VEGAN FILIPINO LUMPIA

Our Vegan Filipino Lumpia (Lumpiang Shanghai) are sure to have your dinner party guests raving. Portable, crunchy and addictive, it will be impossible for your guests to have just one! These Filipino-style spring rolls are encased in a crisp, paper-thin wrapper and stuffed with a savory filling of vegan ground meat, onion, garlic, carrot and spices, before being dipped in a sweet chili sauce.

Do you love Filipino food as much as we do? I hope your answer is yes! Today we are sharing with you a veganized version of my mom’s recipe for lumpia—specifically Lumpiang Shanghai. These Filipino-style spring rolls are a quintessential appetizer or snack in the Philippines. When we think of Filipino cuisine, it’s one of the first dishes that come to mind. And that’s probably because Lumpiang Shanghai are so damn addictive!

Growing up, my non-Filipino friends made a literal bee line for the platter piled high with lumpia at our family get togethers. There is something so irresistible about hot, crispy food shattering between your teeth. When dunked in sweet chili sauce, it’s game over. Once you pop, you can’t stop! My friends were still fiending for my mom’s lumpia the next day at school.

So give our recipe a try and become a certifiable lumpia addict! You will be amazed at how simple they are to make. We veganized my mom’s recipe by using vegan ground meat and sealing the wrapper shut with water as opposed to egg. Our recipe has options to fry, air fry or bake the lumpia. (Spoiler Alert: air frying is our favorite cooking option, because it’s quicker and yields less caloric but evenly crisp, golden lumpia)

WHAT ARE LUMPIA?

An ever-present stand-out on the table of every Filipino gathering, lumpia are Filipino-style spring rolls. There are many different kinds of lumpia—fresh or fried, sweet or savory—but the most ICONIC variety is Lumpiang Shanghai. Lumpiang Shanghai are traditionally filled with ground pork, onion, garlic, carrots and spices, wrapped in a paper-thin wrapper sealed with beaten egg, and then fried.

The name is sort of a dead giveaway, but lumpia came to the Philippines by way of Chinese immigrants—maybe as early as the 10th century. In fact, the name lumpia comes from the Hokkien words lun (which means moist and soft) and pia (which means pastry). Filipino lumpia, though, differ from other Asian spring rolls in a couple of ways. First, lumpia wrapper is a lot thinner and made from just flour, water and salt. Other spring roll wrappers may contain egg. Second, lumpia have a longer, thinner cigar shape.

Lumpiang Shanghai was meant for dipping and can be dunked in sweet chili sauce, sweet & sour sauce, banana ketchup, or garlic-spiked vinegar sauce.

INGREDIENTS

• Onion and garlic: Fragrant aromatic elements. We like to finely mince the onion and garlic, because it adds texture to the filling.
• Carrots: We grate the carrot, again to add texture to the filling. We recommend using a box grater or the grater attachment of a food processor for the task.
• Vegan ground “meat”: The base of our lumpia filling. Our favorite ground “meat” brands are Impossible and Emerge.
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper: To season the filling.
• Organic granulated sugar: To counterbalance the savory flavors in the filling.
• Vegan-friendly lumpia wrappers: Lumpia wrappers are usually vegan friendly, but make sure to check the label ingredients. You can find them in the freezer section of your local Asian market.
• Water: To seal the lumpia wrappers shut.
• Neutral oil: To cook the lumpia. If you are baking or air frying, you can either spray or brush the lumpia with oil.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST VEGAN FILIPINO LUMPIA

• 1. Mix all the filling ingredients in a bowl. 

• 2. Cut 11 lumpia wrappers in half diagonally to create 22 triangles. Cover wrappers with a damp towel to keep them from drying out. Then, fill a small bowl with 2 Tbsp water. 

• 3A. Form a log a half-inch in diameter along the base of one wrapper triangle, leaving 1-2 inches of empty wrapper on either side of the filling.

• 3B. Tightly roll the wrapper around the filling until just covered by the wrapper.

• 3C. Then fold the corners of the wrapper toward the center.

• 3D. Continue rolling until two inches from the top of the triangle. Dip your finger in the water, moistening the last two inches of wrapper, and continue rolling to seal. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. Cover lumpia with a damp towel to keep them from drying out (see last photo in series below). 

• 4. Cook the lumpia (options to fry, air fry or bake):
  • Frying (traditional): Shallow fry the lumpia in the oil heated in a pan over medium heat, until golden brown (around 7-10 minutes). Place finished lumpia over a baking rack placed over a paper towel lined-baking sheet. Serve with sweet chili sauce. Enjoy!
  • Air frying (our favorite method): Spray or brush the lumpia with oil and air fry at 400°F (204°C) for 10-12 minutes, flipping midway through the cooking time.
  • Baking: Spray or brush the lumpia with oil and bake at 425°F (218°C), for 15 minutes, flipping midway through the cooking time.

Love,

Val

RECIPES TIPS

• Don’t forget to defrost your lumpia wrappers overnight in the fridge, if using frozen.
• Cover the lumpia wrappers and prepared lumpia with damp dish towels to keep them from drying out.

MORE VEGAN FILIPINO RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

• VEGAN FILIPINO PANCIT BIHON
• VEGAN FILIPINO BARBECUE
• FILIPINO TOFU ADOBO
• UBE CREAM PIE
• VEGAN ARROZ CALDO (FILIPINO RICE PORRIDGE)
• VEGAN TORTANG TALONG (FILIPINO EGGPLANT OMELETTE)
• VEGAN FILIPINO CHAMPORADO
• VEGAN FILIPINO PANDESAL

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