Today I’m making one of my favourite dishes. Mostly because I can’t get enough of this peanut sauce! These rice wraps are simple to assemble and if all the fillings are chopped and prepared beforehand, they are super quick to make! I like to make a huge batch and keep the prepared ingredients on hand in my fridge so I can whip up a snack quickly, anytime.
Thai Peanut Tofu Rice Wraps
Fresh and savory crispy tofu rice wraps coated in your new favorite peanut sauce.
Ingredients
Wrap Fillings
- 1 brick extra firm tofu
- 1 package rice paper (circular or square)
- ⅓ package vermicelli rice noodles (we had a pack of three bundles, so we used one of these bundles)**
- ~1/2 cup cornstarch (Do NOT substitute arrowroot flour)
- 2 tbsp oil (for frying tofu)
- Sesame seeds or chopped peanuts (optional)
- ½ cucumber, juliennned
- ½ sweet bell pepper, julienned
- 1 small carrot, julienned
- 1 avocado, sliced into strips
- Fresh mint leaves or cilantro (optional)
Peanut Sauce
- 1 large clove of garlic
- 2 tablespoons oil (canola, sesame, or olive)
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter (natural if available)
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger*
- Juice of 2 limes (approximately 4 tbsp)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tsp siracha sauce (optional)
- ⅓ cup water
Directions
- Drain liquid from tofu and pat dry. (Optional: Press tofu for 15-30 min. If pressing, continue to step 2 while you wait.) Cut the tofu into ~1 inch cubes. Toss the cubed tofu in a bowl with cornstarch until completely coated. Set aside.
- To prepare the peanut sauce: In a blender, combine the garlic, oil, peanut butter, ginger, lime juice, maple syrup, soy sauce, sriracha sauce, and water. Blend until well combined. Taste the sauce and adjust as necessary. Set aside.
- To cook the tofu: Heat a large pan over medium high heat and add 2 tbsp of oil. Wait until the oil is hot, then add the cornstarch-coated tofu to the pan. Turn each piece every minute or so until all sides are golden-brown. Tofu will become nice and crispy!
- While the tofu is frying, cook your rice noodles according to the package instructions.** Drain, rinse to cool, and set aside.
- Remove tofu from heat and pour in half of the peanut sauce, reserving half of the sauce to pour into the wraps later. Stir to coat the tofu in the sauce – be gentle while stirring to avoid removing the crunchy cornstarch coating.
- To make the wraps: Assemble each wrap individually. Soak the rice paper in water according to package instructions (our package told us to soak in warm water for 5 seconds). Lay it out on a damp surface, such as a wet cutting board, to avoid sticking. Fill each wrap with ¼ cup rice noodles, 2-3 slices of avocado, 5-6 carrot shreds, cucumber, and pepper pieces, fresh mint leaves and 3 cubes of tofu. If using, toss in some sesame seeds or peanuts for a little extra flavour and crunch. Pour about 1 tbsp extra sauce into the wrap before rolling it up like a burrito (make sure to fold in the ends first)! Be careful not to fill the wraps too full, or it will be hard to wrap and the rice paper may break. Slice wraps in half and serve with extra peanut sauce on the side for dipping.
*If using fresh ginger root, cut about an inch and a half cube off of the ginger. Remove the skin with a peeler and place the whole chunk into the blender to avoid having to grate it by hand.
**You will likely have noodles leftover, depending on how much you put in the wraps – use the rest, along with any remaining peanut sauce and veggies, to make a noodle bowl!
If you’re using tamari, these rice wraps are the perfect gluten free meal or snack. I’m lucky that I don’t have any allergies, but you can modify what you throw in these wraps to make them work for you!
These wraps can be prepared ahead of time to serve all together, however the rice wraps are likely to stick to together and break if they are left on any surface too long. So I reccommend making one or two at a time and eating them as you go.
I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!
– A ❤
Plantiful Kitchens 