Vegetarian Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Goi Cuon Chay)

Vegetarian Vietnamese spring rolls on a wooden board served with nuoc cham.

5 from 2 ratings

Vegetarian Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Goi Cuon Chay)

These vegetarian Vietnamese spring rolls (goi cuon chay) are the vegetarian version of the beloved Vietnamese spring rolls. Filled with addictive lemongrass tofu and fresh herbs, these spring rolls are just as good as their meat filled counterparts.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: goi cuon chay, vegetarian vietnamese spring rolls

Servings: spring rolls

Calories: 155kcal

Author: Becca Du

Equipment

Large Saute Pan

Ingredients

Lemongrass Tofu

1 package firm tofu 16 oz, cut into ½ inch thick pieces
3 cloves garlic minced
1 shallot minced
1 stalk lemongrass minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp vegan oyster sauce
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp water
1 cup vegetable oil for frying tofu

Spring Roll

10 sheets rice paper
1 head lettuce
2 cups carrots shredded
2 cups cucumbers julienned
1 cup mint
10 oz vermicelli noodles
½ cup vegetarian Vietnamese dipping sauce

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

First, prep the contents of the spring roll by shredding carrots, cutting the cucumbers, boiling the vermicelli noodles, and making the vegetarian Vietnamese dipping sauce. Set aside everything in the fridge.
Pat the tofu dry. Cut the tofu horizontally in half and then cut each piece into 1/2 inch thick pieces. Set aside.
Cover a large plate with 1-2 pieces of paper towels. Heat 1 cup of vegetable oil in a large pot to 356 degrees F. I usually test fry 1 piece of tofu to see if the oil is hot enough. Fry tofu for 3-4 minutes on each side until a light golden brown. Once done, transfer onto the paper towels to soak up excess oil. Set aside.
Combine 3 cloves of garlic, 1 shallot, 1 stalk of lemongrass, 2 tbsp of soy sauce, 2 tbsp of oyster sauce, 2 tbsp of honey, 2 tbsp of light brown sugar, and 1 tbsp of water in a small bowl. Mix until combined.
Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour sauce into the pan and cook until it starts to bubble (~30 seconds - 1 minute). Add the fried tofu to the pan and coat with the sauce. Turn off the heat.
Now it's time to make your spring rolls! Wet a sheet of rice paper with warm water. Add a few pieces of lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, mint, and vermicelli noodles. Top with 1-2 pieces of lemongrass tofu.
Roll the spring roll once. Fold the left and right side over the roll and then finish rolling your spring roll. Repeat this process until you run out of ingredients.
Enjoy with vegetarian Vietnamese dipping sauce!

Notes

I chose to have mine with regular nuoc cham (not vegetarian) because that's what I had on hand. Use vegetarian nuoc cham or Vietnamese peanut sauce for vegetarian friendly sauces.
You don't have to include every vegetable listed in the ingredients. Pick and choose whichever ones you like best. For example, you can include only lettuce and cucumbers, and that will still be a yummy spring roll!

Nutrition