These Summer Rolls, which are sometimes called Spring rolls, are easier to make than they look. You can adjust the fillings to your taste but make sure to include the fresh herbs as they are the secret ingredients. I like to make these when making a meal or snack to be eaten at the beach because they pack well and are so fresh and healthy.
Start by making the marinade for your tofu or tempeh. Slice the protein into “sticks” that will fit nicely in your rolls. Add them to your marinade and coat on all sides. Leave them In the refrigerator for several hours to even overnight to soak up all of the lovely flavors. Then, bake in the oven until golden. Make sure to allow to cool before putting in your fresh rolls.
While the tofu or tempeh is marinating, mix the Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce, in a small food processor, or in a bowl.
Prepare your veggies and herbs and chill until ready to roll. 😉
When ready to roll, soak the rice wrapper.

Fresh Summer Rolls with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
Tofu/Tempeh Marinade
- 1 T. Sesame Oil toasted
- 1.5 T. Shoyu low-sodium
- 3 t. Maple syrup
- 1 t. Rice vinegar unseasoned
- 1 t. Sriracha sauce more if you like it spicy
- ½ T. Ginger, freshly grated if you don't have fresh, use ½ t. dried ginger powder
- 8 oz. Tofu firm or Tempeh, sliced into ¼" pieces I enjoy both
- 1 T. Sesame seeds
Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce
- 2 T. Peanut butter
- 2 T. Tahini sesame seed butter
- 2 T. Shoyu
- 1 T. Maple syrup
- 3 T. Water adjust this to get the proper thickness
- 2 t. Rice vinegar unseasoned
- 1 T. Sriracha sauce
- 1 T. Ginger, freshly grated if you don't have fresh, use 1 t. dried ginger powder
Other Ingredients for Summer Rolls
- 10 Lettuce leaves, red leaf, green leaf, or Romaine washed and dried
- 2 Carrots, sliced into julienne
- 1 C. Cabbage, red, sliced thinly
- 2 Avocados, sliced
- 1 small handful Thai basil washed and dried, separated from stems
- 1 small handful Cilantro washed and dried, separated from stems
- 1 small handful Italian, flat-leaf parsley washed and dried, separated from stems
- 1 small handful Mint washed and dried, separated from stems
- 12 Rice Paper wrappers
Instructions
Tofu/Tempeh Marinade
- To make the marinade, whisk together in an 8 x 11" rectangular-shaped pan, sesame oil, shoyu, maple syrup, rice vinegar, sriracha sauce, and ginger. Slice tofu or tempeh into ¼" thick slides.
- Place the slices into the pan and coat all sides with marinade.
- Cover and let sit for 2-8 hours in the refrigerator.
- Next, preheat the oven to 400°F. Sprinkle the slices with sesame seeds and bake for 20 minutes.
- Flip the strips over, sprinkle second side with sesame seeds, and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool.
Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce
- While the tofu or tempeh cools, make the sauce by placing the peanut butter, tahini, shoyu, maple syrup, water, rice vinegar, sriracha, and ginger into a small food processor and blend until smooth. Feel free to do this in a small bowl with a whisk if you like.
- Place in a covered container in the refrigerator to chill. It will thicken as it cools, so you might want to add more water to thin it out.
Assemble the Rolls
- Prepare all of your vegetables, the lettuce,, carrots, cabbage, avocado, and herbs.
- To assemble the rolls, find a shallow container that can hold a rice paper wrapper.
- Fill the container with warm water and place one rice paper wrapper in it.
- Allow the wrapper to soak for about 5-10 seconds to begin to soften.
- Place the wrapper on a damp surface. I used a small cutting board.Place a few pieces of torn lettuce leaf down the center of your wrapper.
- Next, add 2 slices of tofu or tempeh on top of the lettuce.
- Add carrots, cabbage, avocado, and plenty of the herbs, thai basil, cilantro, parsley, and mint.
- Fold the wrapper over the filling and snug it up. Fold in the ends and roll into a small burrito shape.
- Place in a container with damp paper towels or parchment paper between the layers of rolls.
- They may stick together a bit but if you are gentle you will be able to ease them apart intact.
- Serve the rolls by cutting them in half with the dipping sauce.
Notes
You won’t be sorry if you make these. They really are delicious!
Please rate and comment. I’d like to know how you like them.
Aloha,
Ashley
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