Spring Rolls Recipe

Prepare vegetables

Thinly shred the cabbage, julienne or shred the carrot, thinly slice the shiitake mushrooms and onion, trim the bean sprouts, mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and thinly slice the scallions. Measure and have soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper ready.

Cook filling

Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and cook 1-2 minutes until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook another 2 minutes until they soften. Add the garlic and grated ginger and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add shredded cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts to the skillet. Stir-fry 3-4 minutes until the cabbage wilts but remains slightly crisp. Stir in the soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and stir in the sliced scallions. Let the mixture cool 8–10 minutes so it is safe to handle for wrapping.

Prepare cornstarch seal

In a small bowl whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water to make a slurry. This will be used to seal the wrappers.

Assemble rolls

Lay one spring roll wrapper on a clean work surface with one corner pointing toward you (diamond shape). Spoon about 3 heaping tablespoons (approximately 1/4 cup) of the cooled filling across the lower third of the wrapper leaving 1/2 inch from the edges. Fold the bottom corner up over the filling, then fold the left and right corners toward the center. Brush the top corner edge with a thin line of cornstarch slurry and roll tightly to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling to make 4 rolls (if wrappers are smaller you may get more; this recipe yields four large lightly fried rolls as described).

Lightly fry spring rolls

Pour about 1/2 inch (approx. 1/2 cup) vegetable oil into a large frying pan and heat over medium heat until shimmering (about 350°F / 175°C or test by dropping a small piece of wrapper — it should sizzle). Working in batches if necessary, place rolls seam-side down into the oil. Fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side (total 6-8 minutes). Use tongs to rotate gently so wrappers don’t split. Remove and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. For a lighter version you can shallow-fry 1-2 minutes per side or bake at 400°F (200°C) for 12-15 minutes, turning once.

Arrange four lightly fried vegetarian spring rolls on a serving plate and serve warm with the house-made plum dipping sauce on the side.

Combine 3/4 cup plum jam, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon sweet chili sauce (optional), and 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger in a small saucepan or bowl.

If using a saucepan: warm gently over low heat, stirring, until the sauce is smooth and slightly reduced, 3-4 minutes. Add 1-2 tablespoons water to reach desired pourable consistency. Taste and adjust acidity or sweetness with more vinegar or jam as needed. If using a bowl: whisk ingredients together until combined, adding the 2 tablespoons water to thin and adjust texture. Keep warm or room temperature until serving.

Transfer sauce to a small dipping bowl and serve alongside the spring rolls.