Pack your lumpia, or Filipino spring rolls, with togue (mung bean sprouts) and crunchy veggies for a crispy, meat-free snack.
Unlike the more popular pork-filled lumpiang Shanghai, lumpiang togue features a meat-free filling of carrots, green beans, and togue (mung bean sprouts). The vegetables are cooked until soft, rolled into lumpia wrappers to form fat logs, then pan-fried until golden and crisp.
"Lumpiang togue made me start to enjoy eating vegetables as I grew up," says Ryle, our recipe developer. If you have picky vegetable-haters at your table, this recipe might turn them around. When served with spiced vinegar, lumpiang togue becomes irresistible.
Excess moisture in the filling prevents your lumpia from reaching its full crispy potential. When cooking the vegetables, make sure to cook off as much liquid as you can. For good measure, we let the filling cool in a fine-mesh strainer to drain. Some cooks like to go the extra mile with paper towels, gently patting and squeezing the moisture away from the filling.
You’ll often find lumpia or spring roll wrappers at your grocery’s freezer section. Before using, make sure to defrost them in the refrigerator a day before cooking. Once defrosted, very gently peel the wrappers apart. Don’t panic if you get a few tears—they won't be visible once rolled up into lumpia!
Freshly made lumpia can be stored in a Ziploc or freezer bag for a month. Once you get the hankering for lumpiang togue, bring your frozen lumpia directly into hot oil (no need to defrost!) to fry until crispy all around.
Make vegetable filling: Heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a large pan over medium heat. Crumble and dissolve chicken cube in the oil. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add julienned carrots and kamote, then cook until slightly softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add togue, Baguio beans, and sayote. Stir and cover pan to steam vegetables until slightly softened but not soggy, about 5 minutes. Season with patis and black pepper. Transfer filling to a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl to let cool while draining any excess liquid.
Wrap lumpia: Lay one lumpia wrapper out on a clean work surface. Prepare a cornstarch slurry by dissolving 1 tsp cornstarch in 1 tbsp water.
Add about ¼ cup of vegetable filling near the bottom edge of the wrapper, leaving a 1-inch margin. Fold the bottom edge tightly over the filling, then roll the lumpia upwards and away from you. Once you’re halfway, tuck the left and right sides of the wrapper towards the center and continue rolling. Once you reach the top edge, dab a bit of cornstarch slurry on the top edge of the wrapper. Fold to seal the lumpia. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
Fry lumpia: Add about an inch of oil to a wide pan over medium-high heat. While your oil warms up, prepare a metal rack over a tray or a plate lined with a paper towel.
Once the oil registers 365°F (185°C), add lumpia to the pan in small batches. Do not crowd the pan! Fry lumpia, turning once to cook the other side, until crisp and golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer lumpia to the metal rack or paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining lumpia, making sure to bring the oil back to temperature in between batches.
Serve: Serve lumpia immediately with spicy vinegar or Pinakurat on the side.
