Get all the flavors of a crispy fried egg roll, but in a lighter, brighter vegan bowl.
Napa cabbage is stir-fried with carrots, onions, garlic, and vegan chicken for a complete meal in a bowl. Top it with air fried or pan fried wontons for crunch!
This healthy, plant-based dish is ready to eat in 30 minutes!
Who doesn’t love a good egg roll with lightly softened veggies all wrapped up and fried inside of a wrapper?
It’s always the highlight of any Chinese takeout order.
But you know what’s even better? Making a full meal of it!
That’s what I’ve done with this vegan egg roll in a bowl recipe. You get all of the flavors of an egg roll, but in a lighter, healthier form. And it’s totally vegan!
For this veggie-packed bowl, napa cabbage is sauteed with carrots, onions, and garlic. It’s dotted with vegan chicken for protein, and seasoned with tamari and rice vinegar. Then it’s finished with a sprinkling of air fried (or pan fried) wonton strips.
With every bite, you get crunchy, tangy, and umami-rich flavors that keep you going back for more.
Enjoy this easy Chinese cabbage stir-fry recipe on its own, or round it out with your favorite Asian dumplings and brown rice. It’s a nutritious dinner that is quick and satisfying.
In this post:
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.
Oil: Avocado oil is my preferred option, but any neutral-flavored cooking oil will work. If you air fry the wonton wrappers, you’ll also need oil spray (or a refillable sprayer) for coating the strips.
Wonton wraps: To keep this meal vegan, be sure to read the ingredients, and choose wonton wrappers that don’t include eggs. You’ll only need 8 from a package for this recipe.
Nasoya plant based wonton wraps are my go-to choice. They’re widely available in grocery stores and even big box stores like Walmart.
Can’t find vegan wonton wraps? Finish the bowls with a different crunchy garnish like nuts or seeds.
Vegan chicken: You can use homemade chicken seitan, or buy unbreaded vegan chicken in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Tofurky chick’n is especially convenient and tasty for a weeknight meal.
Napa cabbage: Also known as Chinese cabbage, you’ll use both the white and green parts for this recipe. When buying, look for bright green, fluffy leaves and bright white ribs.
Carrots: Choose fresh, firm carrots in your choice of colors.
Green onions: Also known as scallions, you’ll use both the green and white parts for this recipe. (Everything except the the root end.)
Garlic: You can mince, grate, or press the garlic. When you grate or press garlic, it turns almost into a paste, which makes it cook quickly. Plus, it really infuses the veggies with garlicky goodness.
Salt: A little pinch of salt brings the flavors to life.
Tamari: This Japanese soy sauce adds richness and umami. I like to buy the low-sodium variety.
Rice vinegar: This adds tang. Look for it at the grocery store with other vinegars or by the soy sauces.
Preparing your vegetables
Remember mise en place: This French culinary term translates to “everything in its place.” It refers to the practice of chopping and measuring ingredients before cooking begins and helps to streamline the cooking process.
With a veg-heavy stir-fry like this one, it really helps to have all of the vegetables chopped before you start. Then once you fire up the pan, the cooking goes relatively quickly.
So shred those carrots, slice the green onions and wonton wraps, press or grate the garlic, chop the vegan chicken, and cut the napa cabbage into long strips before you heat up a skillet.
Be aware that dirt gets stuck to napa cabbage at the bottom of each leaf, near the stem. Rinse that off with water. I also like to remove the bottom half inch or so, where the leaf attaches to the stem.
Step by step instructions
This section shows how to make this recipe at a glance with process photos of the steps. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.
1. Cut vegan wonton wraps into thin strips.
2. Add the strips to the air fryer basket, spray with oil, and air fry for about 4 minutes, until browned and crispy.
Remember: Every air fryer runs differently. Times given are a general recommendation and should be tested in your own air fryer. Adjust as needed.
Pan frying alternative: If you’d prefer, you can fry the wonton skins in a skillet instead of air frying.
Put a shallow layer of avocado oil in a skillet, and bring to a medium high heat. Add one wonton strip to the skillet. If bubbles immediately form around it, the oil is ready to use. Add the remaining strips and cook until browned and crispy (about 1 to 3 minutes).
3. Pour avocado oil in a large skillet at a medium heat, and add chopped vegan chicken. Cook until browned (about 8 minutes), stopping occasionally to flip with a spatula. Once browned, transfer it from the skillet to a plate.
4. Pour more oil in the skillet, and add sliced napa cabbage. Cook the cabbage down about a minute, then add carrots and onions. Cook about three minutes more.
Push the softened veggies to the side of the pan, add a small drizzle of oil, and the grated or pressed garlic. Saute about 30 seconds, until fragrant, and then incorporate it with the other veggies.
Finally, add a pinch of salt, the browned vegan chicken, tamari, and rice vinegar. Cook a couple minutes more to incorporate everything.
5. Transfer the cabbage mixture to bowls, and top with crispy wonton strips. If you like, garnish with a sprinkling of chopped chives or cilantro for color.
How to personalize this easy egg roll bowl
You can make this easy vegan egg roll bowl your own by varying the ingredients and amounts.
Vary the protein: Replace vegan chicken with seasoned and browned tofu, beefless bulgogi, or vegan egg. For a crispy option, cook breaded vegan chicken according to package directions, then chop it, and add it at the end to the finished bowls.
