This recipe goes marvelously with the Chicken Satay I recently posted- you can make the sauce once, and use it for both dishes! I love two-for-ones. Throw some Tom Kha in there and you’ve got a meal to please for days. When I went to Thailand last summer, the spring roll, satay, tom kha soup combo was a fave. ♥
I could eat fresh spring rolls every day of the week. Yep, every single day. For breakfast, lunch, and all the snacks in between… they’re just so freaking refreshing and delicious. And luckily, quite easy to make at home too! You don’t have to wait for dinner out to get your roll on. Just a bit of slicing and chopping and you are good to go! And some delicate rolling, but you got this. 😉
I’ll be the first to admit the wrappers can be tricky- rice papers are temperamental, man. But, that shouldn’t stop you… ’cause there’s a way to fix everything. We can get you lovely rolls in no time here…
The key to smooth rollin’ is to get the rice paper wet then roll it up in one clean sweep. No unrolling and fidgeting- just dampen, fill ’em, then roll ’em. Just like a burrito! They can rip and tear if you’re not careful… but like I said before, there’s a solution to all in my kitchen. 🙂
What to put in the rolls- that’s the big question! So many possibilities. I love the combination of cool refreshing veggies, tart fruits, fresh herbs, and a mix of textures. I also love colorful food, so to me, the more color the better. A little lettuce or something green is always nice too. And herbs!! So many herbs. Get that mint, basil, and cilantro… get it all.
makes 10-12 rolls
INGREDIENTS
Spring Rolls…
rice paper wraps
2-3 carrots, julienned
1-2 cucumbers, julienned
3-4 radishes, thinly sliced
1 avocado, thinly sliced
several lettuce leaves, torn into pieces
handful of bean sprouts
fresh basil, mint, and cilantro
Other fun fillings: sliced green apple, shredded coconut, toasted cashews, cabbage, grated beet, zucchini noodles… have any more ideas?! Please tell us in the comments- I’d love to hear ’em!
Peanut Sauce…
1 lb peanut butter (or almond butter, if preferred)
2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup low-sodium tamari (or coconut aminos)
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
3 tbsp honey (I like raw)
2 tsp red curry paste (like this one)
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 1/2 cups hot water
*This recipe makes a lot of peanut sauce… you’ll have leftovers, but that’s a good thing! You can drizzle it over soba noodle or green salad, use with lettuce wraps for an Asian-style twist, or enjoy along with chicken satay for a tasty lunch or din. So many options. 🙂
DIRECTIONS
Prep all veggies… you want everything ready before you begin rolling!
For cukes, peel, slice in half, then scrape seeds out before slicing
Get all else ready to roll…
(See what I did there? 😉 )
Prepare a flat working surface… a non-sticky place for the rolls (some people prefer plastic for this)
Dip rice paper in warm water, one at a time, for approx 10-15 seconds (or whatever directions say) until soft
You want them soft, but still workable… don’t soak them too long 😉
Lay radishes down, or whatever ingredient you want to show
There’s no right or wrong way to roll… I do it this way, but you can go in any order you like
Then bean sprouts…
Herbs…
Then avo and lettuce
I do the soft fluffy stuff last- I find it’s easiest for rolling
Most important when rolling is that you get it tight…
Think burrito- sides folded over first, then roll it up!
Use two hands to tuck the veggies down as you roll…
I had one here, ’cause someone had to take the photos 😉
Be careful as you roll- rice paper is fragile and tears very easily
But, as I said above, we have a solution for all here, so don’t freak if it does… 🙂
Keep going until you have all rolls done
If all worked perfectly, move right along…
But if you need some roll-help now, here’s a little tip
If some tear or are feeling too delicate to devour, just go ahead and wrap those puppies up again…
Yep, just grab another rice paper (or half of one if preferred) and wrap it on up
It’ll make a thicker roll, but if it’s between that or a completely falling apart roll, I vote for the thicker
Hopefully you won’t need to at all, but it’s an option, if needed 🙂
Slice rolls in half, then serve with your favorite dipping sauce…
Want to make ahead? While they’re best when fresh, you can prep these guys ahead of time if you’d like. Just make them, wrap each in Saran wrap individually, then store them all in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve
For the peanut sauce…
1 lb peanut butter (or almond butter, if preferred)
2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup low-sodium tamari (or coconut aminos)
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
3 tbsp honey (I like raw)
2 tsp red curry paste (like this one)
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 1/2 cups hot water
Fresh ginger and garlic are key… nothing beats fresh
Add all ingredients to a pot over medium heat…
Stir continuously as it thickens…
Taste and adjust as wanted- add more honey for a sweeter sauce, more coco milk for creamier, etc.
Once it’s how you like it, remove from heat
Pour into a small bowl to serve, refrigerate the remaining sauce to use later…
Serve up with spring rolls, devour, and enjoy!
Need ideas for how to use leftovers? Drizzle over soba noodle or green salad, use with
lettuce wraps for a fun Asian-style twist, or enjoy along with chicken satay for a tasty lunch or din!
It’s actually a great and helpful recipe. Thank you for sharing. indian spices