Lemongrass Tofu & Shiitake Mushroom Spring Rolls

Looking for a light, but fulfilling snack (or small meal) that makes you feel good? Look no further because this lemongrass tofu & shiitake mushroom spring rolls will do just that. This is perfect anytime of the year! 

Spring rolls

If I had to choose between spring rolls and my other favorite food, dumplings, I would choose spring rolls. What can I say? I’ve been eating spring rolls since I was a child and there is nothing more comforting than a tightly packed, vegetable filled spring roll. 

Almond Dipping Sauce

Although spring rolls are typically dipped in peanut sauce, almond sauce is a great alternative especially for those who are allergic to peanuts, can’t stomach it, or simply don’t like the taste of peanuts. This can be whipped up in less than 5 minutes and will be the perfect complement to the spring rolls. 

6 Helpful Tips 

  1. When you’re first starting out, try not to add too much filling to the spring roll. Start small for an easier and neater fold. It is always best to underfill then to overfill and have it tear. 
  2. It is best to eat the spring roll immediately to prevent it from drying out.
  3. When dipping the entire rice paper in the warm bowl of water, make sure the entire surface is covered with water. Also, do not dip for more than 5 seconds otherwise the rice paper will become too sticky and fragile to roll. 
  4. When in doubt, wrap it like a burrito! 
  5. If you are looking for a nut free alternative sauce, you can always go with sweet chili sauce. 
  6. I highly recommend eating this the day of. They can not be stored in the fridge as the texture of the spring roll will change. 

 

I hope you love this spring roll recipe as much as I do. It is: 
Light
Refreshing
Crunchy
Vegan
& Nutritious

 

With the majority of us still in quarantine, this is a perfect dinner time activity to have with roommates or family. It is a great opportunity to hang out, talk, and eat. 

 

Please let me know if you gave this recipe a try. Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo on Instagram @tifflovestofu. I’d love to see or hear how it turned out for you. 

Rice paper: https://amzn.to/3aIpg7L

Vietnamese rice vermicelli: https://amzn.to/34mtSzD

Lemongrass Tofu & Shiitake Mushroom Spring Rolls

Prep Time

10 min

cooking time

20 min

Servings

4

total time

30 min

Difficulty

Easy

Ingredients

1
Lemongrass Tofu
2
1 10oz. pack of pre-fried tofu (cut into matchsticks, see more info in the Notes below)
3
2 tbsp minced lemongrass (use white bulb only, refer to video for trimming and cutting method)
4
5 Thai Bird Eye Chili, skip if not a fan of spicy(frozen or fresh, see Notes below)
5
¼ cup shallot (minced)
6
3 garlic cloves (minced)
7
2 tbsp vegetable oil
8
2 tbsp salt
9
Shiitake Mushrooms
10
8-10 shiitake mushrooms (sliced)
11
1 tbsp vegetable oil
12
1 tsp salt
13
1 tbsp mushroom seasoning
14
1 tsp sugar
15
1 tbsp black pepper
16
1 tbsp vegan fish sauce
17
Almond Butter Dipping Sauce
18
1 tbsp vegetable oil
19
2 tbsp garlic (minced)
20
4 tbsp vegan hoisin sauce
21
5 tbsp almond butter
22
1 lime
23
1 cup water (add slowly 2 tbsp at a time)
24
Vegetable filling
25
Red leaf or romaine lettuce (Rinse and dry well)
26
Persian cucumbers (thinly sliced)
27
Rice Paper (round, 22cm)
28
Vietnamese Rice Vermicelli (medium sized)
29
Vietnamese Rice Vermicelli (medium sized) Warm water in a large, wide shallow bowl

Cooking Instructions

1
Step 1
Add rice vermicelli to a pot of boiling hot water. Follow instructions on the package but typically, it only takes 5 minutes to cook. Once the noodles are cooked, drain the water and set it in a bowl on the side.
2
Step 2
To mince lemongrass, begin with peeling the outer layers until you reach the smooth center (refer to video on how to peel the layers). You will know that you reached the center when it smells incredibly fragrant and when you can slightly bend it. From here, go ahead and mince the white bulb. Sometimes you can get away with cutting past the white bulb but chances are the further away you cut from the bottom base, the tougher it will be to chop. Once the lemongrass has been chopped, mince the garlic and shallots and roughly chop the chili pepper. Cut the pre-fried tofu into matchsticks.
3
Step 3
In a nonstick pan, heat up the vegetable oil for a few seconds before adding the shallots. After a few minutes, add the lemongrass, garlic, chili pepper, and salt. Pan fry until the shallots turn a slightly golden brown color. Add the tofu and stir until the mixture evenly coats the tofu. Once the tofu has heated up in the pan for 2-3 minutes, plate and set to the side.
4
Step 4
In the same pan, heat up the oil and add the mushrooms, mushroom seasoning, salt, vegan fish sauce, black pepper and sugar. Stir fry for a few minutes or until the mushrooms have shrunk to half its size. Set to the side.
5
Step 5
In a small saucepan, heat up the oil, garlic, hoisin sauce, and almond butter. Add water 2 tbsp at a time. Remember, you can always add more water later. If we add too much water in the beginning, it will become too watery. You can slowly add water until you reach your preferred consistency. I find that 1 cup of water is enough to dilute the almond butter and to create the perfect almond sauce.
6
Step 6
Quickly dip the entire sheet of rice paper in a bowl, making sure it is completely wet. This should only take 2-3 seconds. Lay the rice paper on a plate. In this order, add a small piece of lettuce, one cucumber slice closest to you, a few pieces of mushrooms, and a small bunch of noodles. With clean hands, lift the edges closest to you with your thumbs while using your fingers to hold down the vegetables. Fold forward like a burrito. About ⅔ of the way closed, add 2 slices of tofu. You can then grab the left and right edges and fold it in and roll until the seam is sealed. Enjoy and eat immediately.
7
Step 7
Notes:
8
Step 8
*For any leftovers, store the mushrooms, tofu, noodles, and vegetables separately in an air tight container for up to 3 days. Freshly made spring rolls do not store well in the refrigerator because the rice paper will dry out. When ready to eat, simply use rice paper to make the spring rolls.
9
Step 9
*The recipe was enough to make about 7-8 spring rolls. However, the more vegetables you prep, the more spring rolls you can make.
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ABOUT AUTHOR
Hi, I'm Tiff!

Tiff Loves Tofu is a blog all about simple and delicious plant-based recipes, largely influenced by my culture and life experiences. I hope to show people that cooking wholesome, vibrant plant-based meals is not only easy but it is loads of fun. So, let’s get cooking!

ADVERTISEMENT
Our gallery
Get Updates In Your Inbox !

Sign up with email to receive news & updates.