It may hurt to hear this, but not all spring rolls are not gluten-free. Yes, as delicious as they are, some people cannot just grab one and eat.
If you are gluten intolerant, you’re about to know why you felt uncomfortable after eating that spring roll.
Spring rolls are a great snack for everyone. However, a celiac will have an otherwise view. Read this article to get the full story about spring rolls and why you cannot eat them.
What are spring rolls?
Spring rolls are made of a wrapper and filling. The wrappers are made with flour while the filling can be anything you want according to your preferences.
While some people would rather have beef, others prefer vegetable filling. Furthermore, spring rolls originate from Asian cuisine. The Americans have adopted this cuisine for breakfast as an appetizer, a snack, or a main dish.
Spring rolls are popular items on many restaurants’ menus. You can eat them alone as a snack or a quick meal.
You can also serve them with side dishes like coleslaw, falafel, roasted vegetables, fried rice, or sweet and sour sauce.
Are spring rolls gluten-free?
Not all spring rolls are gluten-free.
The majority of them contain gluten because of an ingredient in the wrapper or the filling.
If you’re buying spring rolls, ensure to verify that they are safe to eat because of your gluten sensitivity. Also, it’s safer when you make your gluten-free spring rolls at home.
Are spring rolls wrappers gluten-free?
Most spring rolls wrappers are made with wheat flour which makes them contain gluten.
To identify these spring rolls, examine the thickness of the wrappers. Wrappers made with wheat flour are thick, firm, and opaque.
On the other hand, wrappers made with rice are light, transparent, and white. Spring rolls made with these wrappers do not have gluten.
Are spring rolls filling gluten-free?
Spring roll filling may contain gluten and may not, based on the constituent ingredient.
The filling in a spring roll also determines if it’s gluten-free. For instance, if the filling contains soy sauce or meat, be sure it’s not made with gluten ingredients.
Again, if you’re sure the wrapper is gluten-free, you have to double-check for gluten ingredients in the filling. Read the label to check for gluten ingredients.
What are the benefits of eating spring rolls?
Spring rolls are healthy meals.
Each spring roll gives about 80-110 calories. Rice wrapper spring rolls are low in calories (less than 100 calories) and fats. These spring rolls do not leave you feeling heavy after eating them.
In addition, spring rolls contain lots of nutrients, and you can modify them to suit your preferences.
Add more vegetables like lettuce if you want more dietary fiber. Spring rolls with vegetable filling are highly nourishing and chock full of vitamins and minerals.
Moreover, spring rolls that are rich in fiber can help you control your appetite and aid weight loss.
Are there side effects of eating spring rolls?
Store-bought spring rolls may not be gluten-free unless the label says so.
If you have gluten sensitivity, eating spring rolls could cause diarrhea, constipation, bloating, nausea, headache, and other symptoms of gluten allergy.
But you can avoid and stop the side effects of eating spring rolls if you eat in moderation. Eating too many spring rolls may predispose you to heart disease, high blood pressure, and excessive weight gain.
Gluten-free spring rolls recipe
To be more careful and avoid gluten, you can make spring rolls at home. Follow this recipe to make 15-20 servings of spring rolls.
For the wrappers
Ingredients
- One cup of gluten-free flour
- 3 tablespoons of cornstarch or rice flour
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- Water
- Oil
Instructions
- Mix the flour with the salt in a clean bowl
- Then, add water and mix well until you have a smooth batter that is not too thick or too watery
- Afterward, put a non-stick frypan on the stove and brush it with oil
- Cook the batter like you would cook pancakes but they should be thin and transparent. Otherwise, the wrappers will break
- Also, you don’t have to turn both sides to get the wrappers to cook properly
- When you’re done frying the wrappers you can set them aside
For the filling
Ingredients
- 2 small onions or 1 large onion
- 4 carrots
- Half of a medium-sized cabbage or a very small cabbage
- 2 garlic cloves
- Shrimps (optional and if you would rather have it, use as you want)
- 2 medium-sized bell peppers
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped coriander leaves
- 1 tablespoon of gluten-free tamari
- Salt to taste
- 5 tablespoons of oil
- Any spice or seeds you want to add
Instructions
- Start with dicing the onions, pepper, cabbage, and carrots. Also, mince the garlic cloves
- Place a clean skillet or saucepan on the stove at medium-high heat and pour about 2 tablespoons of oil
- Then, stir in the diced onions and pepper
- Afterward, stir in the minced garlic, pepper, tomato paste, salt, spices, tamari, and shrimp
- After a minute or two, stir in the cabbage and coriander leaves so they wilt and soften a little
- Turn off the heat and set the filling aside. When it cools, drain off the liquid, so you have a dry mixture
- Thereafter, preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C) and then line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- If you bought rice paper wrappers, you’ll need to dip them in warm water, one at a time, to soften them and make the wrapping process easier. But if you made your wrappers according to this recipe, you don’t have to soak them in water
- Place the wraps on the chopping board or tray, then, take a spoonful of the filling and place it on the lower part of the wrapper
- Then, wrap. Pick up the sides of the wrapper, fold them in, and roll upwards. Make sure you roll the wrapper over the filling as snugly as you can
- Repeat the last three steps for all the wrappers until you have exhausted the filling
- Afterward, place the spring rolls on the prepared baking sheet, brush them with oil, and sprinkle the seeds (if you’re adding seeds). Then, begin to bake
- The baking process will take around 20-20 minutes but after fifteen minutes, flip the rolls to the other side and brush them again with oil
- The rolls should look golden brown and crispy when they are ready. Serve with any sauce of your choice
FAQs
Are spring rolls dairy-free?
Yes, they are.
Spring rolls do not contain any dairy product or ingredient of animal origin. Therefore, they are safe for people with dairy allergies.
Are spring rolls filling vegan?
Not all spring rolls contain a vegan filling.
Although spring rolls with vegetable filling are the most common, some spring rolls still contain non-vegan ingredients like those of animal origin.
Are rice paper spring rolls gluten-free?
Rice papers are gluten-free but the filling may not be gluten-free. Therefore, not all rice paper spring rolls are gluten-free.
Conclusion
Most spring rolls are not gluten-free. The wrappers and filling may contain gluten ingredients and make them unfit for celiacs and people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS).
If you’re gluten-sensitive, you have to watch it. You can also follow the recipe and make your spring rolls at home, to be sure they are 100% gluten-free. This way, there is no risk of cross-contamination.
Thanks for reading.
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