These low-fat Homemade Spring Rolls with Low Calorie Peanut Sauce are easy to make and delicious when dipped in this rich and creamy peanut sauce!
Life in China
You know you're starting to adapt to life in China when you...
- Wear the same outfit 2 or 3 days in a row.
- Eat more cooked vegetables than raw.
- Use the squatty potty in your house more than the western toilet.
- Add chili to everything.
- Cross the street in front of oncoming traffic.
- Drink lots of tea throughout the day.
- Eat rice or noodles at most of your meals.
- Buy lots of stuff off Taobao.
- Spit in public (okay, so I've only done this once and it still felt rude!)
- Own a soy milk machine.
- Buy produce at the market everyday.
- Enjoy walking everywhere.
It's been slow and mostly subtle, but in lots of little ways my daily habits are starting to look more and more like those of the locals here. Since the beginning Brett and I have loved living here, but we were still very much outsiders. Now however, even though we definitely still stick out like sore thumbs (and that may never change), we have adapted little things in our lives to make us blend in a little more. Most of these changes haven't been made consciously, but they've just sort of...happened. When everyone around you is living in a similar way, it's easy to follow suit.
Craving Raw Veggies
Like I mentioned in the list above, I've definitely been eating more cooked vegetables than raw, especially now that it's wintertime. I'm overall fine with that, knowing that during the summer I'll start craving more raw veggies again, but I am looking for more exciting ways to include raw vegetables into my life occasionally. Salads aren't very exciting to me at the moment, hence the need for these Homemade Spring Rolls with Low-Fat Peanut Sauce.
Oh yum!
Low Calorie Spring Roll Sauce
The low-fat, low calorie peanut sauce for these spring rolls definitely takes them to the next level. I made the low calorie spring roll sauce with peanut flour instead of peanut butter and I love how the flour makes the sauce a little less dense. Drench away! Sweetened with a touch of maple syrup and made zesty with fresh ginger, you can't go wrong with this sauce.
Variations
Another wonderful thing about spring rolls is that you can fill them with whatever you like. They're so easily adaptable, which is perfect for all kinds of taste preferences. We love ours with lettuce, julienned carrots, bell pepper, cucumber and dried tofu. Oh and cilantro!
Let me know if you try out these Homemade Spring Rolls with Low-Fat Peanut Sauce! And if you love peanut butter as much as we do, then you'll probably love this African Peanut Stew and my creamy sweet potato curry with peanut butter!
📖 Recipe
Homemade Spring Rolls with Low-Fat Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
Peanut Sauce
- ½ cup peanut flour
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic pressed
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup water
Spring Rolls
- Spring Rolls Wrappers
- Lettuce
- Your favorite vegetables julienned*
- Dried tofu sliced
- Cilantro minced
Instructions
- To start, prepare your peanut sauce by whisking all of the peanut sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
- To prepare your spring rolls, fill a large shallow bowl or plate with warm water and have your rice paper wrappers, vegetables and tofu close by. Submerge the rice paper into the warm water for about 5-10 seconds until it starts to soften. Then lay the paper down on another plate and place a piece of lettuce. some of each vegetable, and the tofu in the middle of the paper. Just like a burrito, roll the spring roll up by starting with the end closest to you, folding over the sides, and rolling it over to seal. Set the spring roll aside and repeat the process until all your vegetables are used up or you have enough spring rolls.
- Serve the spring rolls with the peanut dipping sauce and enjoy!
Jill says
The sauce is delicious and guilt free! Thank you!
Faith says
It’s one of our favorites and I make it often. I’m so glad you liked it Jill! Thanks for sharing!
Cara says
WHY has it taken me so long to make this!!! It's INCREDIBLE!!! Thank you x
Faith says
Ah yay! So so glad you liked it Cara. I just ate the peanut sauce on veggies for dinner tonight. I always have it on hand in my fridge:)
Lauren says
These look yummy! I have never tried to make my own spring rolls but I am going to pin your recipe!
Faith says
I hope you give them a try Lauren! Spring rolls (especially with this peanut sauce) are one of my favorite foods!
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says
Those look so great and I bet that peanut sauce is delicious! I haven't made spring rolls in FOREVER so I think I need to give these a try!
Faith says
The peanut sauce is drinkable haha! It really takes a simple spring roll to the next level. Make some soon!!
Alyssa @ Renaissancerunnergirl says
Yum! I love the idea of making my own sushi but it seems kind of intimidating (or at least messy) so homemade spring rolls could be a good way to ease into it.
Faith says
It so easy! Just fill them up with your favorite ingredients and roll! I hope you try them out cause they're so good:)
Diane says
Wow, what an adventure...moving to China! I've never even lived outside my own state! Exciting. Wearing the same clothes 2-3 days in a row - interesting but nice and easy. Anyhow, your recipe looks wonderful. I have never made my own peanut sauce before - glad I can start out with a lower fat version 🙂
Faith says
It definitely is a daily adventure here! I hope you can give the peanut sauce a try. We love it and have been putting it on everything!
Hollie says
It's funny because Spring Rolls are something I've actually been debating making today. I'm glad I stumbled here today, I might have to give these a shot!
Faith says
I hope you do Hollie!! The peanut sauce is what takes these to the next level. Let me know if you give them a try!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Peanut flour is always the way to go with peanut sauce!
Faith says
Agreed! I'm so glad my mother-in-law introduced me to it!
Amberley says
Yum! I'll be giving these a try on Wednesday when I get a chance to hit up Whole Foods. I'm always buying new GF flours though, and I've never seen peanut flour? Have I just missed it? I hope it's there! These look amazing!!
Faith says
It's one of my favorite ingredients so O hope you can get your hands on some Amberley! Otherwise just order some online...but then you'd have to wait:( I hope you like them!
Sarah says
Love homemade spring rolls and these look delicious! Even better to make the sauce with peanut flour instead of peanut butter!
I love your list and I can relate from just when we were in Ireland for a month just how you start to do things more like they do just because that's how it's done like walking everywhere, drinking lots of tea, and going to the market everyday. I'm very intrigued by a soy milk machine.... I'm going to have to google that one.
Happy Meatless Monday!
Faith says
Thanks Sarah! And that's awesome you went to Ireland! My parents live there and I've been able to visit twice already. I may be one of my favorite countries on earth:) Where did you visit?
Definitely check out the milk machine! You can make other kinds of milk with it too!
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner says
I love making my own spring rolls too! These look fabulous. Thanks for linking up with us for our new Meatless Monday
Faith says
Thanks for hosting! Glad you like them Deborah!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt says
Oh wow! These look so amazing!! I'd love to try them! I"m such a fan of a spring roll with the clear paper.
Faith says
Thanks Sarah! I hope you can give them a try. They're amazing with the peanut sauce:)