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Fresh Filipino lumpiang sariwa with lettuce, brown garlic sauce and crushed peanuts

Photo: Ralff Nestor Nacor / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Vegetarian Dinners

Filipino Lumpiang Sariwa with Garlic-Peanut Sauce

Soft homemade wrappers cradle a colorful crisp-tender vegetable filling, then get a savory-sweet garlic sauce and a crunchy shower of peanuts.

Developed for DishGal · Updated 2026-10-11

Vegetarian Dinners
Prep30 min
Cook30 min
Total60 min
Cost$2.05

Directions

  1. Brown the tofu

    Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add tofu in one layer and cook 6 to 8 minutes, turning until golden on several sides. Transfer to a plate.

  2. Cook the filling in stages

    Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, onion and 3 minced garlic cloves to the skillet and cook 2 minutes. Add sweet potato with 2 tablespoons water, cover and cook 4 minutes. Add carrot and green beans for 3 minutes, then cabbage, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and pepper for 2 to 3 minutes. Return tofu and cook until the vegetables are tender but not wet. Spread on a tray to cool.

  3. Mix the wrappers

    Whisk flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch and salt. In another bowl whisk eggs, 1 1/2 cups water and 1 teaspoon oil. Gradually whisk wet into dry until smooth, then rest 10 minutes.

  4. Cook twelve soft wrappers

    Lightly oil an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Pour in a scant 1/4 cup batter and swirl into a thin round. Cook 60 to 90 seconds until the top is dry and the edges release; do not brown or flip. Slide onto parchment and repeat, separating wrappers with parchment.

  5. Make the garlic-peanut sauce

    In a saucepan whisk broth, brown sugar, peanut butter, the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce and the remaining 2 finely grated garlic cloves. Bring to a simmer. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and cook 2 minutes until glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon.

  6. Roll the lumpia

    Lay a wrapper on a board, set one lettuce leaf across the lower third and add about 1/2 cup filling. Fold the bottom over the filling, tuck in both sides and roll snugly, leaving the lettuce edge visible if desired. Repeat to make 12 rolls.

  7. Sauce and garnish

    Arrange two rolls per serving. Spoon warm garlic-peanut sauce over the center and finish with chopped peanuts and crisp garlic.

Why this works

Why it worksStaggering the vegetables by density keeps the sweet potato tender while the cabbage and green beans retain color and bite.
Why it worksA thin egg-and-flour batter cooks on one side into flexible crêpe-like wrappers that bend without the chew of raw rice paper.
Why it worksCooling and drying the filling before rolling prevents steam and excess liquid from tearing the soft wrappers.

Useful kitchen gear

Tools that make this easier.

Compare the function and specifications first; skip anything your kitchen already handles well.

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Compare on Amazon8-inch nonstick skilletA small slick surface turns the thin egg batter into consistently sized, flexible fresh-lumpia wrappers.See current options → Compare on AmazonJulienne peeler with hand guardUniform carrot and sweet-potato matchsticks cook evenly; use the guard and stop before the piece is unsafe to hold.See current options → Compare on AmazonHeat-safe silicone whiskWhisk the peanut sauce and cornstarch slurry smooth as they thicken on the stove.See current options →

Swaps & notes

Easy swaps

  • Replace tofu with 2 cups drained cooked chickpeas, lightly crushed, for another meatless filling.
  • Use jicama in place of the sweet potato; add it with the carrot because it needs less cooking time.
  • For a nut-free sauce, replace peanut butter with sunflower-seed butter and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds.

Cook notes

  • Lumpiang sariwa means fresh lumpia: the wrappers stay soft and the assembled rolls are sauced rather than deep-fried.
  • The batter should flow like light cream. Whisk in 1 tablespoon water if it thickens while standing.
  • The recipe makes 12 rolls, two per serving; keep cooked wrappers covered so their edges stay pliable.
  • For safe make-ahead service, cool the filling within 2 hours and keep it refrigerated until assembly.

Storage

Refrigerate wrappers, filling and sauce separately for up to 3 days; place parchment between wrappers. Reheat filling and sauce to 165°F, then assemble with fresh lettuce. Fully assembled rolls are best within 4 hours and should not be frozen.

Questions

Can I use store-bought spring-roll wrappers?

Fresh Filipino lumpia uses a soft crêpe-like wrapper. Some refrigerated fresh lumpia wrappers can substitute, but dry rice paper or frying wrappers create a different texture and may not hold the warm sauce as well.

Why are my homemade wrappers tearing?

A pan that is too hot makes the wrapper crisp, while a thick batter makes it inflexible. Use medium-low heat, swirl a thin layer and remove it as soon as the top loses its wet sheen.

Can I prepare lumpiang sariwa for a party?

Yes. Cook the wrappers, filling and sauce a day ahead and refrigerate separately. Warm the filling and sauce, then roll no more than 4 hours before serving so the wrappers do not become soggy.

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Filipino Lumpiang Sariwa with Garlic-Peanut Sauce
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1. Brown the tofuHeat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add tofu in one layer and cook 6 to 8 minutes, turning until golden on several sides. Transfer to a plate.
2. Cook the filling in stagesAdd the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, onion and 3 minced garlic cloves to the skillet and cook 2 minutes. Add sweet potato with 2 tablespoons water, cover and cook 4 minutes. Add carrot and green beans for 3 minutes, then cabbage, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and pepper for 2 to 3 minutes. Return tofu and cook until the vegetables are tender but not wet. Spread on a tray to cool.
3. Mix the wrappersWhisk flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch and salt. In another bowl whisk eggs, 1 1/2 cups water and 1 teaspoon oil. Gradually whisk wet into dry until smooth, then rest 10 minutes.
4. Cook twelve soft wrappersLightly oil an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Pour in a scant 1/4 cup batter and swirl into a thin round. Cook 60 to 90 seconds until the top is dry and the edges release; do not brown or flip. Slide onto parchment and repeat, separating wrappers with parchment.
5. Make the garlic-peanut sauceIn a saucepan whisk broth, brown sugar, peanut butter, the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce and the remaining 2 finely grated garlic cloves. Bring to a simmer. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and cook 2 minutes until glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon.
6. Roll the lumpiaLay a wrapper on a board, set one lettuce leaf across the lower third and add about 1/2 cup filling. Fold the bottom over the filling, tuck in both sides and roll snugly, leaving the lettuce edge visible if desired. Repeat to make 12 rolls.
7. Sauce and garnishArrange two rolls per serving. Spoon warm garlic-peanut sauce over the center and finish with chopped peanuts and crisp garlic.