Shiitake, Sprouts and Tofu Spring Rolls

I had planned to make sushi rolls for this post, when yet another friend exclaimed to me about their love-hate relationship with nori. It’s the same thing I’ve heard from enough people over the past few months that I decided to listen. You see, apparently many people like nori, but just can’t handle it when it’s on the outside of the roll. Something about the strong flavour, the dry texture. The way it might hint at sticking to the roof of your mouth. Did you know that a dislike of nori can also be caused by consumption, or past consumption, of dairy?

So, the plans changed and the rolls lightened up. The nori took it’s new place inside the roll along with rice vermicelli noodles, fresh shiitake mushrooms, vibrant green sprouts and shoots cosied up with baked tofu. It’s a great lunch or dinner option as we look towards the days getting warmer, taking casual meals sitting outside, but it’s also nice now- refreshing and delicate, the essence of spring time wrapped up. Conveniently, these rolls also make for a very portable lunch option to take to work.

The list of ingredients might look daunting, but everything comes together really easily. You can even prepare the marinade and prep the tofu a day beforehand if you want to save some time. While the tofu is baking, get the rest of the ingredients together, and it’ll all be ready to roll (!!) in no time.

Hubs and I love spring rolls- and we both enjoyed these with the addition of nori on the inside. It’s a nice option for those of you who like nori, but prefer to have it hidden away. Also, it isn’t included in the recipe, but a few drops of hot chili oil really makes the sauce sing. If you enjoy a ton of dipping sauce, each bite swimming in richness, I encourage you to make a double batch… hubs kind of freaked out a bit over how good it was and devoured all of his before finishing the last spring roll. Luckily, I had a bit extra to share. xx.