“Lumpia” or spring rolls are a staple in Filipino cuisine.
Different variations of lumpia or spring rolls in Filipino Cuisine
There are different variations of spring rolls or lumpia:
- Lumpiang Ubod (Heart of Palm Spring Rolls)
- Lumpiang Togue (Beansprout Spring Rolls)
- Lumpiang Gulay (This version of mixed vegetables)
These are just 2 of the many types of lumpia or spring rolls.
They basically vary in filling but they’re all cooked in the same way by being wrapped in flour wrappers before being fried to a crisp.
This version: Lumpiang Gulay
These Lumpiang Gulay are filled with a mix of cabbage and a few other vegetables. I love using cabbage or repolyo in Filipino, because of its crunch and sweet note.
These are delicious as a snack or even enjoyed with some rice!
THE WRAPPERS
Before wrapping these, it’s important to completely thaw the wrappers well in room temperature so they’re pliable and won’t break apart when being rolled.
For this lumpia recipe, you can use square wrappers
These ones I get frozen and thaw them completely at room temp to easily separate them.
Added a generous amount of the filling:
Or you can also use round fresh lumpia wrappers:
Is there a difference?
For me, not really. The more important part is cooking the spring rolls or lumpia.
To get crispy lumpia or spring rolls, make sure to:
- Heat the oil until it’s very hot. There should be small bubbles and the rolls will immediately sizzle when added
- Cook the rolls on a steady medium high to high heat until golden brown and crisp. Flip over to cook the other side.
- Do not turn off the heat before removing the rolls in the oil. The decrease in heat can cause the rolls to get soggy and absorb the oil.
- Drain the lumpia well and do not cover them, or they’ll lose their crunch!
I actually prefer to drain them like this:
The rolls are standing up so they don’t stack one another and get soggy on those sides that aren’t exposed to air.
You can check out my video below on how to wrap spring rolls or lumpia below!
THE DIPPING SAUCE
Lumpia is a simple street food you’ll commonly find in the Philippines with food vendors packing tubs of vinegar with them, that you can use a dipping sauce. The vinegar really gives the lumpia that extra kick of flavour.
For this recipe, I made Sweet Chili Pink Vinegar–pink because I love to add red onions to mine that give the vinegar that pink colour, especially after soaking the onions for longer!
You’ll find the recipe for the spring rolls and vinegar dipping sauce down below! 🙂
You might enjoy these other recipes:
- Filipino Kaldereta or ‘Meat’ Stew
- Crispy Eggplant Katsu
- Chili Garlic and Black Bean Eggplant Noodles
- Easy Sweet, Spicy, and Saucy Noodles
- Stir-Fried Tofu and Basil Noodles
- Pan-Fried Tofu Cakes
- Tofu ‘McNuggets’
- Tantanmen (Vegan Ramen)
- Yaki Udon
- Chinese-Style Bolognese
- Ginger and Scallion Noodles
Are you looking for more delicious, vegan recipes? Check out my latest Vegan Kitchen eBook, that has over 95 recipes (and a whole section for Asian recipes!) that are packed with flavour and made with simple and easily accessible ingredients! Also, two trees (instead of 1!) will be planted for every download of my eBook through non-profit organisation One Tree Planted.
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Lumpiang Gulay (Filipino Vegetable Spring Rolls) with Sweet Chili Pink Vinegar
Ingredients
- 12 pieces flour spring roll or lumpia wrappers mine were 8.5” squares, thawed into room temperature Sweet Chili Pink Vinegar (see recipe below) Neutral oil, for frying
Vegetable Filling
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 small red onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 5 cups (500g) shredded cabbage
- 1 cup (120g) shredded carrot, from 1 medium carrot
- 150 g green beans or bitswelas ends and veins removed then thinly sliced
- 1 (80g) small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 (80g) small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or to taste
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
For Cooking
- Neutral oil for frying
Sweet Chili Pink Vinegar
- 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp organic cane sugar adjust depending on desired sweetness
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 1/4 tsp crushed black pepper
- 1 fresh bird’s eye chili sliced
Instructions
Preparing the Filling
- Heat a large pan or wok over medium high heat. Once hot, add in oil then sauté the onion, scallions, and garlic. When cooked, add in the carrots. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes over high heat until tender. Afterwards, add in the rest of the vegetables and cook over medium high heat. Mix occasionally to ensure the veggies don’t burn and stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Add a splash of water to cook down the vegetables, if added. Season with the soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix well and cook for another 3-4 minutes over medium heat until cooked through and water from the vegetables have evaporated.
- Taste the filling and feel free to adjust the seasoning according to your desired flavours. Turn off the heat and transfer the filling to a bowl. Set the filling aside and leave to cool for a few minutes.
Wrapping the Spring Rolls
- Prepare the wrappers by carefully separating them from one another. Make sure they’ve been thawed and are at room temperature. This way, they’re pliable and won’t easily break. Prepare a small bowl of room temperature water as well.
- You can watch the video below on how to wrap spring rolls.
- Add in 2 tbsp* of the filling on the bottom of the wrapper. Slowly roll to the top then fold the sides before continuing to roll to the top and sealing the edge with water.
- *Note: the amount of filling to place in each will depend on the size of your wrappers
Cooking the Spring Rolls
- Heat a deep frying pan over high heat with oil enough to submerge at least half of the spring rolls. Once hot, place a few rolls. Cook over medium high heat.
- Flip after 2 minutes or until golden brown to cook the other side. Once both sides are golden brown, remove from the oil. Transfer the rolls on a strainer or on a plate lined with some paper towels to drain any excess oil. Do not turn off the heat until all rolls are cooked and have been removed from the pan, to ensure they won’t absorb the oil.
- Let cool for a few minutes. Do not cover the spring rolls or stack them on top of one another while still hot, so they stay crispy. Enjoy the rolls while hot and dip in some vinegar!
Baking Option
- You can also bake the spring rolls by brushing the rolls with some oil before placing them on a lined baking tray and baking them in the oven for 40 minutes at 400F, flipping halfway through. They will of course not turn as evenly golden brown and juicy, but still very crispy!
Sweet Chili Pink Vinegar
- Add the white vinegar, salt, and sugar in a bowl until the sugar is diluted. Add in the rest of the ingredients.
- Enjoy as a dipping sauce! You can store this at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks (or even longer!).The onions will continue to absorb the flavours and also release its pink colour.
WATCH Video
NUTRITIONAL INFO
This Post Has 2 Comments
Hello! I wanted to make lumpia, the one you have on video on Pinterest, but that one has meat. You put the link to this recipe this is vegetarian, I’m sure it’s delicious too but I want the one with meat. Where is it?. Thanks in advance .
I have subscribed, you have a beautiful blog and I am sure that I will make many of your recipes. Basically because I love Asian food.
I am Spanish, and I have been to your country multiple times, I love Boracay and shopping in Manila. I hope better times, come back and visit my friends as well. Take care. Kisses
Hi Maria! You can find the recipe here – http://www.thefoodietakesflight.com/vegan-lumpiang-shanghai-filipino-spring-rolls ◡̈