Avocado Spring Rolls Recipe
I'm posting this spring roll recipe from Morocco, they were much needed for the flight over. Rice paper wrappers with brown rice, tofu, avocado, chopped hazelnuts, and a slather of intense oregano sauce. Plus a few snapshots of the trip so far.
Hi from Morocco, friends. I'm posting this recipe from Marrakech, where I've spent the past five days. And lest you think it's too glamorous, I've been crapped on by finches (twice!) while typing this. Also, in case that wasn't odd enough, there is a turtle hanging out beneath my chair, and a bird cage full of pastries just out of arms reach. More to come, I promise. In the meantime, I thought I'd share the lunch I packed for the flight(s) here, and post a few snapshots. It's a haul to get from San Francisco to Marrakech - or anywhere in Europe or North Africa for that matter - and those of you who have been following for some time know I like spring rolls, dumplings, potstickers, and tasty self-contained eats for long flights. So, this time I made spring rolls - I filled the rice paper wrappers with brown rice, tofu, avocado, chopped hazelnuts, and a slather of intense oregano sauce. They worked out great because I made the oregano sauce and brown rice ahead of time, beyond that, the rolls came together in no time the day of my flight.
Here's how I arranged the ingredients in on the rice paper wrapper prior to rolling (below). Everything sort of huddled down near the bottom half...
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Avocado Spring Rolls
I used a tasty, firm, local black pepper tofu, but any good tofu will work well.
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh oregano
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 large garlic clove
scant 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted
1 cup cooked brown rice, cold
6 ounces pan-fried tofu, cut into thin strips
1 medium, ripe avocado, thinly sliced6-8 rice paper wrappers
First, make the oregano sauce by combining the olive oil oregano, parsley, garlic, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Transfer to a jar, any you don't use in the rolls, you can use on eggs, rice, or pasta later. Combine the hazelnuts and rice.
Assemble the spring rolls: In bowl of hot water, dip each rice paper wrapper for just 3 seconds. Resist over-soaking, even if the paper is a bit stiff it will continue to absorb water as you assemble the wrap. Place on a flat work surface, and in the bottom third of the wrapper, arrange a bit of rice, a smear of the oregano sauce, a few tofu strips, and a few slices of avocado (see lead photo). Then, tuck and roll, folding in the edges mid-wrap.
Makes 6-8 rolls.
Prep time: 10 minutes
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Comments
Heidi,
Do you have a link/category to the all posts that you’ve shared for your airplane/travel food? There is bound to be a lot of traveling in my near future (marrying a world traveler in February), so I am keenly interested in finding more good recipes! Thanks!
HS: I don’t! Apologies Vanessa.
Yummy! I have trouble sometimes rolling the spring roll after softening the skin in hot water, any tips on how to make it as pretty as yours without ripping them?
HS: I think the main key is to avoid over-soaking them Elaine – dunk, count to three, and pull the wrapper from the water.
I have been following and cooking recipes from your blog for about a year and it’s only now that I’ve realised it’s vegetarian!
Enjoy the magic of Morocco!
More photos please! I too appreciate incorporating sauce / flavor ideas inside of the rolls, I saw something similar on sproutedkitchen.com.
Just curious where you get your smock / tunic dresses? They seem like a good idea for travel! Please share the source if possible.
These look amazing! How far in advance can they be prepared? I would like to bring them to my next potluck party.
Thanks
Delightful photos! Keep sharing!
Heidi, I’m thrilled to hear you’re in Morocco! I have been an avid follower of yours for years and am currently serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco. I have already made many of your recipes in my small Moroccan kitchen and will look forward to seeing what new recipe inspiration you get from this trip. If you find yourself on the east side of Morocco let me know, I’d love to have you to my smal village for a meal. Enjoy your travels!
That turtle! 😀
Your avocado spring rolls look amazing, Heidi! I hope you have a great time in Morocco. I would love to visit it someday. Such a rich culture and great food!
These sound amazing! Black pepper tofu and avocado? Yum. I’ve never used rice paper at home before. I think it’s about time I experiment with it!
I made this tonight along with your lovely Gin-Marinated Olives. I make the olives quite often but I have never tried my hand at spring rolls. So delightful!
can you suggest a substitute for tofu as I don’t eat soy products but they sound amazing.
I love the photos, you are such an inspiration. and Your posts make me so peaceful/happy. xo
I just just subscribed to your blog and am delighted. The oregano sauce sounds splendid and the idea of peppered tofu is very appealing and palatable as I’m not a tofu lover. Thanks!
