Fresh Veggie Tempeh Rice Paper Rolls

Happy Fri-YAY! Wow, I know I say this all the time, but this week just flew by.

Yesterday was a pretty crazy weather day where I live. We had some sporadic thunderstorms and really heavy rains off and on. As crazy as it might sound to you if you’re not a fan, I literally LOVE storms. I grew up where we had so many Summer thunderstorms and I know they’re terrifying to a lot of people and I understand completely. It’s just, when I was a kid my family were the weirdos that would congregate on the patio just to watch the lightning and try to spy a tornado.

The area I live in now very rarely has any storms, except maybe in the Winter in the form of blizzard type conditions. That’s why, when we do get storms it makes me really excited.  I know, I’m a freak. ;P. The storms are almost always around the time when the weather can’t make up it’s mind and the temperatures keep changing. That’s what’s been happening recently. This week has been mostly very warm and sunny, which brings me to this recipe.

Am I the only one who gets so turned off by hot food during the Summer? I mean, not always but most of the time I just crave things that are cold and refreshing life fruit and veg. These rice rolls are definitely a perfect fit for this scenario because they don’t require any heating or cooking. Also, in my opinion they’re every bit as satisfying as they’re deep fried cousins. In fact, I like them more.

Basically, it’s like a way more fun way to eat a salad and I’m so down with that. The sauce I made to go with them takes all of about 3 minutes to stir together, and the rolls themselves are probably way easier than you’d expect.

As for the veggies I chose to put inside, these were just some of the things I had on hand. You could also add in things like cucumbers, mushrooms, red cabbage, or any other veggie you enjoy.

The same goes for the tempeh. Recently I’ve been on this tempeh kick because I had never tried it until a few weeks ago. If you prefer using tofu or maybe leaving it out and simply adding more veggies, that’s great. Go for it.

These rolls make a great snack, side, or party appetizer and when I make them at home I sometimes just eat a big plate of them for lunch. So good!

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Fresh Veggie Tempeh Rice Paper Rolls

Celebrate the seasonal produce by ditching your salad and making these fresh rice paper rolls with a creamy tahini dipping sauce.

Ingredients

Rice Paper Rolls:

• 12 Thai rice paper spring roll wrappers
• 1 small red bell pepper julienned
• 1 medium carrot julienned
• 1/6 large head cabbage thinly chopped (or coleslaw)
• 1 cup broccoli slaw or more coleslaw
• 1 small bunch fresh cilantro leaves roughly chopped
• 1 8 ounce package of tempeh

Tahini Sauce:

• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce I used Trader Joe's or similar sauce
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic paste
• 1/4 cup tamari
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup miso paste
• 1/4 cup tahini sesame seed paste

Instructions

1. Cut up the veggies and slice the tempeh, first down the center, then cut into think strips. Fill a pie tin (or wide, shallow bowl) with cool water and dip one rice paper at a time for a few seconds then lay on a cutting board or clean work surface and add a few pieces of bell pepper, carrot, cabbage, broccoli slaw, and cilantro. Fold in the sides and gently roll the rice paper up around the veggies and gather them as tightly as you can to make secure rolls.
2. Serve with the tahini dipping sauce or any sauce you'd like.

Tahini Sauce:

1. Whisk together the ingredients for the sauce in a medium bowl until smooth.