Skip to content

Recipe: Grain-free vegan spring rolls

I served these grain-free vegan spring rolls at my housewarming party. Everything was great aside from the fact that I should have made way more. Hint #1: They may take three hours to make. Hint #2: They may take 25 minutes to cool down after baking.
The Sensitive Vegan spring rolls Powell River

I served these grain-free vegan spring rolls at my housewarming party. Everything was great aside from the fact that I should have made way more.

Hint #1: They may take three hours to make.

Hint #2: They may take 25 minutes to cool down after baking. Don't burn your mouth.

Equipment check:

Food processor

Parchment paper (needed for rolling dough)

Rolling pin (you guessed it)

Yucca pastry:

Yucca root (cooked), 2-3 med-large

Avocado or coconut oil, 3-4 tablespoons

Sea salt, pinch

Cold water, just a splash

Sesame oil, 1 tablespoon (optional)

At the shop, be careful not to select overripe yucca; no soft spots. At home, slice off the top and bottom so you can stand it up on the cutting board and carefully shave off the peel with a chef’s knife.

As long as they are all similar sizes, leave yucca whole and submerge in cold water in a large pot over high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce to low-med heat and cook on high simmer for 20 more minutes. At this point they will visually JUST BEGIN to expand and come apart.

No overcooking allowed or your dough will be mush and that won’t impress anyone. Remove from heat and drain. They’re ready.

You, are not ready. Slice them in quarters and remove the stringy centre, before placing yucca, oil and a little salt in your food processor and zip it into dough. Only fill your food processor halfway full of yucca; it forms a very sticky dough, which can be a bit too hard on the motor. The longer the yucca sits, the dryer it becomes, so add a couple shots of cold water while it zips.

Filling:

Choose a filling; here are some ideas (please go crazy):

Bok choy (thin slice)

Shallot (thin slice)

Carrot (thin julienne)

Onion (thin slice)

Portobello mushroom (thin slice)

Cauliflower (thin slice)

Spinach (chiffonade cut)

Cilantro (leaf, whole)

Ginger (mince)

Lemon/lime juice

 

Sea salt

Chinese 5 spice

Powdered ginger

Garlic powder

Cumin

 

Avocado oil, 1 tablespoon

Sesame oil, 1 tablespoon

Chili alternative (fermented chili sauce), to taste

Coconut-based soy sauce alternative

Lightly fry your filling ingredients in avocado and sesame oil, season, squeeze some lemon or lime, and douse with a little soy sauce alt., and set aside.

Now, back to your yucca pastry. Roll out in-between two strips of parchment paper into semi-thin rectangles, approximately 30cm by 15cm [it may help to play The Sensitive Vegan how-to video in the background]. Cut each rectangle in half to get two 15cm squares.

Bake your squares at 350 for about 10 minutes, or until puffy.  Pull them out of the oven and flip the whole parchment sheet upside down onto the puffy side, exposing the new lightly golden-brown top.

Scoop in your filling, forming a small spring-roll-shaped line, on the bias and off to one edge. Fold in the corners and start rolling from the filling side into a neat little package.

Now arrange your cute rolls back onto the parchment paper and bake again at 350, this time for about 15 minutes, turning them over partway through. Get that pastry fully cooked.

Serve with soy sauce alternative and/or fermented chili sauce. If nightshades are just too risky for you, skip the chili sauce altogether. They’re lovely without it too.

How did they turn out? Tag me! Let me know.

The Sensitive Vegan is a Powell River-based health and wellness blogger and internet chef who creates recipes consistent with an anti-inflammatory vegan diet. Follow on Instagram @thesensitivevegan or subscribe on YouTube.