Vegetarian Spring Rolls

Vegetarian spring rolls are crispy, golden appetizers filled with cabbage, carrots, and herbs, served with a dipping sauce. The key is to work quickly once you start rolling so the rice paper stays pliable and seals properly.

Ingredients for Vegetarian Spring Rolls

Rice paper wrappers create the crispy, translucent shell. Napa cabbage and carrots provide crunch and bulk. Rice vermicelli adds texture and absorbs the filling flavors. Fresh mint, cilantro, and green onions brighten the filling with herbaceous notes. Garlic and ginger add warmth and depth. Soy sauce and sesame oil season the filling. Water activates the rice paper, and vegetable oil fries the rolls until golden.

Why This Vegetarian Spring Rolls Works

Rice paper wrappers are thin and brittle until you dip them in warm water, which makes them soft and pliable for about 30 seconds. During that window, you can roll them tightly around the filling and they will seal as they dry. The wrappers cook in hot oil in seconds, so they fry up crispy and golden without becoming greasy.

The filling is a mix of raw and cooked elements. You cook the vermicelli and cabbage briefly to soften them slightly, but the fresh herbs and vegetables stay raw so they keep their bite and brightness. Mincing everything finely means every bite has all the flavors together, not chunks of one ingredient at a time.

The rolls are fried at a high temperature just before serving. This gives you a crispy exterior in moments and keeps the filling warm without overcooking it. The dipping sauce (a simple mix of water, vinegar, sugar, and fish sauce or soy sauce) cuts through the richness of the fried wrapper.

Mistakes To Avoid

Oversaturated rice paper tears when you try to roll it. If you leave the wrapper in the water too long, it becomes too soft and sticky to handle. Dip it for two to three seconds only, until it bends easily but still feels firm to the touch.

Overstuffed rolls burst open during frying and leak filling into the oil. Use about two tablespoons of filling per roll, placed in a line across the lower third of the wrapper. If you pile on more, the wrapper cannot seal around it properly.

Oil that is not hot enough produces greasy, limp rolls that absorb oil instead of crisping. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C) and check with a thermometer before you start frying. If the rolls sink and sit on the bottom, the oil is too cool.

Rolls left at room temperature for more than two hours can develop off flavors and textures. If you are making these ahead for a party, fry them no more than two hours before serving and keep them warm in a 200°F (93°C) oven on a wire rack so they stay crispy.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 small head napa cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 medium carrots, shredded
• 2 ounces rice vermicelli
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 cup water for dipping, plus 3 cups for cooking vermicelli
• 12 rice paper wrappers, 8 1/2 inch round
• Vegetable oil for frying

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a pot. Add rice vermicelli and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until tender but still with a slight bite. Drain well and let cool to room temperature.
2. In a large bowl, combine cooled vermicelli, cabbage, carrots, mint, cilantro, green onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix gently until the filling is evenly combined. Set aside.
3. Pour 1 cup warm water into a shallow bowl. Heat vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F (175°C), checking with an instant-read thermometer. The oil should come halfway up the sides of the pot.
4. Dip one rice paper wrapper into the warm water for 2 to 3 seconds until it bends easily but still feels firm. Lay it flat on a clean work surface.
5. Spread 2 tablespoons of filling in a line across the lower third of the wrapper, leaving a 1 inch border on the sides. Fold the sides in over the filling, then roll tightly away from you until sealed.
6. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. You should have 12 rolls. Work in batches if needed to keep from crowding your work surface.
7. Carefully place a roll into the hot oil seam-side up. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown, then turn with a slotted spoon and fry the other side for 1 minute until golden all over.
8. Transfer fried rolls to a wire rack or paper towels. Repeat with remaining rolls, working in batches and allowing oil temperature to return to 350°F (175°C) between batches.
9. Serve warm with dipping sauce (a mix of water, vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce or fish sauce) within 2 hours of frying.