Hoisin-Seitan Spring Rolls

A week ago I posted this seitan recipe and we whipped up three fantastic recipes. Then we had this little old Half-Ironman that got in the way of me posting! Spring rolls are one of my favorite foods. Light, cool, and full of fresh herbs and vegetables they are a perfect vehicle for peanut sauce. Here we use seitan in lieu of sliced pork, and you'll hardly notice a difference! On a nutrition note, spring rolls are a great way to sneak a variety of veggies in to a handheld snack or appetizer. Don't limit yourself - shredded zucchini, cucumber strips, shredded beets, the possibilities are endless.


Spring rolls may seem complex at first, but don't let it fool you - a little preparation and you're off and rolling (sorry) in no time. A lot of recipes will tell you to dip the rice paper wrappers in boiling water, but I've found that they shrivel up to nothing when I do that. Instead, I run them under hot water until they feel pliable. We ate these with a side salad of diced mango and cucumber with a little red chili and ginger. Seitan was the perfect substitute for sliced pork and we used a thin layer of hoisin to add a rich flavor to the seitan. As I mentioned in my original seitan post, it's a little bland so a touch of sauce truly transforms it!

If you end up with extra filling, this is also delicious as a cold salad. Simply toss noodles with vegetables, setian and the peanut sauce! The rolls will keep (refrigerated) 1-2 days and travel well to work for lunch. Most grocery stores will carry rice paper wrappers and hoisin in the asian foods aisle. These are based on my original version (with shrimp) here.

Makes about 10-12 rolls

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/8 cup rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar (we use xylitol*)

• 1 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 Tbsp  rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup Peanut Butter 
• 1/2 tsp sririacha
• 1/4 cup coconut milk 

• 10-12  8" rice paper wrappers
• 3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
•  mint and basil leaves, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 large bunch sunflower sprouts (or butter lettuce)
• Roughly15-20 slices of seitan (I used about 1/3 of the seitan recipe for all 12 rolls)
• 4 oz thin rice noodles

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a bowl, toss the carrots, onion, 1/8 cup of the vinegar and 1 tsp sugar. Let stand 30 minutes. 
2. Boil water for the rice noodles, cook per instructions on box or boil for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain in colander.
3. In a bowl, mix the remaining vinegar and garlic. Microwave at high power for about 30 seconds, until the sugar is dissolved. Mash with fork.
4. Add peanut butter, sriracha, and coconut milk stir to combine. Adjust to taste.
5. Set up your work area by placing all bowls in a row: noodles, mint and basil, sprouts, seitan, and bell pepper. Also place hoisin in small bowl nearby. Have a platter handy for your finished rolls and a clean work surface to roll on.
6. Gently rinse 1 rice paper wrapper under hot water (bearable to touch) until the wrapper is pliable and clear. Stretch gently into a circle on your work surface.
7. Arrange 1-2 pcs of seitan on the lower third of the rice paper and brush with a touch of hoisin. 
8. Top with some mint and basil. Top with some of the yellow pepper, sprouts, rice noodles and the pickled vegetables.
9. Fold in the side ends sticking the paper to itself. Roll up tightly.
10. Place the roll on a platter and repeat with the remaining ingredients. Halve the rolls and serve with the sauce for dipping.

*Xylitol: Naturally occurring sugar substitute. About half the calories of refined sugar. Low glycemic index of 13 compared to glucose's 100 (making a good alternative for diabetics). Safe for teeth! We use this for almost all of our cooking/baking in lieu of refined sugar. It tastes just the same to me.