Can we talk for a minute about how much I love egg rolls? Or any Asian dumpling, tart, or bun that comes delivered on a dim sum cart? Yeah, trying to be low carb while loving these things so much isn’t exactly easy. I could probably go for dim sum every weekend and be happy, but my blood sugar wouldn’t like it.

So that’s where I like to take the fillings and make a bowl of it instead. I can still have a couple fried wonton wrappers and pretend it’s all stuffed inside, or I can be super good and just leave all that carby stuff alone.

This also comes together really fast, so it’s a perfect weeknight dish. Or an “IDGAF because I’m lazy” weekend dish.

This recipe is also super adaptable. If you do rice, this is also really good over some steamed rice with a fried egg on top. Sometimes we like to have this with fried wonton skins (the thicker square kind you find in the produce aisle versus the thinner egg roll wrappers from the Asian market). Cut them into strips and use them like a topping or keep them whole to use like mini tostadas. If you’re a seafood person, this is REALLY good with some chopped shrimp (or just use the small salad guys) – think siu mai in terms of flavor.

Arc calls them Asian nachos. I call them Chinese Tostadas. Either way, they’re really just deconstructed egg rolls.

Deconstructed Egg Rolls

2 Tbsp cooking oil of choice (I use grapeseed oil)
2 pounds Ground Pork
1/2 an Onion, diced
2-3 cloves Garlic, minced
1-2 Zucchini, cubed
8 oz Mushrooms, rough chopped (can also use sliced Shitakis)
1 16-oz bag riced Cauliflower
Salt and Pepper, to taste (I use both white and black pepper in this)
1 tsp minced Ginger (or 1/2 tsp ground ginger or about an inch of a ginger nub peeled and grated)
1 spoonful Red Miso
1 spoonful Garlic Chili Sauce
a few splashes of your preferred Soy Sauce / Coconut Aminos / Bragg’s Aminos
1 10-oz bag of Coleslaw (I prefer the angel hairstyle shredded cabbage)
1 bunch Green Onions, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp sesame oil
a splash of rice vinegar
Toasted Sesame Seeds
Additional toppings: hoisin sauce, sweet chili sauce, more garlic chili sauce, chopped peanuts or cashews, chopped water chestnuts, etc.

Heat a wok or large pan that you feel comfortable stir frying in. Add your oil and once heated, add the pork and cook until no longer pink. As you move forward through this recipe, keep mixing the ingredients around, similar to when you make stir fry.

Add onion and garlic. Once the onion is translucent and garlic is fragrant, add zucchini, mushrooms, and riced cauliflower. Season everything with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that some of the next few ingredients will up the saltiness factor too. Start light on the salt and add some more at the end if you need it.

Add the ginger, miso, garlic chili sauce, and soy sauce to the party. Make sure the miso and ginger get worked into whatever juices have released at this point so you don’t end up with clump of either in the final product.

Mix in the coleslaw and green onions. Once the coleslaw is cooked (it’ll go fast!), dress everything with rice vinegar, sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds. Dish into bowls and add any additional toppings that you like.