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Chinese Vegetable Spring Roll Recipe
So good vegetable spring rolls, that taste just like Chinese takeaways! This recipe is super easy, it’s tasty and it’s the perfect side for gatherings, buffet-style events and to serve with homemade Chinese!
These vegetable spring rolls are super quick and easy, and they taste just as good as they look. Recreating the perfect Chinese takeaway classic at home has never been easier, if you love Chinese food, then you’re going to love this recipe too!
The wrapper is crispy, flaky, beautifully golden and encases crunchy vegetables seasoned to perfection. Each bite is pure joy to eat, especially when dipped into sweet chilli sauce – I can’t wait for you to try this!!
If you’re wondering how to roll spring rolls, I’ll take you through exactly that step-by-step below (Just as I learnt in Chinese cooking class).
Why You’ll Like This Recipe
- It’s so quick and easy
- You don’t have to fry the vegetables in-advance
- You can make them as big or as small as you like
- These veg springs rolls are suitable for vegetarians
- It tastes so good (just like my prawn spring rolls)
Watch How To Make It
Spring Roll Ingredients
Below are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- TYJ Spring Roll Pastry Sheets: I used TYJ pastry wrappers that are 8.5 inches. For standard sized spring rolls, anything between 8 and 9 inches is perfect. For large spring rolls, use sheets that are 10 inches or larger.
- Vegetables: For a classic Chinese spring roll filling, you’ll need cabbage, carrots, beansprouts, garlic and spring onions. Feel free to swap and add your favourite veggies.
- Seasonings: A mixture of light soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and salt are used to season the vegetable filling.
- Spring Roll Glue: A mixture of flour and water is used to help seal the pastry together. Check my tips below in this post to see other methods you can use!
How To Make Vegetable Spring Rolls
Below is a step-by-step guide on how to make vegetarian spring rolls. Full recipe instructions are on the recipe card:
Step One:
Chop and slice your vegetables into thin slices.
Heat a wok or pan over a medium to high heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Add the vegetables to the wok and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.
Step Two:
Add the seasoning ingredients (light soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and salt) to the wok and continue to stir fry the vegetables for a further minute.
In a small mixing bowl, mix water and flour together and set it aside for later use.
How To Roll Spring Rolls
Step Three:
Place a spring roll sheet on your work surface with the corner pointing towards you (like a diamond shape). Add a heaped tablespoon of the vegetable filling (2 inches above the bottom corner) and align the filling to resemble a sausage shape.
Tuck the bottom corner over the filling and tightly roll the spring roll sheet until it reaches halfway. Dip your finger in the flour and water slurry and brush it over the two sides of the filling, then fold one side into the middle and repeat with the other side.
Brush some more slurry over the outline of the remaining pastry (it should look like an envelope). Gently tuck in the edges and tightly roll to close the spring roll.
Step Four:
Add oil to a pan and heat over a medium to high heat. Fry the spring rolls for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden. If you’re deep frying the spring rolls, then there’s no need to turn them over.
Note: Cover ready to fry spring rolls with cling film to prevent the wrapper from drying out.
My Top Tips
Instead of using a flour and water mixture to help seal the spring roll together, you can use water alone or my favourite trick, which is to use a banana! Yes, a banana… I was taught this trick by a chef with expertise in Chinese cuisine, simply cut a banana in half and use it like a glue stick – I do this all the time!!
If you’re using a smaller wok or pan, don’t add all of the ingredients at once. Start by frying the garlic and spring onions for 30 seconds before adding the shredded cabbage and carrots. Stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes before adding the beansprouts and stir for a further minute.
Using spring roll pastry is best for making spring rolls, filo pastry or rice paper are the next best alternatives. Also, feel free to make these mini vegetable spring rolls into giant spring rolls if you want too!
Make sure the oil is hot before you start frying the spring rolls to avoid it absorbing excess oil and turning greasy. Also, don’t jam pack the pan with spring rolls as this will lower the temperature, resulting in an oily texture.
What To Serve With Spring Rolls
Spring rolls served with sweet chilli sauce is the ultimate match, but you can also serve these spring rolls with less conventional dips like this creamy garlic sauce or this spicy red chilli sauce.
If you want to serve this dish as a side check out these mains below, and your meal is officially complete:
How To Store & Freeze
If you have any leftover Chinese vegetable spring rolls, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven (reheating in the microwave will soften the spring roll texture).
You can freeze cooked or uncooked spring rolls, either way, store them in a freezer-safe and airtight container and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Chinese Takeaway Appetisers
Vegetable Spring Rolls
Ingredients
- 15 TYJ Spring Roll Pastry
- Oil For Frying
- 200 g Cabbage (Finely Shredded)
- 150 g Carrots (Finely Shredded)
- 150 g Beansprouts
- 2 Garlic Cloves (Finely Chopped)
- 3 Spring Onions (Sliced Lengthways)
Seasonings
- 1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- ½ tsp White Pepper (Or Black Pepper)
- ¼ tsp Salt
Spring Roll Glue
- 2 tbsp Plain Flour
- 2 tbsp Water
Instructions
Spring Roll Filling
- Chop and slice your vegetables into thin slices.
- Heat a wok or pan over a medium to high heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Add the vegetables to the wok and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.Oil For Frying, 200 g Cabbage, 150 g Carrots, 150 g Beansprouts, 2 Garlic Cloves, 3 Spring Onions
- Add the seasoning ingredients (light soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and salt) to the wok and continue to stir fry the vegetables for a further minute.1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce, 1 tsp Sesame Oil, ½ tsp White Pepper, ¼ tsp Salt
- In a small mixing bowl, mix water and flour together and set it aside for later use.2 tbsp Plain Flour, 2 tbsp Water
How To Roll Spring Rolls
- Place a spring roll sheet on your work surface with the corner pointing towards you (like a diamond shape).15 TYJ Spring Roll Pastry
- Add a heaped tablespoon of the vegetable filling (2 inches above the bottom corner) and align the filling to resemble a sausage shape.
- Tuck the bottom corner over the filling and tightly roll the spring roll sheet until it reaches halfway.
- Dip your finger in the flour and water slurry and brush it over the two sides of the filling, then fold one side into the middle and repeat with the other side.
- Brush some more slurry over the outline of the remaining pastry (it should look like an envelope). Gently tuck in the edges and tightly roll to close the spring roll.
Frying Spring Rolls
- Add oil to a pan and heat over a medium to high heat. Fry the spring rolls for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden. If you’re deep frying the spring rolls, then there’s no need to turn them over.Note: Cover ready to fry spring rolls with cling film to prevent the wrapper from drying out.
Video
Notes
Extra Tips:
If you notice a lot of liquid in the wok or frying pan whilst stir frying the vegetables. Add a 1 teaspoon of cornflour, this helps to absorb excess moisture and binds all the ingredients together. If you’re shallow frying the spring rolls, turn them over halfway to ensure even cooking and browning on both sides. You don’t need to do this if you’re deep frying the spring rolls. Spring rolls are best eaten freshly made, but if you want to make it in advance, then I recommend that you make the filling a day ahead then roll and fry just before serving. This way you’ll be able to keep an ultra-crispy and flaky texture.Nutrition
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Judy m
This recipe makes perfect spring rolls.. I did add a tbsp. of Mirin but that was my only change.
I let the filling dry on a cookie sheet for 24 hours in the fridge. My son worked at a local restaurant in his teens and this was their method to create a perfectly crisp roll. It worked!!
Thank you for the recipe it’s a definite 5star.
Michelle
Thanks for commenting Judy!