Rainbow Veggie Summer Rolls & Tahini Orange Dipping Sauce

Hey guys, I’ve got a super fun way for us to get our daily veggies to share!

So you know how last weekend I promised I’d have some healthier stuff soon? Well, I’m really hoping that these summer rolls fit the bill because, I’ve gotta tell you, all of these colors have me pretty excited over here. I adore photographing natural colors and I even tend to get a little carried away with it sometimes. These for example, I took about a trillion photos of them and they’ve definitely been one of the most fun recipes I’ve shot pics of recently. Talk about tasting the rainbow!

Okay, so these summer rolls are so easy to make and they are great for pretty much any time of day or occasion. Since I needed some yellow to complete my rainbow I decided to use some tofu scrambled with turmeric. If you’d rather, you could use yellow bell peppers instead to complete your rainbow. Also, you could add some avocado. In fact, all the fillings can be switched up with your favorite herbs and vegetables.

What you absolutely can’t skip is the sauce. It’s all about the sauce. Am I being vague here? The. sauce. is. Everything! How’s that? I could seriously drink that stuff (Okay, maybe that’s a bit of a gross exaggeration but it’s just so amazing!). You’ve got to try it.

The rice paper used to wrap these might be a little weird to you if you’ve never tried using it before. It kind of reminds me of spandex. Don’t worry if your first few come out a little on the ugly side either, you’ll get the hang of rolling them after a few tries. In all honesty the texture of the wrappers wasn’t that popular with a few of my family members.

Let’s see, I think that covers all the important stuff that you need to know; these are yummy, healthy, and you can’t skip the sauce. Yep, I think we’re good! Happy veggie munching!!!!

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Rainbow Veggie Summer Rolls & Tahini Orange Dipping Sauce

Try a fun way of using all those colorful veggies and make these simple summer rolls with the zestiest sauce!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

Summer Rolls:

• 12 Thai rice paper spring roll wrappers
• 1 small red bell pepper julienned
• 1 large carrot julienned
• 1/6 large head red cabbage thinly chopped
• 1 cup white mushrooms thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded lettuce leaves
• 1 small bunch fresh cilantro leaves roughly chopped
• 1 small bunch fresh mint leaves roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced pickled ginger
• 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 14 ounce package organic, firm or extra-firm tofu, cut into pieces (optional)

Tahini Orange Sauce:

• 1/2 cup cold water
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds plus more for topping
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce check label for vegan
• 1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari if gluten free
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 2 tablespoons cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic paste
• 1/2 cup tahini sesame seed paste

Instructions

Summer Rolls:

1. Wash and dry your veggies then slice and prep them according to the ingredient list so that everything is ready to fill your rolls.
2. If adding tofu, heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a small skillet. Add the tofu and scramble as it cooks then season with the turmeric, salt and pepper and remove from heat.
3. 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 clean towel and allow it to soften for just a moment. Now place on a cutting board or clean work surface and add a few pieces of each veggie, a few pieces of pickled ginger, a sprinkle of cilantro and mint, and a small amount of scrambled egg (again, only if using). 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.
4. Serve with the tahini orange dipping sauce or any sauce you'd like.

Tahini Orange Sauce:

1. Whisk cornstarch and water in a small bowl and set aside. Cook garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds with sesame oil in a small saucepan or wok over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until browned. Add the hoisin, soy sauce, orange juice and zest, vinegar, sugar, and chili garlic paste then bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring often. Continue boiling until the sauce is just starting to thicken a little, about 10 minutes. Pour in water/cornstarch while stirring and stir until thick. Remove from heat and stir in the tahini until sauce is smooth. Pour into a bowl for serving and garnish the top with sesame seeds. You can serve the sauce hot or chill in fridge for a few hours and serve cold.