Fresh, colorful, and easy to customize, these vegan summer rolls come together in about 20 minutes. Full of plants, they make the perfect lunch on a hot day or a gorgeous appetizer.

Vegan summer rolls, cut in half and served with almond dip.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • This recipe is ideal for a light and refreshing meal when you’re dealing with a heatwave. It’s nice to eat something cold and avoid spending too much time in the kitchen!
  • Easy to customize with your favorite fillings, depending on preference and whatever you have in the fridge.
  • If you are hosting a dinner party or a barbecue, this is a low-effort and budget-friendly option that caters to most dietary needs.
  • These vegan summer rolls come with a spicy almond dipping sauce that’s good enough to drizzle on everything.

Key Ingredients

The ingredients for vegan summer rolls laid out on a plain white background.
  • Rice paper wrappers hold everything together while letting the colorful fillings shine through.
  • Vermicelli noodles add substance – and bonus for being gluten-free!
  • Fresh vegetables including cucumber, carrot, bell pepper, and radicchio add crunch and color.
  • Fresh mint brings a touch of freshness to these vegan summer rolls.
  • Almond butter forms the earthy base of the spicy dipping sauce.
  • Sriracha and lime balance heat, tang, and richness in the dressing.

Hack It!

  • Swap the tofu for edamame, tempeh, or seitan. If you’re not chasing huge protein goals, you can even leave it out entirely.
  • Almond butter is delicious but you can use peanut butter or cashew butter. If you’re allergic to nuts, swap for sunflower seed butter.
  • Feel free to get creative with the filling. Try it with different noodles, avocado, mango, or fresh herbs like cilantro or Thai basil.
  • Instead of almond dipping sauce, serve these vegan summer rolls with my lime cilantro dressing, ginger carrot miso dressing, or vegan green goddess dressing.

How to Make Vegan Summer Rolls

Tofu strips cooked in an air fryer.

Step 1: If using tofu, pat it dry, cut into strips and spray or brush with a little bit of oil. I air fry mine for 10 minutes at about 400F.

Vermicelli noodles soaked and drained, then placed in a shallow bowl.

Step 2: Next, prepare the vermicelli noodles. Add them to a large bowl with hot water, and allow them to sit for around 10 minutes, until softened. Drain excess liquid.

Angry Almond dressing to accompany vegan summer rolls.

Step 3: Now make your dressing. Combine the almond butter, maple syrup, sriracha, water and salt until a smooth dressing is formed.

Rice paper sheet dipped in water in a shallow bowl.

Step 4: Fill a wide, shallow dish with warm water. Submerge the rice paper wrappers for about 10-15 seconds until just pliable, and then place on a damp cutting board. 

It’s best to do this one at a time as you fill them.

A fully assembled summer roll with rice vermicelli, tofu, and fresh veggies.

Step 5: Place a butter lettuce leaf down in the lower third of the wrapper, followed by a small amount of the noodles and the rest of the vegetables, except for the mint.

Fold the bottom of the wrapper up over the filling, then fold in the sides, and roll tightly away from you, just like a burrito. Just before doing the final roll, add your mint leaves in a line for appearance.

A closer look of the cross section of vegan summer rolls.

Step 6: Slice the summer rolls in half if desired, and enjoy immediately with the almond dressing. 

A rice paper roll being dipped into almond sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make vegan summer rolls ahead of time?

You can, but they’re best just after you make them. To make them last, wrap each roll individually in damp paper towels or plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.

Is this recipe gluten-free?

Yes, everything including the filling and dressing is gluten-free.

Can I use different vegetables?

Definitely! Purple cabbage, avocado, bean sprouts, mango, snap peas, or spinach all make excellent additions.

Why is my rice paper tearing?

I always recommend only soaking for a few seconds and making wraps one at a time. If the rice paper is soaked for too long, it’s more likely to tear. But don’t worry, you can wrap twice if you need to.

More Plant-Based Wraps

Whether you’re a parent, a full-time student, a workaholic, or just a reluctant cook, recipes like this are a life saver! And speaking of my third book, PlantYou Quickies is full of vegan recipes that are quick and convenient, with allergy swaps throughout. PRE-ORDER NOW and get access to amazing freebies as a thank you from me!

A platter of vegan summer rolls served with almond dipping sauce.
A vegan summer rolls hold up by chopsticks to the camera.

The Recipe: Vegan Summer Rolls

Super-easy, quick, plant-based and fully gluten-free, these rice paper rolls are delicious and colorful.
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Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 12 rice paper wrappers
  • 12 leaves butter lettuce
  • 1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced into matchsticks
  • 1 carrot, thinly sliced into matchsticks
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 100 grams vermicelli noodles, cooked and cooled
  • 1 cup radicchio or red cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 200 grams extra-firm tofu, cut into strips (optional)
  • ½ cup mint leaves

Angry Almond Dressing

  • ¼ cup almond butter
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 3 tbsp sriracha
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 3 tbsp warm water
  • Pinch of salt

Equipment

Instructions 

  • If using tofu, pat it dry, cut into strips and spray or brush with a little bit of oil. I air fry mine for 10 minutes at about 400F.
  • Next, prepare the vermicelli noodles. Add them to a large bowl with hot water, and allow them to sit for around 10 minutes, until softened.
  • Now make your dressing. Combine the almond butter, maple syrup, sriracha, water and salt until a smooth dressing is formed.
  • Fill a wide, shallow dish with warm water, and submerge the rice paper wrappers, doing one at a time, for about 10 to 15 seconds until just pliable, and then place on a damp cutting board.
  • Place a butter lettuce leaf down in the lower third of the wrapper, followed by a small amount of the noodles and the rest of the vegetables, except for the mint.
  • Fold the bottom of the wrapper up over the filling, then fold in the sides, and roll tightly away from you, just like a burrito. Just before doing the final roll, add your mint leaves in a line for appearance.
  • Slice the summer rolls in half if desired, and enjoy immediately with the almond dressing.

Notes

  • Swap the tofu for edamame, tempeh, or seitan. If you’re not chasing huge protein goals, you can even leave it out entirely.
  • Almond butter is delicious but you can use peanut butter or cashew butter. If you’re allergic to nuts, swap for sunflower seed butter.
  • Feel free to get creative with the filling. Try it with different noodles, avocado, mango, or fresh herbs like cilantro or Thai basil.
  • Instead of almond dipping sauce, serve these vegan summer rolls with my lime cilantro dressing, ginger carrot miso dressing, or vegan green goddess dressing.
  • Works as an appetizer, a healthy snack, or a main course (adjust serving size).
Serving: 3rolls, Calories: 449.5kcal, Carbohydrates: 70.4g, Protein: 16.2g, Fat: 12.4g, Saturated Fat: 1.2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5.8g, Cholesterol: 5.1mg, Sodium: 653.1mg, Potassium: 596.4mg, Fiber: 6.5g, Sugar: 7.7g, Vitamin A: 5297.5IU, Vitamin C: 57.8mg, Calcium: 209mg, Iron: 4.6mg
Cuisine: Asian
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Author: carleigh