Vegan Cucumber Summer Rolls

These refreshing and tasty vegan spring rolls make a pretty appetizer or the perfect light meal. Easy to prepare and made with fresh ingredients, the spring rolls are packed with wholesome ingredients, fiber, and loads of vitamins and minerals from the vegetables and herbs. The filling of the summer rolls is made out of lettuce, bean sprouts, green onions, carrots, and rice vermicelli, seasoned with soy sauce, and flavored with basil and cilantro leaves. Making summer rolls is easy, and if all the ingredients are ready and prepped you can assemble the dish in no time—the rice wrappers need to be filled and folded much like you'd fill and fold a burrito. This is a very low-calorie recipe that is easy to eat, so it's a refined cocktail hour finger food, but can also be a convenient packed lunch meal.

Summer rolls are a classic Asian dish that takes on different names and fillings depending on when you consume them. Different than spring rolls, which are usually stuffed with a cooked filling and are then fried or steamed, summer rolls are usually filled with fresh ingredients and consumed cold. Our take on the summer roll recipe uses only raw ingredients to make a tasty vegan dish, but similar preparations also use cooked and cooled prawns to add animal protein to the filling. If you want to experiment with vegan fillings, add thinly sliced mango pieces, shredded apples or jicama, and chopped chili peppers for some heat.

Prepare the rolls ahead of time and chill in the fridge until it's time to serve, though for best results we advise consuming them right after assembling as the rice wrapper can get gummy if it sits for too long. Another fun option is to allow each guest to fill and roll their own rolls, which makes a fun dinner experience if you are inviting guests to a sit-down affair. All of our ingredients are gluten-free except for the soy sauce, so if needed use low-sodium tamari instead to keep it a hundred percent gluten-free.