Vegan Egg(less) Rolls

Eggrolls are a favorite at Chinese restaurants. Unfortunately, they are off the table for vegans. Some grocery stores sell eggroll wrappers to assemble your own, but rarely are they egg-free. With a little finagling of sticky dough, you can make your own egg(less) rolls at home.

That’s right, eggs are not necessary to make this deliciousness. Neither, of course, is a meat filling. Oh, and since I’m trying to be a little bit healthier…practically no oil is included in this recipe either! Yet they are still crunchy and flavorful. Why fry when you can bake?


Vegan Egg(less) Roll Wrappers

Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup ice cold water
• 3 tsp. Ener-G egg replacer
• 4 tbsp. water
• 1 tsp. salt

Sift your flour into a mixing bowl. In a food processor, combine your egg replacer and 4 tbsp. of water with your salt. Mix well, until light and frothy. Add to your flour, mixing with a fork. Add 1/4 cup of your ice cold water at first, continuing to stir. Add enough of your remaining water to make an elastic-y dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface (I use my cutting board, though it’s not totally ideal) for about 5 minutes. Cover your dough, and let sit for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, play a game of Scattergories. Look for meaningful shapes in your popcorn ceiling. Write a sonnet. Whatever you do, stay busy and keep away from your dough. Patience is a virtue.

Knead your dough again, making sure it is even and nice and stuff. Cut it in half, rolling each half into a cylindrical shape. Cut each log into about six pieces. Roll out each piece into a very, very thin square. You want it to be almost transparent when stuffed with egg roll filling. You can stack your wrappers on top of each other, but separate with a paper towel or sprinkle a layer of cornstarch in between.

Vegan Egg(less) Roll Filling*

Ingredients

• cabbage (2 cups)
• shitake mushrooms (2 cups)
• carrots (2)
• green onion (3)
• yellow onion (1)
• cumin (1 tsp.)
• garlic salt (1 tsp.)
• soy sauce (1 tsp.)
• cayenne pepper (1 tsp.)
• lemon juice (1 tbsp.)

*Feel free to be super creative with your filling. Sub parsnips for carrots. Throw in some black beans. Whatever you want–I’m not the one eating it.

To Cook

Dice up all of your veggies and saute in a wok or American style frying pan. No need for oil, your cabbage will have enough moisture. To keep it from burning, keep the heat on medium and move your veggies around a lot in your pan. See? It’s working. Season with rest of the ingredients and continue to cook until soft. Remove from heat.

Spoon a few tablespoons of your sauteed veggie mixture into the center of your egg(less) roll wrappers. Then wrap up your egg rolls, using your fingertips (dipped lightly in cold water) to seal the edges. Place on a baking sheet, greased with cooking spray. Add a little cooking spray to the tops of your rolls as well. (Spray is made from vegetable oil, but adds few calories to your dish). Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping over if needed.

Once they are done and crunchy and yummy, let them cool! Or they will burn your mouth and totally hurt.