"These Vietnamese spring rolls are fresh, not fried! They’re the perfect party appetizer or light meal. The spicy peanut sauce sends them over the top."
Spring Rolls
Servings – 8 Prep Time – 5 Minutes Cook Time – 40 Minutes
Ingredients:
Spring Rolls
2 ounces rice vermicelli or maifun brown rice noodles*
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup torn butter lettuce, ribs removed
1 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
6 imitation crab sticks, sliced into long strips
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks or sliced into strips
1 English cucumbers, thinly sliced or sliced into strips with a julienne peeler
8 sheets rice paper (spring roll wrappers)
Optional Filling
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh mint
shrimp, cooked and butterflied
1 cup red/purple cabbage, thinly sliced
Peanut Sauce
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2-1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
2 to 3 tablespoons water, as needed
Directions:
Spring Rolls
Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the noodles just until al dente, according to package directions. Drain, rinse them under cool water, and return them to the pot. Off the heat, toss the noodles with the sesame oil and salt, and set aside.
Fill a shallow pan (a pie pan or 9″ round cake pan works great) with an inch of water. Fold a lint-free tea towel in half and place it next to the dish. Make sure your prepared fillings are within reach.
Place one rice paper in the water and let it rest for about 20 seconds, give or take. You’ll learn to go by feel here—wait until the sheet is pliable but not super floppy. Carefully lay it flat on the towel.
Leaving about 1 inch of open rice paper around the edges, cover the lower third of the paper with a few pieces of butter lettuce, followed by a small handful of rice noodles, and a few strips of carrot, red pepper, cucumber and crab meat.
Fold the lower edge up over the fillings, rolling upward just until the filling is compactly enclosed. Fold over the short sides like you would to make a burrito. Lastly, roll it up.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Peanut Sauce
In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, sriracha rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and garlic. Whisk in 2 to 3 tablespoons water, as needed to make a super creamy but dip-able sauce.
Serve the spring rolls with peanut sauce on the side. You can serve them whole, or sliced in half on the diagonal with a sharp chef’s knife.
Nutrition:
Calories 177 | Total Fat 8g | Saturated Fat 1.5g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 426.8mg | Carbohydrate 13.2g | Dietary Fiber 1.5g | Sugars 7.1g | Protein 3.52g
"I had a strong craving for fresh veggie spring rolls. I recall seeing a few recipes that were appealing to me and had always wanted to try them out, so I did. I combined a few ingredients from all of them to create my own, also made the peanut sauce adding some sriracha to give it a kick! All I have to say is, oh my!! It was so delicious and really hit the spot!"
CWT is not a certified dietician or nutritionist. Any nutritional information shared on this site is an estimate counted through measurements and package nutritional information used in each recipe. If calorie, macro counting and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through your choice of nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on national brands used per recipe.
