Pad Thai has been one of our favorite dishes for years and I make it frequently when we’re craving a hearty, plant-based meal. You can learn more about this delicious dish and its origin here. As much as I love it, Pad Thai can be a bit complicated and time consuming. But by morphing it into a spring roll and eliminating any unnecessary ingredients, I’ve whittled this down into a portable, easy, downright delicious meal.
Origins of Fresh Spring Rolls
Fresh spring rolls (also known as gỏi cuốn or summer rolls) are a common Vietnamese dish, but the concept is believed to have originated in China. It’s thought that they may be a modification from Chinese egg rolls, but with Vietnamese flavors. They are typically made with fresh vegetables, herbs, and protein that are wrapped in rehydrated rice paper and served with a dipping sauce.
How to Make Pad Thai Spring Rolls
This recipe is simple, requiring just 10 ingredients and roughly 1 hour to make! It’s also extremely hearty and will please the hungriest of guests. Bonus? It’s versatile. If you aren’t into tofu, sub your favorite protein. If you don’t like spicy, leave out the chili garlic sauce. Need something for dipping? Throw in one of my three (yes, three) sauce options. In other words, I’ve got you covered. The star of the rolls, in my opinion, is the crispy baked tofu that sautés up beautifully in a bit of my 5-ingredient Pad Thai sauce. But coming in a close second is the rice noodles sautéed to sticky, spicy-sweet perfection before being stuffed into spring roll wrappers. These rolls really are delicious on their own. But when served with a little additional chili garlic sauce, Sriracha, or peanut sauce, it’s elevated to a new level of awesome. I hope you guys LOVE these spring rolls! They’re: HeartyFreshSuper flavorfulSubtly spicedPerfectly sweetPacked with fresh herbs + carrotsCrunchySimple& Downright delicious I think these would make the perfect meal for when you want something substantial yet healthy. And if you can’t eat them all, leftovers keep well for a few days making them an ideal picnic, take-along lunch, or road trip food. If you give these a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see! We love seeing our recipes come to life in your kitchens. Cheers, friends!