Replace napa cabbage: This dish is also terrific with either green or red cabbage. Be aware it will have to cook down a little longer to soften.
Add to or replace the carrots: Celery, red bell pepper, mushrooms, edamame, or bean sprouts would also be terrific in this dish. If you add a lot more veggies, you’ll need to increase the tamari, rice vinegar, and salt to compensate.
Add ginger: For some floral flavor, add grated ginger at the same time as the garlic.
Replace tamari: Instead of this Japanese soy sauce, use your preferred soy sauce or soy sauce alternative.
Get nutty: For some nutty flavor, add a drizzle of toasted sesame oil at the same time as the tamari.
Replace rice vinegar: Although rice vinegar is best, in a pinch it can be replaced with white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
Add a kick of spice: Sprinkle red pepper flakes on the finished bowls, or add a few drizzles of chili crisp or sriracha.
Add to or replace the wonton wraps: Elevate this dish with other crunchy garnishes like peanuts, cashews, sesame seeds, slivered almonds, or toasted pine nuts.
Serving suggestions
This healthy egg roll in a bowl is a full meal on its own. But if you’d like to fill it out with appetizers and side dishes, here are a few good options:
- Brown rice
- Tofu satay
- Sugar snap peas stir fry
- Stir-fried green beans with shiitake mushrooms
- Sesame kale
- Crispy Brussels sprouts with gochujang glaze
- Vegan crab rangoon
- Chipotle tofu dumplings (Plus, it’s a great way to use leftover wrappers!)
- Potstickers with gyoza dipping sauce
Storage instructions
Store leftover stir-fry in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep for 3 or 4 days.
Simply reheat the Chinese cabbage stir-fry in the microwave or in a skillet. (It reheats beautifully, which makes it great for meal prep!) The fried wontons can be reheated in the air fryer at 360 degrees until crispy again.
FAQ
Yes, green or red cabbage can be used, but napa cabbage has a softer, more delicate texture, and cooks faster. Green (or red) cabbage take longer to soften and cook down in the pan.
Yes! To make it gluten-free, use gluten-free tamari, replace vegan chicken with seasoned tofu, and replace wonton wrappers with toasted nuts or seeds (like peanuts, cashews, slivered almonds, or sesame seeds).
Swap in seasoned tofu, beefless bulgogi, or vegan egg. Or just fill it out with more vegetables like mushrooms, celery, edamame, or bean sprouts.
Vegan wonton wrappers are becoming more & more readily available, even at mainstream big box stores like Walmart and Target. (Look for Nasoya plant-based on the package label.)
However, if you still can’t find them, you can easily replace them with crunchy nuts or seeds instead. (No need to fry or air fry them, obviously.)
Or if you’re feeling adventurous, you could try making your own wonton wrappers. This vegan wonton dumplings wrappers recipe (from It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken) looks like a good one.
If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!
📖 Recipe
Vegan egg roll in a bowl (Easy Chinese cabbage stir-fry recipe)
Ingredients
For crispy wonton strips topping
- 8 wonton wrappers cut into long, thin slices*
- Spritz of oil spray for air frying (I like to use avocado oil spray)
For the vegan egg roll in a bowl
- 3 ½ teaspoons avocado oil divided (or other neutral-flavored cooking oil)
- 6 packed cups thinly sliced napa cabbage (also known as Chinese cabbage – about 26 leaves)
- 2 large carrots grated
- 2 green onions sliced (also known as scallions)
- 8 ounces vegan chicken about 1.5 cups, chopped small
- 4 garlic cloves minced, pressed, or grated
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup tamari
- 4 teaspoons rice vinegar
- Handful of cilantro chopped or chopped chives (Optional garnish)
Instructions
To make crispy wonton strips topping
- Put thinly sliced wonton wrappers into air fryer basket, and spray with avocado oil. Air fry at 360 degrees for 4 to 4 ½ minutes, stopping once to shake the basket and spray with more oil for even browning. (Start checking doneness around the 3 minute mark. Air fryers vary, and the wrappers can go from brown to too brown fast.)Once the wonton slices are nutty brown, turn off the air fryer, and save them for later.(Don't have an air fryer? See the notes section for pan frying instructions.)
To make vegan egg roll in a bowl
- Bring a large skillet to a medium heat with 2 teaspoons of avocado oil (or other neutral-flavored oil). Add chopped vegan chicken and saute about 8 minutes, until lightly browned all over. Once browned, transfer vegan chicken to a plate for later.
- Add another teaspoon of oil to the skillet. Then add the sliced cabbage. Allow it to cook about a minute, stirring occasionally, until it shrinks enough to add more veggies.
- Add grated carrot and sliced green onion, and continue to saute about 3 more minutes.
- Once the veggies have softened, push them to one side in the skillet, and add ½ teaspoon of oil. Put minced garlic in the oil, and cook about 30 seconds more, until fragrant. Then incorporate the garlic with the other vegetables.
- Add the vegan chicken back into the stir-fry, along with a pinch of salt, tamari, and rice vinegar. Use a spatula to make sure everything gets evenly coated and incorporated. Cook a minute or two more, and then turn off the heat.
- Put even amounts of the Chinese cabbage stir-fry into 4 bowls. Top with a sprinkling of crispy wonton strips, and cilantro or chives for garnish (optional).
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