I’ve loved following your travels via instagram this past week Heidi! I especially loved the turtle 🙂 Have a great rest of your trip xx
xo – thanks E!
Tip for non-browning avocado: after it’s peeled pass it under the running water. Get rid of any water excess before cutting. It will stay green for very long!
These look lovely and your trip looks enchanting, despite the bird presents 😉
Yours photos are wonderful & so is your cooking.
Wow Marrakech and Morocco are definitely my favourite place.
I have traveled to the Atlas mountain, the desert and to the Atlantic coast. It was such an amazing experience. The people are wonderful, very kind and smiling all the time (the most of the time). The smells, the colours, the sound of the muezzin calling the faithful for the adhan (prayer) from the mosque minaret of the Koutoubia.
Everything is so strong! I am sure you’ll enjoy!
Marrakech looks exotic as I can imagine. Exotic combination of ingredients and herbs!
i try this , avocado is abundant in my country…….philippines, i love cooking very much here in saudi arabia fresh fruits a little bit high price.
Lovely photos, I visited Marrakech back in my backpacking youth, love mint tea on a road side cafe. Thanks to reading your blog I had a very tasty lunch although I had to improvise. I peppered my own hard tofu, just hit it with the pepper grinder whislt lightly pan frying. Then avocado, bean sprouts, tofu, corriander leaves and a generous squeeze of lime juice in the rice paper. Delicious.
Marrakech is the most amazing city. The sounds, smells and flavors are intoxicating.
A feast for the senses.
I hope you will have the opportunity to go to the Atlas Mountains and eat at Kasbah du Toubkal. Looking forward to trying this recipe. Enjoy!
I think of you, heidi, whenever I have to fly, and wonder what you would make to take with you to eat…
Love the chunky yellow bracelet (or watch?)!
HS: Thanks Jennifer! I picked it up at a flea market in Rome years ago 🙂
Sounds intriguing. For those of us avoiding unfermented tofu – what would you recommend? I too yearn for suggestions for a little something for dipping.
HS: You could do a version with pan-crisped tempeh for sure! And my approach was to put the dipping sauce inside the rolls (oregano), to keep things tidy, but you could certainly introduce one if you like!
Marrakech is awesome! Come to visit in Fez; I’d love to show you around!
Good thing you got some vegetarian food in before landing in Morocco. Marrakesh might be an exception with the many tourists visiting but in the rest of the country eating cooked meals was a bit hard as I don’t eat goat or sheep meat. The markets however: whoa! The olives, the preserved lemons, the breads, the nuts… Enjoy!
The oregano sauce sounds very tasty. I have tons of this herb growing at present so plan to try it today with hard boiled eggs for a quick starter. Beautiful photos too.
The oil trick is great but I also love those unbleached brown waxed paper sandwich bags you can get at health food stores. They’re biodegradable and so cheap I use one per, then peel it off around the roll to keep my grubby travel fingers away from the food. You can also cut wax paper sheets to do the same thing if you can’t find those bags.
The oregano sauce sounds unusual – am a little afraid but gonna have to try it – I never know what to do with the all the oregano from the giant bush in my garden!
You have all the fun!
What a great place for you to visit!
On my bucket list!
I hope you bring back treasures & spices for the shop!
Enjoy! Eat!&drink! & click away!!
Yes! Spring rolls are the best. I’ve been playing around with the brown rice variety, they’re not as sticky and take some getting used to, but I’ve grown to like them.
Tofu is my essential spring roll ingredient, the crispiness+chew combo can’t be topped. I like to marinate my tofu in a tamari/mirin mixture after freezing and thawing the whole block (for great firm texture), then I bake it to concentrate the flavors. Yum, I think I’ve talked myself into dinner!
This looks wonderful – recipe and surroundings! We are hoping to go for Xmas – can you recommend any lovely riads to check out? In the meantime, off to Cape Town to see my sister tomorrow – hope to pick up some great recipes and creative inspiration whilst there!
HS: Hi Helen – there is a huge range, and you can search depending on the price point you’re after, and location. We knew we wanted to stay inside the medina this time around, and I looked through trip advisor, mr&mrs. smith, monocle, and a few other sources to get ideas..
Greetings from London. Loving your Instagram photos and your adventures. This looks like a delicious recipe love the combination of ingredients and herbs
Best wishes xoxo
Are you in Riad El Fenn?? We live in Casablanca! Hope you’re having a great time!
HS: Indeed Ana! A beautiful spot.
Heidi,
I have been following your blog for years.
