Berlin is an odd place. Located in the north of Germany, it seems that all the madness and craziness of the world unites among Soviet style building on one side of the city and another part of the city that’s only marginally better off. Potentially, that’s why there even is a Thai Food Market in Berlin.

For over 20 years the Berlin Thai community have been congregating in this park on weekends to hang out, cook, eat and celebrate Thai food culture. The story goes that eventually hungry park visitors started asking the Thai families if they could buy some of their food and that this sparked the business mind of the families. Word got around and eventually it developed into the Asian street food fest we today know as the Thai Park.

At Thai Park was the first time I ever had a summer roll. Little later, I found rice paper at the Asian store, gave it a try and never looked back. While vegan rice paper summer rolls are actually not perfectly suitable meal prep dish, I do include them in my meal plans. That is because they are an

• ideal use-up-any-leftover-veggies,
• rolled up in no time and
• the dipping sauce can be prepped several days in advance.

As stated above, these summer rolls are best consumed the day they are made. The rice paper tends to harden over time, making them less pleasant to eat. If you want to prepare these ahead, I recommend not doing more than one day in advance. On prep day, place them in large containers. Line the bottom of the container with a slightly damp paper towel, and place another damp paper towel over the vegan rice paper summer rolls. On Eat Day, check to see if the rice paper has hardened. If so, sprinkle a bit of water over the spring rolls and microwave them on high for about 20 to 30 seconds.

If you want to prep them, omit avocado. Avocado turns brown after a few hours. It doesn’t mean it’s gone bad. Rather, it doesn’t look very appealing. Second, wrap individual spring rolls tightly in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container. Let them come to room temperature before eating.

For some fresh veggie rice paper rolls that are bright, colorful, and absolutely delicious, only little effort is needed. They are packed with fresh lettuce, avocado, cabbage, bell peppers, cucumbers, noodles, and fresh herbs. For serving, make sweet and slightly spicy peanut sauce that will blow your mind. Peanut sauce lasts up to a week if kept refrigerated.

HOW TO MAKE VEGETARIAN SPRING ROLLS

As many times in life, organization is key when making vegan summer rice paper rolls. That means you want to have all of the filling ingredients prepared. As rice paper wrapper is very sticky and delicate, working quickly is crucial.

• First cook the rice noodles, rinse under cold water, and throughly drain. You can Noodles can be prepped. Put in a zip lock bag in the refrigerator to store along with a bit of oil helps to keep a protective seal around the noodles. Properly stored, cooked vermicelli will last for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator
• Next, prepare all of the veggies or use your leftover veggies. The used veggies don’t necessarily need to be raw. Roasted zucchini or fried mushrooms work just as well.
• To assemble, soak one rice paper wrapper at a time in warm water, when it begins to loosen, remove it from the water and set it on a damp surface, such as a cutting board.
• Arrange the veggies and noodles in the center of the wrapper, fold over the wrapper, tuck in the edges, and continue rolling until the seam is sealed. Cut in half and place on a serving platter.

This Rice Paper Wraps recipe requires very little equipment:

• Measuring cups such as Klee Utensils 10-Piece Colorful Stainless Steel Measuring Cups (affiliate link)
• My favorite food container Prep Naturals Glass Meal Prep Containers (affiliate link)
• Rice Paper and a holder (I found it incredibly useful) such as Tanisa Summer Roll/Fresh Spring Roll Kit for Rice Paper Wrappers, Water Bowl for soaking Rice Paper/egg roll, holder for rice papers (White) (affiliate link)

Depending on where you live, you might not find the following ingredients readily available at your local store. I recommend Amazon for the following ingredients:

• Peanut Butter such as 365 Everyday Value, Organic Creamy Peanut Butter, Unsweetened,

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #theveganprepper. I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking! 

Serve with Hot Sweet Peanut Dipping Sauce

Print Recipe

Hot Sweet Peanut Dipping Sauce

A sweet and slightly spicy peanut sauce that is out of this world good.

Prep Time10 mins

Course: Appetizer, Sauce

Cuisine: Vegan, Vietnamese

Keyword: dipping sauce, Hot sweet peanut dipping sauce, mint pea dip, summer rolls sauce

Servings: 8 rolls

Ingredients

• ½ cup peanut butter
• 1 lemon, juice thereof
• ¼ cup soy sauce sub: tamari sauce
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp fresh ginger grated
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp water or slightly more

Instructions

• Add all ingredients except water to a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add water by a tablespoon until desired consistency is achieved. Taste and adjust flavors as needed. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.