – Not only do the marinated mushrooms give some further “weight” to recipe but mushrooms are high in beta-glucans that reduce inflammation and help prevent the intestines from absorbing cholesterol.
- Avocado – The avocado contributes fiber and healthy fat to help your skin glow.
- Microgreens – Microgreens, particularly broccoli micro greens are one of the most nutrient-dense plants on the planet. I previously wrote about the benefits of microgreens here.
- Watermelon radish and carrots – Adds crunch and beautiful color helping you achieve your goal of eating the rainbow! These vegetables are also very hydrating.
- Mint – Adds freshness
- Scallions – Adds a little punchy kick
Summer Roll Tips
- Do some of the prep ahead. Marinate and cook the tofu and roast the mushrooms the day before.
- Purchase the mushrooms and carrots pre-sliced.
- Put all of the ingredients in small bowls around your workstation in the order that you want to add the ingredients.
- Put a damp, clean cloth on your workstation and lay the softened rice wrapper on the cloth (avoids having the rice wrapper stick).
- Don’t pile all the ingredients on top, lay some of them next to each other. Here is a YouTube tutorial on how to roll a spring roll.
- Put damp paper towels on top of your completed summer rolls to keep them from drying out.
I promise you that biting into these tofu summer rolls is an explosion of flavor. The salty/sweet tofu and shiitake mushrooms pairs with the crunchy-sweet vegetables, pungent scallions and fresh mint, and creamy avocado. I promise you’ll also love the ginger garlic marinade and will want to try it on other dishes as well. These vegan summer rolls would make a great light lunch or appetizers. This is literally spring in a roll!
Other Salad Recipes to Try:
Here are a few more beautiful and delicious salad recipes for you to try!
- Spring Green Goddess Salad
- Quinoa Asparagus Salad with Zucchini and Baby Spinach
- Spinach Almond Glow Salad
Tofu Summer Rolls with Ginger Garlic Dipping Sauce
These tofu summer rolls are salad in a roll! They are light, fresh, vegan, gluten-free and healthy! With this gorgeous meal you’ll get a variety of colorful vegetables which are all foundations of how to “eat beautifully”.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 rolls
Ingredients
For the marinade/sauce:
- 6 tablespoons coconut aminos (or low sodium tamari)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 gloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- juice of 2 limes
For the rolls:
- 10 ounce package of sliced shiitake mushrooms
- 12 oz package of extra firm tofu
- 8 spring roll rice paper wrappers
- 1 small watermelon radish, sliced into matchsticks
- 1 cup carrot matchsticks
- 3 scallions, slivered on diagonal
- 1 small bunch of mint leaves, washed and dried (about 1/3 cup)
- 2 handfuls of pea sprouts (or broccoli microgreens)
- 2 medium ripe, but still firm avocados, sliced
Instructions
-
- Make the marinade. In a small bowl, combine the coconut aminos, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, chili sauce, rice vinegar and lime juice. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- Press the tofu. Remove tofu from package and pat dry. Wrap in paper towels and a kitchen towel tightly, place on a plate and rest a heavy book or pan on top and press tofu to remove water for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, unwrap tofu and cut into strips. Plate tofu strips into a shallow 9×9 baking dish, and add 1 1/2 tablespoons of marinade and coat. Let sit for at least 15 minutes or overnight.
- Roast the mushrooms. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Pat the mushroom slides with wet paper towels to remove any visible dirt, debris (you can rinse but risk getting the mushrooms waterlogged which means they will come out soggier). Coat with 4 teaspoons of the marinade. Roast the mushrooms for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Cook the tofu. Preheat your grill to medium heat and brush lightly with oil. Grill the tofu until bronzed on each side (about 4-5 minutes each side). Remove and let cool.
- Prepare your “work station.” Line up all of your ingredients – mushrooms, tofu, carrots, watermelon radish, scallions, mint leaves and pea shoots/microgreens. Fill a shallow, wide bowl with warm water and moisten a clean dishcloth and drape over a cutting board (where you will assemble the rolls).
- Soak a rice paper wrapper in the water for 10-20 seconds max. Then remove and place on cutting board. On the lower third place 2-3 slides of tofu, a few shiitake slices, 1 tablespoon of shredded carrots, a few slices of radish, 3-4 scallion slices, 2 mint leaves, pea shoots and a slice of avocado. Fold the bottom over the filling. Fold in the edges and then continue to roll up. It may take a few tries to get the proportions right and to “wrap and roll” without ripping.
- Slice the rolls in half and serve with the remaining marinade.
Notes
- I use tofu in this recipe but I would also recommend swapping the tofu for shrimp if desired. Marinate the shrimp for 15 minutes and grill. Let cool and remove tails. You can chop or slice down the middle.
- Save prep time by buying your carrots pre-shredded and shiitake mushrooms pre-sliced.
- Make the marinade/sauce, tofu and the mushrooms ahead! The night before, make the marinade, press the tofu and marinate it, and roast the mushrooms. When you are ready to make the rolls just grill the tofu and then assemble the rolls.