These vibrant rice paper rolls are one of my favourite summer meals, light but satisfying, and full of colour and texture. The tofu provides the protein base, while the veg adds crunch and freshness. And the sauce? That’s the bit that makes it all sing… and the bit you’ll come back for!

If you’re not a fan of fiddling around with the wrapping. No problem. Serve everything deconstructed: pile up rice noodles, crunchy veg and golden tofu in a bowl, and drizzle with the miso-peanut dressing for the same flavours, no rolling required (but I do think it’s worth it!).

Ingredients

Rice paper rolls:

  • 8 rice paper wrappers
  • 300g Extra Firm Tofu
  • 100g rice noodles – fresh or pre-cooked
  • 1/2 tsp garlic granules 
  • 8 large lettuce leaves e.g.butterhead or little gem
  • 100g red cabbage (shredded)
  • 1 medium carrot (cut into matchsticks)
  • 1 small cucumber (cut into matchsticks)
  • 40g sprouts (broccoli, alfalfa etc.)
  • 8 mint leaves (chopped)

Sauce:

  • 80g peanut butter
  • 4 tbsp water
  • 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp miso paste
  • 2 tsp maple syrup
  • Thumb size piece of ginger (grated)

Method

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180ºC.
  2. Cut tofu into 1.5cm sticks and put onto a baking sheet, ensuring to spray oil on all sides. Season generously with salt, pepper and garlic granules. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
  3. Make the sauce by mixing all ingredients until smooth and consistent.
  4. Prepare your working space with the cut vegetables and cooked noodles within reach, and place tofu nearby once ready.
  5. Use a shallow bowl of warm water to soften the first rice paper roll until it becomes soft and transparent – this won’t take long.
  6. Lay out the softened rice paper onto a wetted chopping board, rough side up, and start by laying a lettuce leaf on top of it leaving a couple of centimetres space around the edges (cut the leaf down to size as needed). Fill the roll by adding some noodles, then chopped mint, a few pieces of cabbage, carrot and cucumber, tofu and sprouts.
  7. Pick up the bottom of the rice paper roll closest to you and roll it over the top – being gentle but firm. Next fold in the two edges as you roll the whole thing away from you to finish the wrap. The rice paper should stick to itself to close the roll. 
  8. Repeat with the next 7 wraps.
  9. Dip your wraps into a generous amount of the peanut sauce and enjoy!

Original inspiration from The Yummy Vegan’s “Crispy Tofu Summer Rolls”.