If you love fresh spring rolls but don’t love the rolling part, this Spring Roll Salad is for you. It’s got all the crunchy veggies, fresh herbs, and chewy rice noodles you crave, tossed together with a tangy, sweet-and-spicy chili lime dressing and ready in about 20 minutes.
Light, colorful, and totally customizable, it’s the kind of plant-based meal that feels just as good as it tastes - especially when drizzled with my Sweet Chili Lime Sauce for an extra punch of flavor.
This Asian salad is perfect for warm days, easy meal prep, or when craving bold Vietnamese-inspired flavors. No rice paper needed!
This refreshing spring roll salad is especially popular in the warmer months of spring and summer, when crisp veggies and fresh herbs are at their peak and when it can be eaten at room temperature or even cold.
This makes it perfect for take-to-work lunch, meal prep, or as a colorful addition to a backyard picnic or casual cookout. It pairs well with my Smoked Tofu or Everything Bagel Crispy Tofu, but for a quicker option, I’ve included a simple sautéed tofu that comes together fast without sacrificing flavor.
For more great lunch ideas to take to work or school, visit 20+ Vegan Lunch Box Ideas.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Get all the spring roll flavor, with none of the rolling.
- Comes together in about 20 minutes, making it perfect for busy days.
- Great for meal prep, potlucks, or warm-weather lunch and dinners.
- This dish is naturally vegan, gluten-free, and super customizable. You can add as many vegetables for a rainbow of flavor and benefits. (If you’re curious about what each color brings to the table, check out my posts on Top 10 Purple Vegetables, Top 11 Red Vegetables, and even Top 10 Orange Vegetables)
Ingredients
Feel free to use this vegan salad recipe as a starting point. You can easily add, swap, or scale back the veggies to suit your taste or what you have on hand.
Rice Noodles: Here is a link to the rice noodles I used for this recipe: Dynasty Rice Sticks. They are currently cheaper at the grocery store than on Amazon, so only use the link for reference. These are thin rice noodles (like vermicelli) with a light, chewy texture that soaks up sauce quickly and feels delicate. They are the kind you find tucked into spring rolls, and they are a no-boil noodle that stays a bit al dente.
Vegan Fish Sauce: This no-fish fish sauce is a plant-based alternative that is salty, savory, and umami-rich, just like traditional fish sauce. It is usually found at Asian grocery stores, health food markets, or online (I buy Ocean’s Halo). Sub with a mix of soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free) and a splash of lime juice or rice vinegar. It won’t be quite as funky, but it’ll still bring the salty-tangy balance that makes this dressing pop.
See the recipe card for quantities and a complete list of ingredients.
Variations
Add some red pepper flakes or chili garlic sauce to the tofu when sauteeing to add spiciness.
Alternately, swap the tofu with tempeh or edamame.
How To Make
This is how you'll make this spring roll salad. See the recipe card for details.
Step 1: Follow the directions on your package of rice noodles. They are no-cook, and usually need to sit for about 10 minutes in hot water to soften.
Step 2: Sauté the tofu with a splash of soy sauce for flavor, or simply season it with salt and pepper and cook until golden and crisp on all sides.
Step 3: Make the sauce by combining the ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well.
Step 4: Add all the ingredients—except the tofu—to a large bowl and toss well to combine. When serving, top each portion with the sautéed tofu some lime juice, and optional seeds.
Top Tips
- I like to keep it balanced with a 50/50 mix of rice noodles and veggies, but adjust the ratio to suit your taste.
- If you’re meal prepping or bringing this to a potluck, wait to combine the sauce and salad until just before serving. Letting it sit overnight can cause the purple cabbage to tint the noodles pink—totally harmless, but it might not look as vibrant for presentation.
- Use a mandoline to get super-thin, even slices of cabbage. I highly recommend the mandoline I’ve been using for over 10 years—it still works like a charm and gives perfect results every time.
- I also recommend this julienne peeler to get perfect cucumbers and carrots.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve it chilled or at room temperature for a refreshing lunch or light dinner.
- Pair with 20-Minute Easy Vegan Miso Soup.
- Great for picnics, meal prep, or potlucks alongside Vegan Summer Rolls and Vegan Thai Basil Fried Rice.
Recipe FAQS
Yes. You can prep the veggies and noodles ahead, but keep the dressing and tofu separate for the freshest texture until just before serving.
Spring Roll Salad will keep in the fridge for about 2-3 days. As it sits with the sauce combined, the noodles will turn a shade of pink from the purple cabbage. Still tasty though!
Got a minute? I'd love for you to comment and rate this Spring Roll Salad. Your feedback is invaluable. Did you love it? Did you make any fun twists? Let me know how my directions worked so I can keep improving my recipes. Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for inspiration.
Spring Roll Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 6.75 ounces rice noodles - I use the Dynasty Maifun Rice Sticks
- 1 cup green cabbage thinly sliced
- 1 cup purple cabbage thinly sliced
- ½ red bell pepper thinly sliced
- ¾ cup carrots julienned
- ½ cup cucumber julienned or diced
- ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced
- ¼-½ cup fresh cilantro leaves roughly chopped
- ¼-½ cup fresh mint leaves roughly chopped
- ½ block firm tofu about 7 oz , cubed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for pan-frying tofu
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce for tofu; sub with salt and pepper to taste
- chopped peanuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, or crispy fried shallots optional garnishes
- fresh lime juice optional for serving
For the Dressing
- 6 tablespoons vegan fish sauce or substitute 6 tablespoons soy sauce + 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 4 ½ tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or white vinegar
- 1-2 cloves garlic grated or minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger grated
- 1 heaping tablespoon sambal oelek or chili garlic sauce - adjust to heat preference
- juice of one lime
Instructions
- Prep the noodles: Prepare the rice noodles according to package instructions (usually they sit in hot water for 10 minutes).
- Prep the veggies: Chop and prep the cabbage, carrots, cucumber, red pepper, red onion, cilantro, and mint.
- Cook the tofu: Heat olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add cubed tofu and soy sauce and cook until golden and crispy on all sides, about 5–7 minutes.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the vegan fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, minced garlic, ginger, and sambal oelek until combined.
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine the noodles, all the veggies, and chopped herbs. Pour the dressing over the top and toss well to coat everything evenly.
- Serve: Plate the salad immediately for the freshest texture. Top with cooked tofu and any of the optional garnishes. Add a squeeze of lime over the top to serve, if desired.
Regi Pearce says
This is one of my favorite light but flavor-packed meals to keep in the fridge during warmer months! So refreshing, crunchy, and full of sweet-sour-spicy flavor. And honestly? No one misses the rice paper rolls.