Description
This Spring Roll Salad is a vibrant and refreshing dish that combines the flavors and textures of a traditional spring roll in a salad form. It’s packed with colorful veggies, crispy tofu, and a zesty dressing for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Salad
- 6.75 ounces rice noodles
- 1 cup green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 cup purple cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup carrots, julienned
- 1/2 cup cucumber, julienned or diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4-1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/4-1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/2 block firm tofu, cubed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for pan-frying tofu
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce for tofu
- Chopped peanuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, or crispy fried shallots (optional garnishes)
- Fresh lime juice (optional for serving)
For the Dressing
- 6 tablespoons vegan fish sauce or substitute 6 tablespoons soy sauce + 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 4 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or white vinegar
- 1-2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger, grated
- 1 heaping tablespoon sambal oelek or chili garlic sauce (adjust to heat preference)
- Juice of one lime
Instructions
- Prep the noodles: Prepare the rice noodles according to package instructions (usually they sit in hot water for 10 minutes).
- Prep the veggies: Chop and prep the cabbage, carrots, cucumber, red pepper, red onion, cilantro, and mint.
- Cook the tofu: Heat olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add cubed tofu and soy sauce and cook until golden and crispy on all sides, about 5–7 minutes.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the vegan fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, minced garlic, ginger, and sambal oelek until combined.
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine the noodles, all the veggies, and chopped herbs. Pour the dressing over the top and toss well to coat everything evenly.
- Serve: Plate the salad immediately for the freshest texture. Top with cooked tofu and any of the optional garnishes. Add a squeeze of lime over the top to serve, if desired.
Notes
- The vermicelli-style noodles are the best for mimicking a spring roll, but feel free to use any rice noodle. Note, it will change the texture of the salad.
- This salad can be eaten cold or at room temperature.
- Use a mandoline to get super-thin, even slices of cabbage. I highly recommend this mandoline I’ve been using for years—it still works like a charm and gives perfect results every time.
- I like to keep it balanced with a 50/50 mix of rice noodles and veggies, but feel free to adjust the ratio to suit your taste.
- For spicy tofu, sauté it with a bit of chili garlic sauce or red pepper flakes. That said, the salad’s dressing is already so flavorful that I often just pan-fry the tofu in a little oil until golden, then toss it right in.
- For meal prep or potlucks, mix the sauce in just before serving. Purple cabbage can tint the noodles pink if it sits too long in the sauce—still tasty, just less photogenic!
- Nutritional information is only an estimate.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 389 kcal
- Sugar: 16g
- Sodium: 1067mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
