There’s something very satisfying about biting into a homemade egg roll, especially when it’s freshly fried and golden crispy. You can hear it, and you can feel it, as you bite into the egg roll. The shell of the egg roll shatters, and then you sink your teeth into the savory filling inside. It’s a small joy you can experience and easily share with your family, simply by making your egg rolls at home.
Not your ordinary takeout egg rolls
Egg rolls, as they are known in the US, are probably familiar to you if you’ve had American-Chinese takeout. My vegetable egg rolls have the same name and a few ingredients in common, but I promise – these are so much better. Also, my vegetable egg rolls use some more authentic ingredients than most takeout places. Wood ear mushrooms and mung bean vermicelli add some really fun textures to the filling. Though you may need to swing by your Asian market or shop online to find them. For those outside the US who may be confused by the term “egg rolls”, I’m referring in this post to fried “chūn juǎn” (春卷), literally meaning “spring rolls” in Chinese. This dish is commonly referred to as spring rolls throughout the non-US English-speaking world, as well.
Vegetable egg rolls for Chinese New Year
Egg rolls, given their association with springtime in China, are a perfect treat to serve for Chinese New Year. The holiday is a celebration of the coming spring and often called “Spring Festival”, (春节, chūn jié) in Chinese. Egg rolls aren’t limited to being eaten at Chinese New Year, though they are extra popular then. And while they are most common in the South (Guangdong, Fujian) and East (Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang), I even love them as a northerner.
Vegetable spring roll ingredients
There are a handful of ingredients that may require a special trip or online order, but they’re essential to getting the authentic Chinese experience:
Egg roll wrappers
The package may say “spring roll pastry” or “egg roll shell” or similar. It should be in the frozen section of your grocery store or Asian market. The wrappers might not contain egg and should be wheat flour based. The wrappers should be square-shaped. Do NOT use Vietnamese rice paper wrappers for this recipe.
Wood ear mushrooms
They typically come dried and need to be rehydrated, though you may be able to buy them fresh. They add a delightful firm crunch to the filling.
Mung bean vermicelli
This will add texture and absorb lots of flavor, making the filling umami-rich. It may also be called “bean threads”. It should be very thin, not the wide type. This is different from rice vermicelli and sweet potato vermicelli, but you can also use them as a replacement.
Vegetarian oyster sauce and Chinkiang vinegar
These two ingredients go in the dipping sauce. The vegetarian oyster sauce gives a deep, mushroomy umami and the vinegar has a nice malty tartness.
Mise en place
When you’re ready to cook, you should have prepared:
Shredded cabbage, julienned carrot, sliced wood ear mushrooms, and chopped scallions, each in separate bowls Cooked or rehydrated (as per package instructions) mung bean vermicelli, drained Minced ginger and garlic Salt, sugar, white pepper, and sesame oil, all measured out Spring roll wrappers, thawed, with a couple of damp paper towels handy to cover the wrappers and finished rolls, to prevent drying out A small bowl of water (not pictured) for sealing the rolls
How to make vegetable egg rolls
Prepare the filling
For this recipe, you’ll cook the filling before wrapping the rolls, so the frying process won’t need to cook all the veggies inside.
Wrap and cook the egg rolls
Wrapping egg rolls are easy:
Tips for frying the eggs rolls
How to store and reheat
These vegetable egg rolls store and reheat quite well, but I recommend frying them before storing them. You can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, and a 350°F or 170°C oven should get them nice and crispy all over again. Just keep an eye out, so you don’t overbrown them while reheating.
Final Thoughts
Egg rolls, aka spring rolls, are one of my favorite Chinese appetizers, and they’re fun to make and eat. These vegetable egg rolls give you a satisfying and flavorful vegetarian option for them. If you’re looking for a party snack for Chinese New Year or some other festive occasion, give these a try!
More Vegetarian Chinese New Year recipes
Buddha’s Delight (Jai, Chinese Vegetarian Stew) Chinese Pumpkin Cake (南瓜饼) Egg and Pepper Dumplings (鸡蛋青椒饺子) Old-Beijing Fried Carrot Fritters (炸素丸子) Crispy Marinated Tofu How to Host a Vegetarian Hot Pot Party
