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Fresh summer rolls filled with bright veggies and crispy tofu make the perfect easy appetizer or light summer meal. Dunk these colorful rice wrapped rolls in spicy peanut dipping sauce for the best bite!

Overhead view of summer rolls arranged around a bowl of spicy peanut dipping sauce on a white plate.
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The days of spring and summer are upon us, which means it’s time to shake things up with veggie-packed recipes like these crispy, crunchy, flavor-filled summer rolls.

These summer rolls are pretty to look at and just as enjoyable to eat. They have a rainbow of fresh veggies packed together with vermicelli noodles and crispy tofu, rolled up inside rice paper. The flavors are light and fresh, complimented by a spicy satay dipping sauce that’s to die for!

Why You’ll Love This Summer Rolls Recipe

  • Fun to make. Eat the rainbow! Summer rolls are easy to make and customize with any veggies and fillings you have on hand.
  • Fresh and flavorful. Served cold, these rolls are super satisfying. They’re perfect as a light meal or appetizer, especially in the warmer months.
  • Dipping sauce. Choose your favorite. I love serving my summer rolls with peanut dipping sauce. It’s savory, sweet, and a little spicy, which balances all of the freshness from the rolls perfectly.
A summer roll cut in half to show the veggies, tofu, and rice noodles inside.

Spring Roll vs. Summer Roll

So, what’s the difference between spring rolls, summer rolls, and egg rolls? It comes down to the preparation. Spring rolls are wrapped in a fried dough and served warm, while summer rolls are wrapped in translucent rice paper and enjoyed cold. Egg rolls are a variation of spring rolls, with egg added to the batter.

Summer rolls arranged around a bowl of spicy peanut dipping sauce.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s a quick overview with some notes on what these summer rolls are made of. Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable ingredients list.

  • Rice Spring Roll Sheets – These can be found in most grocery stores, but if you’re out of luck there, try your local Asian market.
  • Beets – You can’t beat a beet’s gorgeous red color. Feel free to sneak as many beets as you’d like into your rolls!
  • Carrots – Shred the carrots yourself, or just buy a bag of matchstick carrots.
  • Cucumber – For the best results, you’ll want your English cucumber to be prepared julienned so it’s nice and thin.
  • Vermicelli Rice Noodles – Prepare them according to package directions.
  • Fresh Herbs – There’s room for creativity here, but I used a mix of mint, cilantro, and basil.
  • Leafy Greens – I prefer to use baby romaine, but any crisp lettuce will do.

For the crispy tofu, you’ll need:

  • Avocado Oil – This is the best neutral oil for cooking the tofu in. You can also use canola oil or another vegetable oil.
  • Tofu – You’ll want extra firm tofu that’s cut into 1/2 inch strips.
  • Cornstarch – Cornstarch helps the outside of the tofu get nice and crispy.
  • Sea Salt
In one image, a rice paper is being dunked into water. In another image, the ingredients for a summer rolls are lined up perfectly on a wooden cutting board.

How to Make Summer Rolls

Let’s go over the easy steps to assemble and wrap summer rolls packed with crispy tofu. For printable instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

  • Cook the tofu. Coat the tofu strips in cornstarch and cook them in a skillet heated over medium heat with a bit of avocado oil. Cook the strips for 2-3 minutes per side and sprinkle with sea salt once done.
  • Prepare. This is a quick moving recipe, so make sure all of your ingredients are prepared and ready to go.
  • Dip the rice papers. Dip each rice paper, one at a time, in about an inch of hot water. Remove the paper from the water after a few seconds, once it’s soft. Place on a cutting board.
  • Assemble the rolls. Fill the rolls from the bottom third with tofu, beets, carrots, cucumber, rice noodles, herbs, and lettuce. Roll up the bottom edge while folding in the side. Take out your favorite sauce and get dipping!
A hand dipping a summer roll into a bowl of peanut sauce.

Tips and Variations

You’ll get the hang of wrapping these summer rolls in no time. These are my tips for perfect summer rolls along with a few easy variations that you can try:

  • Mise en place. Basically the culinary term for having everything ready to go. Arrange your rice paper sheets, prepared vegetables, rice noodles, tofu, and any other fillings around your work space before you fill and wrap the rolls. This way you can assemble them quickly.
  • Don’t over stuff the rolls. Be careful that you don’t go overboard with add-ins. Overfilling the rolls can cause the thin rice paper to tear.
  • Practice makes perfect. If you’ve folded a burrito, you can wrap a summer roll. Take the time to wrap your rolls tightly so that the ingredients stay snug. And it’s OK if your rolls aren’t perfect from the start, they’ll still taste delicious.
  • Add protein. Add another protein to your rolls, like cooked shrimp, or make chicken summer rolls.
  • More veggies. Extra veggies are always a great idea! Use any fresh vegetables you have in your crisper drawer, or greens like spinach.

Serving Suggestions

While I can certainly eat a summer roll all by itself, I love mine served with my homemade satay dipping sauce. You can also serve these rolls dipped in dumpling sauce, this homemade tahini sauce, or just plain ol’ soy sauce.

Summer rolls are great for serving at parties, and they’re also great for enjoying as a light lunch. Pair them with cold sesame noodles or a Chinese cabbage stir fry and more easy appetizers like scallion pancakes.

A hand holding a dipped summer roll over a bowl of peanut dipping sauce.

Can I Make Summer Rolls Ahead of Time?

If you’re prepping summer rolls for a party, the best way to get a head start is to julienne the vegetables the day before. Prepare the dipping sauce ahead, too. Store the veggies and sauce in separate airtight containers in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble.

If you’d like to keep the assembled summer rolls fresh for 1-2 hours, store them at room temperature underneath a clean, damp tea towel to keep the wrappers moist.

How to Store

  • Refrigerate. Due to the nature of the fresh veggies and crispy tofu, these summer rolls are best served fresh. If you do happen to have leftovers, store them for up to 24 hours in an airtight container in the fridge.
  • Freeze. Unfortunately, these rolls don’t freeze well due to the fresh veggies.

More Summer Recipes

5 from 1 vote

Rainbow Summer Rolls

Fresh summer rolls are so easy to make! They're a veggie-packed appetizer or light meal, perfect for dipping in homemade spicy peanut sauce.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8 rolls

Ingredients 

  • 8 rice spring roll sheets
  • 1 beet, shredded
  • 1 cup (128 g) shredded carrots
  • 1 cup (104 g) julienned English cucumber
  • 4 ounces (113 g) vermicelli rice noodles
  • 1 cup (60 g) fresh herbs, I used a mix of mint, cilantro, basil
  • 1 cup (47 g) baby romaine, or any type of leafy green

For the crispy tofu:

  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 8 ounces (227 g) extra firm tofu, cut into ½” strips
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • Pinch sea salt
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Instructions 

Make the crispy tofu:

  • Gently coat tofu strips in cornstarch. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the tofu strips in a single layer. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side until golden and crispy. Remove and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt.

To assemble:

  • Mise En Place all of the fillings so that you can work quickly.
  • Place about 1” of hot water in a shallow bowl. Dip a rice paper sheet into the bowl for about 2-5 seconds until soft. Gently remove and place on a greased cutting board.
  • Fill the roll from the bottom third with the tofu, beets, carrots, cucumber, rice noodles, herbs and lettuce. Roll up the bottom edge while folding in the side. Place on a serving platter (either whole or cut in half) and repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll, Calories: 178kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 176mg, Potassium: 223mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

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