I can’t believe how fast the summer has gone, school starts in only a few weeks! I had to share these smoked tofu summer rolls before summer is over. They are a fresh, light meal that can be easily made without heating up your kitchen!
I like to use the smoked tofu in my summer rolls because it is already cooked. You could probably use “raw” tofu straight out of the package, but the smoked tofu has better texture and it adds more flavor.
The smokiness of the tofu is not overpowering either. It is subtle and pairs nicely with the peanut butter dipping sauce. I prefer the peanut sauce to other summer roll dipping sauces because it adds more satiating protein to this meal.
It is surprising to me how filling these summer rolls are. They seem like they are full of vegetables only, but you do have rice wrappers, rice noodles and of course the smoked tofu as well. Two large rolls with peanut dipping sauce is enough for me for dinner.
Variations to the Smoked Tofu Summer Rolls recipe:
- Spring Rolls vs Summer Rolls: Spring rolls tend to be fried in oil and are smaller in size than a fresh summer roll, which is about the diameter of a golf ball. Fresh spring rolls are also a thing, but again tend to be smaller in diameter, perhaps about the size of a quarter.
- Simple swaps: Spinach for lettuce, green cabbage for red cabbage, jalapenos for bell pepper, teriyaki baked tofu for smoked tofu, green beans for carrots or cucumbers.
- Additions: Try adding herbs such as mint or cilantro. I found that the flavor was lost with everything else going on in the roll, but adding herbs is traditional.
- Try adding fruit. Many summer rolls use watermelon, cantaloupe or mango. You will want to reduce the amount of veggies to make space!
- Noodles are optional. I forgot to add them to a few of my rolls, and I didn’t miss them much. They do make the summer roll more filling but omitting them makes this a truly no-cook meal.
- 3 oz rice noodles
- 8 rice paper wraps
- 6 oz block smoked tofu, sliced
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- ¾ cup shredded carrots
- ¾ cup sliced red cabbage
- ⅓ English cucumber, sliced
- 1 small yellow, orange or red bell pepper, sliced
- Sesame seeds, for sprinkling
- ⅓ cup thick all natural peanut butter
- 3 TBS rice vinegar
- 2 TBS reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1-2 tsp chili paste
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Cook noodles according to package directions. The noodles should be soft, not al dente so they are easy to bite off.
- Set out a skillet or pie plate with warm water. Working one at a time, dip the edges of the rice paper wrap into the warm water, rotating until the entire wrap is softened. It is best if it is still somewhat stiff and not drooping over on itself so you can lay it on a clean surface such as a plate or cutting board.
- On the edge of the wrapper closest to you, line up about ½ cup vegetables, followed by cooked rice noodles and sliced tofu (Image 1). Sprinkle the wrapper with sesame seeds and fold the edge closest to you up and over the vegetables (Image 2). Fold in the sides (Image 3) and roll to close (Image 4). Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
- Let the summer rolls rest while you prepare the peanut dipping sauce. In a medium bowl mix together the peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce or tamari, chili paste and garlic. Add water to thin to taste if necessary. The thicker the peanut butter, the more water you will need to make a dippable consistency.
- Serve the summer rolls with the dipping sauce.
- To store: wrap any leftover rolls tightly in plastic wrap and eat within 24-48 hours.
