I finally made the Veganomicon butternut squash and pumpkin seed rice paper rolls that I have been thinking about for the last two months. My last (and first) attempt at summer rolls were back at the beginning of August. I am a huge butternut squash fan, so I had a strong predilection for these ones, but I tested them on two friends and they were both equally sold. They take a little while to assemble, but are fun to make, keep for a couple of days if you wrap them in wet paper towels and make a great packed lunch.

The basic ingredients are:

rice paper wrappers
butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cubed and roasted in olive oil for 25-30 minutes at 400°F
rice noodles/ cellophane noodles
Fresh cilantro, torn into bite sized pieces
roasted salted pumpkin seeds.

They said you could also use Thai basil in addition or instead of the cilantro. I adapted the recipe a little and definitely used more squash than they suggested as well as adding some julienned scallions and a little sesame oil to the noodles. I also used  cellophane noodles (which are made from mung bean starch) instead of rice noodles. They said to chop the pumpkin seeds and I just left them whole.

You can cook the squash and noodles in advance and keep them in the fridge. I ended cooking them the day before and then assembled the rolls the following day. I usually think of squash hot, baked in wintry dishes, but it was delicious cold.

The Veganomicon dipping sauce was soy sauce, rice vinegar, hot chile oil, sesame oil and sugar but I would probably experiment with a different dipping sauce next time as I wasn’t completely wowed by it.

They have another dipping sauce recipe with cranberries, serrano chiles and lime juice that sounds good, so maybe I’ll try that next time.


Keep Reading

Introducing The Columbus Foodletter

We are proud to introduce The Columbus Foodletter—a Substack-based newsletter about everything food-related in Central Ohio. The Columbus Foodletter publishes twice a week—with a mix of short, medium, and long reads—and our content combines the first-to-know info that Columbus Food Adventures’ old blogs were known for, with a seasoned reporter’s oversight and clarity. From the […]


10 Best Corporate Events in Columbus, Ohio

Planning a corporate event can be a challenging task, especially when aiming to balance team-building, fun, and overall engagement. Luckily, Columbus, Ohio, offers a plethora of exciting venues and activities perfect for any flavor of corporate gathering. Here’s a rundown of the 10 best corporate event opportunities in Columbus that promise a mix of adventure, creativity, and camaraderie.


December 2023 Food Events in Columbus

The Columbus food scene is on fire and it’s not just with new restaurants opening. There is an unprecedented number of dinners and events happening this month and we wanted to share all the ones we have spotted in our inbox and on the socials.