Not going to lie, this wasn’t as big of a hit with Eric as it was for me … I think he was hoping I would have put some ground pork or some other kind of meat into the egg rolls. I know. He can be such a child sometimes. LOL. Anyway, I have always loved egg rolls, but when you get them from a Chinese restaurant they’re loaded with grease and god only knows what’s on the inside. But when you make them yourself, you have complete control over all the ingredients and the cooking method(s).

To go with the egg rolls, I also made crab rangoon (recipe below). When it came time to cook them, I did some of each in the oven and some in an air fryer. And to be honest, I liked them equally as well both ways. When done in an air fryer they do get crispier and resemble the ones you would get at a restaurant more than the baked ones. And the baked ones seem to get a little too brown on the edges so maybe the air fryer is the way to go? But again, either way works so you do you : )

VEGAN EGG ROLLS (and crab rangoon)

PREP TIME: 40 minutes | COOK TIME: 10 minutes

• 1 package egg roll wrappers
• 1 cup shredded green cabbage
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• ½ cup bean sprouts
• 2 tsp garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp ginger paste
• 1 TBS soy sauce, preferably light
• 3-4 TBS sesame oil
• 2 TBS toasted sesame seeds
• Water for sealing the wrappers

Make sure you have a good sized work space before beginning. And have a baking sheet or some kind of tray that you can place the egg rolls and or crab rangoon on. Combine all ingredients, except the wrappers, in a large bowl and set aside. Fill a small bowl with cold water and set it near your wrappers. Begin peeling apart the wrappers and lay 3 or 4 out at a time. Spoon 2-3 TBS of the vegetable mix onto each wrapper. Dip your fingers into the water and smooth them over the edges of the wrappers—for whatever reason, it helps them stick together. Fold one side over, then fold the edges and then seal it with the other side … or just roll them together however you want : ) Brush each egg roll with a little sesame oil. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 5 minutes, carefully turn them over and bake for another 5 minutes. OR place in a heated air fryer and cook for 10 minutes at 350.

CRAB RANGOON

PREP TIME: 30 minutes | COOK TIME: 10 minutes

• 1 package cream cheese, preferably vegan
• 4-5 ounces crab
• 1 tsp Chinese spice, which most grocery stores have

Place cream cheese in Cuisinart or some kind of blender and whip it for a few minutes until it’s extra soft. Add spices. Next, carefully fold in the crab, being sure not to destroy its integrity by over mixing. To assemble the rangoons, use the same process as listed above for the egg rolls only instead of “rolling” them, make them into little pockets, seal the edges well. Bake in the air fryer for 5 minutes at 350. 

DIPPING SAUCE

• 3 TBS soy sauce 
• 3 TBS rice vinegar
• ½ tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp ginger paste OR ground ginger
• ½ tsp garlic paste OR ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1-2 TBS scallions, thinly sliced

Mix everything together and that’s that. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: Our recipes are just that, ours. Some are modified versions of dishes we’ve had elsewhere or old-favorites that contained animal proteins that we replaced with plant-based options, while others are a concentrated effort of trial and error. But all are intended to be altered by you and made to suit your tastes. So if you want more garlic or none at all, go for it. You do you ; ) Now for the serious part … periodically this site does offer health, nutrition and exercise information. The information provided is not intended as medical advice and is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice given by a licensed physician or other health-care professional. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, consult your physician and never delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this site is solely at your own risk.