Quick & Easy Spring Rolls Are The Best
Finally, the days are starting to get longer. And while many people don’t like the artificiality of Daylight Savings Time, I appreciate that Ben Franklin came up with it.
Having more daylight in the afternoons and evenings is invigorating, and I tend not to feel rushed since we’re not eating dinner in the dark.
While I am a fan of the rich stews, braises and thick soups of winter, I know they will be waiting for me in the fall. As the days get longer, I look forward to lighter fare featuring some fresh young spring vegetables and bright flavors.
But what better way to kick off a celebration of spring that with a dish that has “spring” in its name? Spring rolls appear in many Asian cuisines as well as in other parts of the world.
They can be fried or fresh, rolled up in rice paper as is often the case in Vietnamese cooking or contained in some sort of pastry wrapper.
Today, let’s go with baked spring rolls. Serve these as an appetizer or make a meal of them. However you enjoy them, I know your family and guests will savor these spring rolls.
Pork Spring Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork if possible ask your butcher to give you coarse grind
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ head cabbage shredded
- 2 medium carrots shredded (you can use a peeler for this)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 spring onions finely diced
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (use white pepper if you have it)
- 1 package spring roll wrappers
- 2 tablespoons each flour and cold water mixed together to form a paste.
- vegetable oil for brushing
Instructions
- Heat a large wok (or heavy-bottomed skillet) over medium heat.
- Add the oil. When the oil is hot, cook the pork just until it is no longer pink.
- Add the cabbage and carrots and salt to taste.
- Continue to cook until the cabbage wilts and the carrot softens, about 6 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes.
- Mix together the pork, cabbage, carrots, garlic, onions, oyster sauce, ginger, soy sauce and salt and pepper. Chill for at least an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Place a spring roll wrapper in front of you so there is a point facing towards you. Put a heaping tablespoon of filling about 1” away from that point. Pull the point up and over the filling and tightly roll until you reach the half-way point. You will now have a roll that looks like a triangle, with the filling down in the bottom.
- Brush a bit of the flour paste lightly all over the top of the triangle. Fold the two bottom corners of the triangle inward over the filling. The filling will now be completely enclosed by the wrapper.
- Roll the spring roll the rest of the way up, pressing firmly so the paste will adhere.
- Set aside and continue building the spring rolls in the same way until you’ve used up all your filling. Brush the finished rolls lightly with oil.
- Spray a heavy baking pan with pan spray and arrange the rolls on it, leaving at least 1 ½ inches between them.
- Bake for 16 minutes, flipping each roll over halfway through the cooking time.
How many spring rolls does this recipe make?
Katelyn, I believe there are about 24 spring roll wraps per package.
I wouldn’t bother with the flour paste. If you are using rice paper wrappers, it will be plenty sticky with no need for anything else.
Was wondering about the flour paste on the rice wrapper. Going to make these today. Thanks
Rice wrapper is different to spring roll wrapper hence the need for the paste. However you can use rice paper wrapper and fry them but the spring roll is more versatile i.e able to bake them with no oils. 🙂
I make a version similar to this. I also use bean sprouts. Instead of the soy and oyster sauce, I use Chinese Five Spice to taste. My son hated Spring and Egg Rolls until I started making my own. Now he asks for them.
Can you freeze these with the cooked pork mix?
Hi Lee-Ann, I don’t see why not but I’m not a nutritionist or food safety expert so I would suggest you do a little more research online or contact an expert.
I made these last week and they were wonderful. I’ll admit we fried them, but wow, my kids have asked for them for dinner again today! We are living in India and it’s really hard to find recipes we can make that my kids will like with ingredients found. So thank you!!!
You are very welcome.