These Vegetarian Summer Rolls are super simple to make, bursting with freshness, and nice and healthy to boot. With lightly pickled cabbage and carrots, creamy avocado, crisp lettuce, and fresh basil and mint, they’re the perfect light meal.
Basically these vegetarian and vegan avocado summer rolls are like a dippable salad, and especially delicious with peanut dipping sauce!
Table of Contents
- The Story Behind the Recipe
- What’s the Difference Between Spring Rolls & Summer Rolls?
- Ingredients for Vegetarian Summer Rolls
- How to Wrap a Summer Roll
- How to Store Vegetarian Summer Rolls
- Can I Freeze Summer Rolls?
- More Veggie-Forward Summer Recipes
The Story Behind the Recipe
My favorite color is green. Always has been. Sometimes I’ll prefer a certain shade – my lime phase, for instance, went on for years. Now I guess I’m in more of a mossy zone, but really, just about any green’ll do.
So naturally, I especially love these Vegetarian Summer Rolls. I mean, hello green! But I don’t just love them because they’re green.
Full disclosure: “Green” might also be a word to describe me and my skill level in actually assembling said summer rolls. These vegan summer rolls are pretty easy once you get the hang of it, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a few sloppy numbers before I got into the swing of things. But no worries, once I figured it out, I photographed all the steps so you don’t have to go through what I did!
What’s the Difference Between Spring Rolls & Summer Rolls?
Spring rolls are often fried, whereas summer rolls are served fresh and uncooked. They are also known as fresh spring rolls or salad rolls.
Spring and summer rolls are found throughout Asia, but fresh summer rolls are especially popular in Vietnam. (source/more info)
They often contain meat or seafood (obviously, this vegetarian summer rolls recipe does not!
Ingredients for Vegetarian Summer Rolls
For the summer rolls:
- Cabbage – I like to use red cabbage for the gorgeous color, but green will work too.
- Carrots – I use your standard orange carrot, but rainbow carrots would be so pretty here!
- Rice vinegar, lime juice, salt, and honey or agave – For pickling the cabbage and carrots. Just swap agave for the honey if you’re making vegan summer rolls.
- Rice paper spring roll wrappers – Softened so they’re nice and rollable.
- Avocado – Halved, pitted, and sliced
- Lettuce – I use green leaf lettuce, but you can use whichever lettuce you prefer.
- Mint & Thai basil – These fresh herbs add SO much flavor.
For the peanut dipping sauce:
- Peanut butter – I like to use creamy PB, but crunchy will work!
- Tamari or soy sauce – If you need to stay gluten-free, go for the Tamari.
- Lime juice – From one fresh lime.
- Rice vinegar
- Honey or agave syrup
- Sriracha sauce – Just a little for a bit of a kick!
How to Wrap a Summer Roll
Basically, you lay your wrapper out, and you place the mint and avocado just left of center. Then you add your lettuce, veggies, and basil just right of center. Placing the smaller veggies in a lettuce “cup” helps to keep the roll neater.
Then, bring the right side toward the center …
… fold the top and bottom toward the middle …
Then finish by bringing the left side toward the center.
You’re in business!
Don’t worry – no matter how sloppy your Avocado Summer Rolls are, they still taste divine. Trust me, I know this first-hand!
Creamy avocado. Fresh mint and basil. Carrots and red cabbage lightly pickled in sweet-and-salty rice vinegar. Crisp lettuce. Yesss.
Oh, and even though it’s definitely not green, the spicy peanut sauce is a must.
How to Store Vegetarian Summer Rolls
These summer rolls are best eaten pretty soon after making them, so I don’t recommend storing them. You can prep most of the ingredients beforehand though!
Can I Freeze Summer Rolls?
No, I don’t recommend it. You’ll end up with a soggy and sad mess.
More Veggie-Forward Summer Recipes
- Zoodles & Noodles with Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce
- Summer Corn & Edamame Succotash Salad
- Zucchini Fettuccine Alfredo
- Veggie-Loaded Peanut Noodle Salad
Vegetarian Summer Rolls
Ingredients
Avocado Summer Rolls
- 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1/2 cup carrots (cut into matchsticks (about 1 large carrot))
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 1/2 of a lime)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon honey (can substitute granulated sugar or agave syrup)
- 8 rice paper spring roll wrappers
- 1 medium avocado (halved, pitted, and sliced)
- 3-4 green leaf lettuce leaves (rinsed, dried, and torn in half)
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
Peanut Dipping Sauce
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons Tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 1 lime)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey (or agave syrup)
- 1/2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce (or more to taste)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together the rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon lime juice, salt, and honey (or other sweetener). Add cabbage and carrots. Toss. Let sit for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce. To a medium bowl, add the peanut butter, Tamari, 2 tablespoons lime juice, rice vinegar, honey (or other sweetener), and Sriracha. Stir with a whisk 1-2 minutes until creamy. Taste and add additional Sriracha if desired. Set aside.
- Slice your avocado and prep the mint, basil, and lettuce if you haven’t already.
- Add about 1/2 inch of warm water to an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish or a pie pan. Place one rice paper wrapper in the water and submerge. Let sit for about 1 minute, until soft.
- Carefully transfer the rice paper wrapper to your clean kitchen counter or cutting board. At this point, I like to put another rice paper wrapper in the water to soak while I’m assembling so it’s ready to go when I’m done with the previous one. To assemble, place a couple of mint leaves in a short vertical line just left of center, then top with a couple of slices of avocado. Then, place 1/8 cup or so of the cabbage and carrots inside a lettuce leaf then place the veggies just right of center. Top with two or three of basil leaves.
- To roll, bring the right side of the wrapper toward the center, then fold the top and bottom in toward the middle. Finish by bringing the left side toward the center, pulling as tightly as you can without ripping. The rice paper should stick to itself and voila! A summer roll! Repeat until all 8 rolls are assembled.
- Cut rolls in half, if desired, and serve with the dipping sauce.
Karen, This dish looks good. looking forward to try it on this Sunday. Hope its perfectly fine for my 10 year old kid? Waiting for your reply. – John!
I’ve never seen Thai basil leaves. Should I substitute regular basil?
Regular basil will work in a pinch. Thai basil has a more of a pungent punch … almost licoricey, more minty, so if you ever find it, grab some! 🙂
Magnificent recipe.
Looks good, I would love to have it. This weekend i would certainly ask my wife to visit your website for cool and healthy recipe.