Vegetarian Egg Rolls Recipe

As far as we're concerned, no Chinese take-out order is complete without egg rolls. They're rich, golden, crunchy little bites that are packed with flavor and a variety of textures. If you have ever thought about making this addictive appetizer at home, you're in luck — it's incredibly simple and pretty quick, too! Thanks to the minimal ingredient list and store-bought wrappers, this egg rolls recipe is super easy to incorporate into your kitchen repertoire.

Advertisement

For this vegetarian version — from Alexandra Shytsman of the plant-based blog The New Baguette — you'll use fresh shredded cabbage and carrots for the filling. And instead of the traditional ground pork, you'll use finely diced shiitake mushrooms to impart a similarly savory taste. The vegetable filling is seasoned with classic Chinese flavors, including garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. And, of course, the outer shell will have that perfectly crunchy, golden crust that makes an egg roll so undeniably delicious.

Gather the ingredients for vegetarian egg rolls

To start, you'll need some green cabbage, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Egg roll wrappers are widely available in supermarkets these days and can typically be found in the freezer section. Pro tip: If you want to speed up your prep time, buy pre-shredded coleslaw mix instead of the cabbage and carrots!

Advertisement

Prep the vegetables

Shred the cabbage and carrots, and finely dice the mushrooms. If you have a food processor, use the shredding attachment to make this step go exponentially faster.

Cook the vegetables

Heat up a bit of cooking oil and sesame oil in a large saucepan, and add all of the vegetables. Cook them for just a few minutes — you want them to collapse a little but still retain some crunch. Remember, the vegetables will continue cooking in the egg rolls while they're frying.

Advertisement

Form the egg rolls

Before filling the wrappers, allow the vegetables to cool a bit, otherwise, the rolls might fall apart. When you're ready to roll, take a wrapper and place it in front of you in a rhombus shape. Scoop on 2 tablespoons of the filling about an inch away from the bottom corner. Fold the bottom corner over the filling and tuck the filling tightly. Then fold over the right and left corners and roll up. Wet the top corner of the wrapper with a bit of water and finish rolling (the water will seal the roll). Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Advertisement

Cook the egg rolls

Heat about ¼ cup of canola oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Gently place the egg rolls into the hot oil, being careful not to splash it. They should sizzle right away; if they don't, the oil isn't hot enough. If they're browning too quickly, reduce the heat. Fry until they're golden on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes total. Then transfer them to a paper towel lined tray to drain the excess oil.

Advertisement

Serve the egg rolls

Egg rolls are best served right away, while they're still warm and crispy. These are delicious with duck sauce or hoisin sauce. Of course, an egg roll is also a great precursor to a larger meal, like orange chicken or some sesame beef.

Advertisement

Vegetarian Egg Rolls Recipe

5 (25 ratings)

These homemade vegetarian egg rolls will taste just as Chinese take-out.

Prep Time
15
minutes
Cook Time
20
minutes
servings
10
egg rolls
egg rolls on oval plate
Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon + ¼ cup canola oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 6 medium shiitake mushrooms, finely diced
  • 4 cups finely chopped green cabbage (about ½ small head)
  • 1 cup peeled and grated carrots
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 10 egg roll wrappers (thawed, if purchased frozen)

Optional Ingredients

  • Duck sauce or hoisin sauce, for dipping

Directions

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil and the sesame oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, cabbage, and carrots, and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and pepper, and cook for 30 seconds more. Let the filling cool a bit before forming the egg rolls.
  2. When you're ready to roll, take a wrapper and place it in front of you in a rhombus shape. Scoop on 2 tablespoons of the filling about an inch away from the bottom corner. Fold the bottom corner over the filling and tuck the filling tightly. Then fold over the right and left corners and roll up. Wet the top corner of the wrapper with a bit of water and finish rolling (the water will seal the roll). Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
  3. To fry, heat ¼ cup of canola oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Gently place egg rolls into the hot oil, being careful not to splash it. Fry until they're golden on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes total. Transfer to a paper towel-lined tray to drain excess oil.
  4. Serve the egg rolls warm, with duck sauce or hoisin sauce for dipping.

Nutrition

Calories per Serving 188
Total Fat 8.9 g
Saturated Fat 0.8 g
Trans Fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 2.9 mg
Total Carbohydrates 23.4 g
Dietary Fiber 2.3 g
Total Sugars 2.1 g
Sodium 286.7 mg
Protein 4.3 g
The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Rate this recipe

Recommended

Advertisement