Fresh spring rolls are one of my favorites to make for a get-together. Serve as an appetizer or small meal, and the contents of the rolls are largely up to you. The veggies listed below are my preference. If you don’t like carrots, don’t use them. If you want to add radish, have a blast!
Let friends and family make their own by putting vegetables and herbs into separate bowls. Put out a bowl of warm water to soften the rice paper wraps. This way your guests have their ingredients and can make their creations with minimum hassle.
Everything I use can be bought at your local supermarket but if you have an Asian market nearby, I highly recommend getting your ingredients there. The cost for the rice paper and produce will be lower, plus you’re likely to run into new, exciting veggies you’ll want to try in the rolls.
Veggie Fresh Spring Rolls
Makes 10 servings
Ingredients
10 medium rice paper wraps
1 large cucumber peeled, julienned
1 large red bell pepper, julienned
1 large carrot peeled, julienned
1/2 cup bean sprouts
5-6 Romaine lettuce leaves (top of leaf only), cut into medium sized pieces
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
4 green onions sliced into strips
¼ cup of peanuts crushed (optional)
Directions
Prep all the veggies and ready the rice paper to assemble your fresh rolls. Dip the rice paper in a large bowl of warm water; rotate it in the water or quickly immerse it for about 2 seconds. Pull the paper out, and let the moisture drain. Don’t soak the paper too long as it will break down quickly, making the rolling more difficult to roll.
To make my rolls, I use a large ceramic plate but any flat surface will work. Starting at the top third of rice paper closest to you, lay lettuce first and then other vegetables/herbs. Make sure you have plenty of surface area left to roll. Do not over-stuff your roll; start small, then continue to add more fillings.
Fold the paper over other ingredients minus the peanuts and green onion slowly while making sure not to rip the covering. Start to roll away from you and “tuck” in your filling toward you to keep the roll tight. Roll about one rotation, and then fold in the sides for “closed end” spring rolls. Add a small amount of peanuts (optional) and a green onion strip and Continue to roll till rice paper ends, but remember to “tuck” ingredients together with your fingers.
Peanut-Lime Dipping sauce with a kick
Ingredients
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp. sesame Oil
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tbsp. peeled & chopped fresh Ginger
3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. agave
1 tsp. Sriracha Sauce (add more or less to desired taste)
1-3 tsp. water, to thin out as needed
Directions
Process all items in a small food processor and serve with crushed peanuts on top as garnish.
Sweet Orange-Soy Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
1 cup of fresh orange juice
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. agave
Directions
Use a small bowl and whisk together soy sauce, fresh orange juice and agave.
This article appears in Mar 7-13, 2013.