These Rainbow Spring Rolls with Sweet Chili Mango Sauce are a fun healthy snack you can make into a full dinner too! They’re gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and made without any refined sugar. They’re packed with flavor and veggies and everyone loves these!
It might still be pretty cold around here, winter temperatures are hanging on with hail one minute, and pouring rain the next. But the grass is slowly turning green, the trees are budding, and I’m in full force Spring mode!
I’m so predictable because I do this every year, I jump in full speed ahead into all the nice new produce, even though most of it won’t be in season for us for another few months. I just can’t help myself, I mean… who can actually wait until the end of June for the first strawberry!?!
I definitely can’t, so be prepared for all things berries, and fresh produce heading your way soon. (Check out my Instagram Stories to see what I’m up to in real time, and what recipes will be coming your way next.) And the best part is, if you’re in a late-season area like me, you’ll have all sorts of new recipes to try out by the time you have local produce again!
Anyways… back to the point which is these lovely spring rolls, which are technically summer rolls, but since everyone calls them spring rolls, I’m just rolling with it.
(On a side note, usually I edit out my ridiculous puns because I make them completely on accident, but maybe I’ll start leaving some in, just so you can have a laugh at my goofy brain. Seriously though whenever I accidentally make a pun, my family just looks at me like ‘really?’ and then I realize what I’ve just said. It’s actually kind of embarrassing sometimes because people think you’re doing it on purpose, when in reality I’m just that ridiculous!)
I promise that’s the last tangent today, (probably) and we’ll just get on talking about these Rainbow Spring Rolls which are so delicious. I haven’t actually rolled up spring rolls (before this recipe) in years because life gets busy, so I’m going to give you 2 options today.
First you can roll these up traditional style which definitely takes a little time. Or secondly you can do what I do most of the time, and just pile all the veggies/mango into a bowl with some rice vermicelli noodles and douse with sauce. The second option is obviously much faster, and it’s a great way to get the same flavors in less time. However sometimes it’s fun to take a few minutes and make them into rolls because you just can’t beat the texture.
The sauce for this recipe is super simple, you just place a few ingredients into a blender, and poof… it’s done!
Before starting to make the spring rolls, prep all your veggies and mango. I like to cut everything into matchsticks, because I find it easier to roll, but feel free to cut the veggies however you’d like.
Normally you’d find cooked vermicelli rice noodles (which are the thinner version of Pad Thai noodles) in spring rolls. But for this recipe I kept it 100% fruits and veggies for the filling. I find them lighter and less filling as an appetizer, and it’s easier not to overfill the rice paper wrappers when I don’t add noodles.
Although sometimes I do add them if I want to make these into a light meal. You can check out my Summer Roll Bowls with ‘Peanut Sauce’ for an easier version that’s more of a dinner than an appetizer.
The most important thing when rolling spring rolls is not to over soak the rice paper wrappers, or they will tear too easily. I keep a pasta bowl (which is a wide mouthed bowl) of hot water next to where I’m rolling, and I dip the wrappers in just enough to get the whole rice paper wet.
Then place it on your work surface and add a little of each of your rainbow fruits and veggies. By the time you’re done adding the filling, the rice paper wrappers have softened just enough to roll and stick together.
Next start rolling from the end, and after you’ve pulled the end up and over the fruits/veggies, tuck in both edges…
… and roll all the way to the end. Set the rolls aside in a single layer as you roll the rest, don’t stack them because they will stick together if left too long. Once you have all the spring rolls done, then layer them on a serving platter and serve right away!
Tip: Don’t be discouraged if you find you’ve torn several wrappers or the rolls won’t stick together as you’re trying to roll them. Spring rolls have a learning curve, so just go into it knowing it might be a little rocky to start with. After several failed attempts my first time I finally started to get in the groove.
In the summertime when there are tons of herbs around in my garden, I like to use cilantro, basil, and mint. When I’m buying store-bought herbs, I’ll just pick one, whichever one I’m craving, but usually, cilantro because it’s budget-friendly and the rest of the bunch can be used in guacamole which we make all the time.
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Rainbow Spring Rolls with Sweet Chili Mango Sauce
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 20–25 rolls and 1 cup dipping sauce 1x
Ingredients
- 20–25 6″ rice paper wrappers
- 1 small ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
- 1 cup finely shredded purple cabbage
- 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cucumber cut into matchsticks, 8 ounces
- 1/2 bunch of green onions, cut into 3” lengths
- 1 champagne mango, cut into matchsticks, 8 ounces
- 1 small head butter lettuce, washed, dried, and leaves separated
- 1/2 cup mixed fresh herb (use only the whole leaves) basil, cilantro, and mint
Sweet Chili Mango Dipping Sauce:
- 1 cup champagne mango chunks, 6 ounces
- 2–3 Teaspoons sambal oelek chili paste, or to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Grade A amber maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 Teaspoons freshly squeeze lime juice
Instructions
- Prepare all your fruits and veggies and set them aside on a platter.
- Make the dipping sauce by placing all the ingredients into a blender and blend until mostly smooth with very small chunks. Place the dipping sauce into a serving bowl and set it aside.
- Fill a medium sized bowl with hot water, I use a pasta bowl because it’s the perfect size for 6″ rice paper wrappers.
- Set the bowl by your work station, and choose a surface to roll on, I like to use either a dinner plate or cutting board.
- Take one rice paper wrapper and completely submerge it in the hot water, don’t leave it to soak, just make sure every surface has touched water.
- Place the rice paper wrapper on your work surface and place a little of each veggie, mango, and avocado in the lower half. Place a leaf of lettuce over the veggies with a sprinkling of fresh herbs.
- Start rolling by carefully lifting up the bottom end and pulling it lightly over the fruits/veggies. Then tuck in each side before finishing the roll.
- Continue the rolling process until all the fruits and veggies are gone, placing them in a single layer to the side as you make them.
- When they’re all made, place them on a serving platter and serve immediately with the dipping sauce.
- Prep Time: 45 mins
I thought this was a very simple and easy yet impressive thing to bring to a potluck. I didn’t love the dipping sauce, so I added a little salt, and some leftover cilantro leaves which help to balance the sweetness of the mango.
Glad you enjoyed the rolls!
Your rice paper rolls look so much healthier and nicer than the ones in the restaurants. Yummy!
Thank you, that probably because they’re packed with veggies, restaurants never put as many in because it keeps the cost down!
Absolutely gorgeous!! I am a sucker for beautifully colored veggies 🙂
Me too, thanks so much! 🙂
This looks so tasty and nutritious. Great colors to boot.
Thank you, eating the rainbow has never been so fun!
I love spring rolls! They are so perfect for spring and summer gatherings and these are sure to be a hit!
Me too, they’re just so fresh and delicious!
These photos are just gorgeous, and I NEED to try these rolls! I am loving fresh champagne mango right now!
Me too, the season is always short here for us, but I always buy them as long as I can!
The weather has been so incredibly weird here too! But I’m in full spring mode – that mango chili sauce looks delicious!
It’s been so cold here, but I still seem to have Spring fever anyways!
OH wow these looks so pretty! Eating the rainbow in a most delicious way..
Thanks so much! The veggies go down easy this way, that’s for sure!
I LOVE rice paper rolls ! They are my favorite type of light sushi !!
I never thought about it like that before, but you’re right they are like a ‘light’ sushi!
These are so pretty and I love all the bright colors from the fresh veggies. The perfect spring appetizer or snack!
They are a great snack for sure, and I’ve even been known to make a meal out of them!