While in Marrakech it would be great to visit my friend Jewels studio, she happens to be there now. Her website is jewelsarts.com and her stuff is amazing, I think you would like it plus she has allot of Marrakech info. Enjoy! Kathy
Is the black pepper tofu something that you purchased or that you prepared? It sounds like it would be amazing with the rice, sauce and avocado!
I knew I wouldn’t be able to make this today because I’m going to a funeral. I knew that I would love this the moment I received the recipe in my inbox. I knew I would love the photos, and I knew it would make me very hungry in a great way. THANK YOU, it is a delicious blog!
That turtle looks like a tortoise to me
I still have mint left in my garden so I think that parsley would be a great substitute. I’m going to make this tomorrow.
beautiful shots and food!
girly question – love your bag! where is it from?
Beautiful photos! Any chance you’d share suggestions for a travel purse? I’m looking for something to take to Cambodia in December and yours looks like the right size!
HS: Thanks Alice – this one is a small canvas purse by Hoi Bo it holds my digital camera, cellphone, notebook, lipstick, papers & essentials nicely. It goes cross body which I like for travel…pretty happy with it. I think it was the one I took to India as well?
Black pepper tofu! where? how? I must have this.
Great flight food but what a you eating there and where?
Marrakech has been on my “list” for years. Thank you for including pics. I must keep in mind to do these for my next trip!
Question: I’m a huge fan of spring rolls myself and am excited to try this recipe, but I’m wondering would you suggest a dipping sauce with this?
And also thanks for sharing your idea about rubbing the spring rolls with olive oil for travel and lunches. I usually wrap individually with plastic wrap, but olive oil makes more sense.
You were visiting Bahia Palace 🙂 I am absolutely in love with Marrakech 🙂 Nice pics!
How do you keep the rice paper wrappers from sticking to each other or the container once they are packed? Do the separate easily or without tearing when they do stick?
Fear of the rolls sticking and tearing is the only reason I don’t pack them for lunches and travel.
HS If you’re worried about sticking Kat, just give them the tiniest rub on the outside with olive oil.
That oregano sauce sounds delicious (and so unexpected in spring rolls). Look forward to seeing more of your trip!
I see only perfection in this post; avocados, spring rolls, Morocco. This one has it all, fantastic job!
I hope those finches give you a break. Seagulls seem to gravitate toward me, in the same unfortunate manner. What brand is your tofu? It looks great.
HS: Shoot, Denise – I’m blanking at the moment, I think it is a local brand made with organic soybeans in SF – not Hodo (which I also love)…
black pepper tofu!!! looks gorgeous and I bet it tastes brilliant too. hurrah for spring rolls (and fun travel too!!)!
You are inspiring me to eventually pack a good meal for an intl flight, but how do you chill and transport food like this when you have to get to the airport three hours early, etc.? Packing light enough to carry on is usually my main challenge, but I want to get to the point where I can manage this as well!
I love the photos! Posting from Marrakech…how wonderful! Bravo.
Cool architecture in that second photo! Wow you are a keener packing lunch for the flight. I don’t blame you though, airplane food is disgusting!
Gotta love simple spring rolls like this! They look lovely!
Beautiful blog, very inspiring
mmmm…i was JUST thinking spring rolls (or the unfried summer roll) not two minutes ago, thinking of avocado, and thin-thin red pepper, carrot, cuke, the odd thread of rice noodle. hazelnuts sound brilliant.
enjoy marrakeh! and man, avoid those finches 🙂
I flew the other week, and without time to pack a meal, ended up eating a goopy Au Bon Pain veggie burger that sat weird in my stomach. Won’t be making that mistake when I travel again next week–I’m making these.
I’ve only spent a very short time in Morocco but loved it! What a fascinating place! I can’t wait to hear more about your trip!!!
Lovely recipe and pictures. I think I have the exact same self-portrait in that mirror in Marrakech – it’s a magical place. Enjoy!
The surroundings in Morocco are so beautiful!
You really know how to eat well when you travel, These look so easy but yet they pack a nutritious and flavoursome punch.
Perfect!
These look ridiculously gorgeous, as do your snaps from Marrakech! Such beautiful colours and textures all round.
Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos. What a trip! Sounds like the local critters are giving you a run for your money 🙂 Hang in there!
Ooh I like the look of that special black pepper tofu. Also, the oregano sauce sounds great.
Yum, yum, yum! Delicious sounding recipe. But I’m always nervous of cooking with avocado, because I find that it goes brown in no time – any tips?
Marrakech looks heavenly, by the way.
Hi Skye, you can always toss them in a bit of lemon juice, I didn’t bother here, and they were fine. I think the air-tightness of the wrappers likely kept them green.
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