Name: Giant Spring Rolls With Tofu
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 large lettuce leaves; ½ English cucumber; 2 medium carrots (or pre-shredded carrots); 2 handfuls shredded red cabbage (pre-shredded); 7 oz extra-firm tofu; 2 teaspoons sesame oil (or olive oil); 8 rice paper sheets; 2 handfuls fresh cilantro (optional); 3 tablespoon peanut butter; 3 tablespoon tamari (or gluten-free soy sauce); 2 tablespoons lime juice; 1 teaspoon maple syrup; ¼ teaspoon ginger powder; ¼ teaspoon garlic powder; ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional; 2 tablespoons water

Imagine a cross between a rice noodle salad and a sandwich–there you go, you have a giant XXL spring roll with tofu. It's a no-fuss, minimal cooking recipe that's ready in less than 20 minutes. Perfect for lunch or a quick dinner.

Hand holding a giant spring roll cut in half.

I love that you can pack 4 different veggies and protein into a single spring roll. So nutritious and efficient at the same time! Plus, it's super easy to prep and tastes divine with peanut butter sauce.

If you like Asian-inspired recipes, try these nori wraps, rice paper dumplings, or sushi bowl.

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Key ingredients and substitutions
Elo's tips
How to make XXL spring rolls
How to store spring rolls
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The recipe

Key ingredients and substitutions

Ingredients for giant spring rolls with descriptive labels.

Rice paper wrappers: These are round, white-ish sheets that you traditionally use for Vietnamese spring rolls. You can find them at every Asian market (or in the Asian aisle of most grocery stores).
Extra-firm tofu: It's a great source of plant protein (11 grams of protein per 100 grams) and requires minimal preparation.
Sesame oil: It's great to cook the tofu sticks and provides a slightly nutty flavor. You can easily replace it with any other vegetable oil if you don't have it at home.
Veggies: I like using a mix of lettuce, cucumber, carrots, and red cabbage in this recipe. The lettuce and cucumber make the spring roll soft and juicy while the carrots and cabbage add some crunch. You could also add in some baby spinach or bell peppers.
Cilantro(optional): If you like cilantro, you can add a few leaves on top of the veggies before you close the spring roll.

Elo's tips

Don't over-soak the rice paper wrappers or they'll tear more easily. Dip them in lukewarm water for approximately 15 seconds. They should start to soften but still be firm when you place them on the cutting board. They will continue to soften as you add the toppings.
Wrap the spring rolls as tightly as you possibly can. This will make it easier to cut the roll in half and prevent the toppings from falling out too easily. However, be careful not to tear the rice paper sheets.
Be quick to prevent the rice paper sheets from sticking to the cutting board.

How to make XXL spring rolls

Tofu stick in a small wooden cutting board.

Step 1: Make the tofu stick. Cut the tofu block through the long edge. Then, into 0.5" (± 1 cm) sticks.

Crispy, golden brown tofu sticks in a pan.

Step 2: Pan-fry the tofu. Heat a pan with sesame oil (or your preferred vegetable oil). Fry the tofu sticks over medium-high heat for 1 minute on both sides. Just enough for it to crisp up.

Shredded carrots and cucumber sticks on a wooden cutting board.

Step 3: Prep the veggies. Wash the lettuce leaves and cilantro. Optionally peel the cucumber and cut it into thin sticks. Shredd the carrots with a julienne peeler or cut it into thin sticks with a knife.

Hand whisking a peanut butter sauce in a small glass jar.

Step 4: Make the peanut sauce. Combine the peanut butter, tamari, lime juice, maple syrup, spices, and water in a small bowl.

Four overlapping rice paper sheets with filling on a wooden cutting board.

Step 5: Layer. Dip the rice paper sheets in a bowl with lukewarm water for 15 seconds. Place 4 sheets on a wet cutting board so that they overlap. Add a lettuce leaf at the center. Top with half the cucumber sticks, carrots, shredded red cabbage, tofu, and cilantro.

Step 6: Roll. Fold the bottom "edge" towards the center and tuck it under the ingredients. Then, fold the sides towards the middle. Finally, roll the giant spring roll until tightly closed. Watch the video below if you need visual instructions to roll the spring rolls. Then, make the second roll.

How to store spring rolls

I'm not going to lie, spring rolls taste best fresh. However, if you want to take them with you to work/school for lunch, you can prepare them in the morning and wrap them in humid paper towels. Simply place 3 paper towels on top of each other and run them shortly under running water.