Hi friends!
How is summer already half way over!! Time flies for sure. I don’t know about you, but when it’s hot out, I want to just sit outside, and minimally use my oven or stove. My house is like a sauna…the problems of not having an air conditioner and really Vancouver doesn’t get THAT hot often enough to warrant it but those random weeks it does…man, it makes me want to just run out of my house and live at the ice-cold malls for a few weeks…know what I’m saying!!
My friends over at Cha’s Organics provided me with some awesome products to go wild with and I really was like…hmm, what can I make that is summery and involves minimal cooking and that is how my Vegan Jackfruit Salad Rolls were born!! The only thing cooked on the stove is the jackfruit for about 10 minutes. I served them with a delicious sunflower butter sauce that can be adapted to whichever nut butter you use/have. Sadly, I’m allergic to peanuts, so I’ll never be able to compare it to peanut sauce but it tastes so dang good!
I know salad rolls look daunting and even I always forget how easy they are to make. They really just require some pre-planning (protein, rice noodles & veggies) but once you have all your ingredients cut up or prepared, they are a breeze to assemble, so healthy and taste SO fresh!!
These salad rolls are vegan as I used Cha’s Organics Young Jackfruit in Brine. Jackfruit is so unique and “meaty” in texture that it was perfect for this recipe. It also picks up flavours really well so even the carnivorous boyfriend, was happy with the texture and flavour. You can check it out/buy it by clicking here.
To learn how to roll the papers, takes a bit of practice but it is WAY easier than it looks. My advice would be to either watch Youtube or look at the back of the package of your rice paper. It should have a nice diagram that illustrates how to roll your salad roll.
You soak the paper for 5 seconds in warm water and then lay on a flat surface. It will be soft in about 20 seconds. While the paper is softening, I start adding my ingredients so I can roll once the paper is more pliable.
From the picture above, you would fold in the sides first, and then start rolling from the bottom up. PS. don’t be so hard on yourself if there are a few rips, they will taste amazing regardless. An alternative is to use 2 rice papers if you are having a lot of trouble but I’ve never had a huge issue. Doubling the paper would also make it quite thick on the ends but I’d imagine it would taste good still.
Note: These do note prepare well in advance. I prepared the Jackfruit and sauce 1 day in advance and then assembled and ate the rolls within a few hours once prepared. To keep them fresh, moisten a paper towel and keep them covered at room temperature until ready to serve.
I’d love for you to try my recipe, please tag me on Facebook or Instagram (@balancingandie) so I can follow along :). Click here to pin this recipe for future reference or subscribe to my blog to never miss a post!
Notes
These do not taste good if made far in advance but you can prep the ingredients before and then roll the day you are serving them.
Substitutions for jackfruit include tofu, tempeh or chicken if not vegan.
Ingredients
For the Jackfruit
- 1 can Cha's Organic Young Jackfruit (400ml can) chopped
- 1/2 medium red onion chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 1 heaping tsp ginger grated
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp grape seed oil
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp chilli flakes (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 3/4 tsp pink salt
- 2 tbsp cooking wine
- 2 tbsp Cha's Organics coconut milk (or other milk)
- 2 tbsp cilantro
For the rolls
- 1 large bowl with hot water (for dipping rice paper)
- 10 rice paper sheets
- 2 brown rice vermicelli bunches (90g)
- 1 carrot matchstick style
- 1 package pea shoots (100 g)
- pickled jalepeno (optional)
- basil (optional)
For the dipping sauce
- 2 tbsp nut butter (almond, sunflower, cashew or peanut)
- 60 ml unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tsp Siracha (or to taste)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp Tamari gluten-free soy sauce (or regular)
Instructions
- For the Jackfruit which can be made in advance - saute onion and chilli flakes with the grape seed oil on medium high heat until the onions are golden brown.
- Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin, salt and tomato paste for 1 more minute. Add the cooking wine and let it evaporate.
- Add the chopped jackfruit, coconut milk and cilantro until heated through and mixed thoroughly. Set aside. If refrigerating, allow to cool and then refrigerate.
- For the sauce - combine all the ingredients and set aside.
- For the rolls - cook the vermicelli according to the package or soak noodles for 2 minutes in a bowl with hot water.
- Have all the filling ingredients for the rolls prepped and washed.
- Dip the rice paper in water for 5 seconds and lay on a flat cutting board.
- Lay a bit of each item in a rectangle closest to you (as shown)
- Follow the instructions on the package on how to roll it or my instructions.
- Serve immediately or keep covered with damp paper towel until ready to serve.
I want to try Jackfruit so badly!!
-Stephanie
I’d love to know what you think 🙂