Spring Rolls from Raw. Vegan. Not Gross. by Laura Miller

There is a bit of a misconception out there in the world that vegan food is boring and bland. And raw food must be even worse, right? Wrong! Those beliefs couldn’t be further from the truth! We vegans know a thing or two about flavor, and raw vegans seem to be especially adept at making delicious meals.

In her new book Raw. Vegan. Not Gross, Laura Miller dispels the myths about vegan food being bland with her recipes for delicious vegan dishes, many of which are raw. People also tend to think raw food is too time consuming to prepare, and that raw foodists usually eat meals that are full of weird, expensive ingredients. Laura also banishes those beliefs, as these recipes are easy-to-make and budget friendly. Most of the ingredients can be found in the produce department in just about any grocery store.

If you’re new to raw “cooking”, that’s okay, because Laura starts the book with some info on how to stock your pantry and what equipment to have on hand in the kitchen. Chapters include Breakfasts, To Go, Salads, Weeknight Dinners, Party Food, Die Alone (which is actually snacks), and Sweets. You’ll find recipes for just about everything from healthy foods like Pesto Pasta, Orange-Watercress Salad, and Kale Chips to treats like Chocolate Cream Pie, Donuts, and Brownie Popsicles. A majority of the recipes are raw, but there are some cooked dishes in the mix, too.

Laura’s fun, quirky personality shines through in the pages of Raw. Vegan. Not Gross. With her as your guide, you’ll learn that healthy eating can be pleasurable, rather than a chore. Raw. Vegan. Not Gross. is a gorgeous hardcover book full of mouthwatering photos by David Loftus, and it’s a welcome addition to my cookbook library. If you want to add more easy raw dishes into your diet, are trying to eat more healthfully, or just love good food. This is the book for you!

SPRING ROLLS

cooked – 8 servings • active time: 30 minutes

Once, I had been trying to prep these spring rolls, but I just straight up ran out of time and realized I wouldn’t be able to roll them all. I marched all the ingredients out on cutting boards and laid them down on the dining table and informed my friends that they were responsible for making their own. At first I was embarrassed by my failure to get food on the table, but then I realized that everyone actually loved being able to build their own, because they could customize them and make them exactly how they liked them, and it was a great conversation starter for the folks who didn’t know each other that well yet. From now on, I’m only doing BYOSR (build your own spring roll).

There’s really no limit to what else you can put in here. I love adding mango and cilantro. Make them your own!

For the spring rolls:

• 8 rice paper spring roll wrappers
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow bell pepper
• 1 large bunch fresh basil
• 1 small bunch fresh mint

For the dipping sauce:

• 1/2 cup tamari
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Prepration

1. Fill a shallow dish with room-temperature water (just make sure it’s a little wider than your rice paper wrappers).
2. Place one wrap in the water for about 1 minute, until it becomes soft and pliable.
3. Transfer the wrap to a cutting board and place a small handful of the vegetables and herbs in the center.
4. Fold the top half of the wrap over the fillings, then fold in both sides, and last, fold the bottom up to seal. Repeat for each spring roll.
5. Make the dipping sauce: Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and serve alongside the spring rolls.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Raw. Vegan. Not Gross. by Laura Miller. Photography by David Loftus.

 

I have copies of Raw. Vegan. Not Gross. for three lucky winners. Follow the instructions below to enter. U.S. residents only, please. Contest ends at midnight eastern time on May 29th. Good Luck! 

 

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