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My Mom’s Filipino Vegan Lumpia Recipe (The Best Fried Spring Roll)

ByRoseanne Ducut
A close-up of a plate of golden-brown vegan lumpia, with one lumpia held up to show a bite taken out of it, revealing the filling inside. The plate also contains a side of rice. Above the food, there is a text overlay that reads "Best Recipe for Vegan Lumpia" in bold letters. The background is slightly blurred, with books visible in the distance, adding a casual and homey feel to the scene.

Get ready for the best Filipino vegan lumpia recipe you’ll make!

Lumpia, specifically lumpiang shanghai is probably the most well-known Filipino food or appetizer.

Lumpia is a fried spring roll filled with ground [vegan] meat and minced vegetables.

Lumpia is my mom’s most popular dish that she would prepare for family parties growing up.

This is her recipe, veganized, and you cannot tell the difference! Pair with vegan egg fried rice:

A close-up of three crispy vegan lumpia on a blue plate, served with a side of fried rice and a small pool of dipping sauce. The lumpia are golden brown and neatly arranged, with the dipping sauce partially visible next to them, adding a vibrant contrast to the plate. The fried rice is topped with pieces of scrambled egg, enhancing the dish's appeal and providing a hearty, appetizing meal.

You can make vegan lumpia with tofu or textured vegetable protein (TVP) instead, but the vegan ground meat available these days perfectly matches non-vegan lumpia and is a hit amongst non-vegans and vegetarians.

Vegan lumpia is a great party food to bring and share with others.

Filipino and new to veganism, or visiting the Philippines and need vegan tips?

Read my Ultimate Philippines Vegan Guide.

Language Learning Bits

Nothing specific to this vegan lumpia recipe, but here’s how to say “Delicious” in other Philippine languages:

  • Manyaman = “delicious” in Kapampángan
  • Masarap = “delicious” in Tagalog
  • Marasa = “delicious” in Waray-Waray
  • Lami = “delicious” in Bisaya and Cebuano
  • Namit = “delicious” in Hiligaynon (Ilonggo)
  • Masiram = “delicious” in Bicolano
  • Naimas = “delicious” in Ilocano

Are lumpia wrappers vegan?

Most lumpia/spring roll wrappers are vegan, but always check for any non-vegan ingredients.

Vegan lumpia wrappers are different from egg roll wrappers, which are thicker and sometimes not vegan.

What to use for vegan lumpia sauce?

Lumpia is usually dipped in a sweet chili sauce that you can buy in most grocery stores.

You can also eat the vegan lumpia with banana ketchup available in Asian supermarkets.

Which vegan meat is best to use for vegan lumpia?

Your choice of which vegan meat to use depends on your preference.

Impossible Meat and OmniPork ground meat are more realistic to animal meat, but the Beyond Beef also has a special flavor to it and browns faster.

You can also use crumbled-up tofu.

A package of Beyond Beef plant-based ground meat. The package is square with a transparent front showing the meat, which also resembles raw ground beef. The label prominently displays the "Beyond Beef" brand name in white text on a black background, with the words "Plant-Based Ground" underneath. It also notes that the product contains 20g of plant protein per serving and is free from soy, gluten, and GMOs. A green label at the top mentions "35% Less Sat Fat Than 80/20 Beef.
A package of Impossible Burger plant-based ground meat. The package is square with a transparent front showing the meat, which resembles raw ground beef. The label on the package features the text "Impossible" in bold black letters, followed by "Burger Made from Plants." The label highlights that the product contains 19g of protein, has no animal hormones or antibiotics, and 0g of cholesterol per serving.

Difference between Lumpiang Shanghai and Lumpiang Gulay?

Lumpiang Gulay, or vegetable lumpia is the other Filipino fried spring roll that is thicker and stuffed with more vegetables.

However, not all lumpiang gulay are vegan, as some people add ground meat or sometimes fish sauce. It’s best to ask or make it yourself.

Lumpiang Gulay is paired with a vinegar dip, whereas lumpiang shanghai is dipped in a sweet chili sauce or banana ketchup.

Vegan Lumpia Ingredients

Equipment Needed for Vegan Lumpia

Close up of Vegan Filipino Lumpia, fried spring rolls filled with minced vegan meat and vegetables

Vegan Filipino Lumpia Recipe (Fried Spring Rolls)

Yield: Up to 100 vegan lumpiang shanghai.

Ingredients

Vegan Lumpia Ingredients

  • 1 package of Beyond Beef, Impossible Ground Beef, or OmniPork ground meat
  • 1 pack of frozen spring roll wrappers (most are vegan. Do not get egg roll wrappers)
  • 1 small can of water chestnuts (drained)
  • 3 long celery stalks (not bunches)
  • 7 stalks of green onion
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 tsp of salt + 1 tsp pepper (to taste, test-fry mixture first before wrapping)
  • 2 tablespoon vegan oyster sauce (or 2 tablespoons soy sauce), to taste
  • OIl, for frying

Paste

  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1.5 tablespoon flour

Instructions

  1. Thaw out frozen vegan meat and frozen lumpia wrappers. Microwave for one minute or more if in a rush.
  2. In a food processor or blender, process all vegetables except the green onion, until chopped into small mini M&M pieces. You can hand chop, but it’ll take a while!
  3. Add to a large mixing bowl.
  4. Cut the green onions to 1/4 inch lengths (with scissors, it’s faster). Add to bowl.
  5. Add vegan meat, salt & pepper, and either vegan oyster sauce or soy sauce.
  6. Mix together thoroughly.
  7. To test if it needs more flavor, cook a small spoonful in a saucepan.

Prepare vegan lumpia:

  1. Separate each spring roll wrapper and place flat on plate.
  2. Make sure each wrapper is stacked evenly on each other.
  3. With sharp scissors, cut in half, diagonally, 7-10 wrappers at a time. So each wrapper will be two triangles.
  4. In a small bowl, mix together flour and water. Microwave for 15-30 seconds. Don’t over microwave. It should still be a thin paste.
  5. With the triangle facing up and the pointed side on top, scoop 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture and place in middle-bottom of the wrapper, about an inch from the bottom.
  6. Shape mixture into a sausage link shape.
  7. Fold in the right and left pointed sides, and then the bottom of the triangle over, making sure the mixture is rolled in the wrapper tight.
  8. Dip a brush or finger in the flour-water paste and spread thinly on the top left and right sides of the triangle like an envelope.
  9. Continue to roll up vegan lumpia, making sure the pointed tip is sealed using the paste.
  10. Roll the remaining vegan lumpia.
  11. Fry immediately in oil, or freeze in stacks in a plastic tupperware or ziplock bag. The vegan lumpia will last up to a couple of months in the freezer.
  12. Enjoy this classic vegan pinoy recipe!

Notes

Wrapping Tips

  • Not sure if it made a difference, but my mom always emphasized that the wrappers need to be faced down the same side, as they’re different shaded once fried.
  • To see visually how to roll lumpia, look up videos on Youtube.

Pair with vegan egg fried rice!

© Roseanne Ducut
Cuisine: Filipino / Category: Recipes

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Roseanne Ducut is a solo female traveler and Filipina from the Bay Area, California. She writes practical and culture-rich travel guides and lives a not-so-secret double life as a fangirl. A veghead for over 15 years, Roseanne also writes vegan guides to help others plan their trips.