Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Summer rolls (also known as fresh spring rolls, salad rolls, rice paper rolls, or veg rolls) are such a versatile food. They are essentially a blank canvas you can fill with whatever you're in the mood for - vegetables, herbs, tofu... they are refreshing, light, crunchy, and so colorful. This recipe is vegan (dairy-free, egg,-free), gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, and refined sugar-free.

Prep Time30

Total Time30

Servings: summer rolls

Calories: 66kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Spring Rolls

12 rice papers *
12 leaves lettuce
1 carrot , julienned
1/2 cucumber , julienned
1 bell pepper , julienned
1 cup purple (or green) cabbage , shaved
2 green onions , julienned
fresh basil
fresh mint
3 ounces vermicelli noodles , optional

Peanut Sauce

1/2 cup natural peanut butter
2 Tbsp. tamari
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. ginger , grated
water , to thin**

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Spring rolls

Cook the vermicelli noodles (if using). Pour hot water over the vermicelli noodles and let them "cook" for ~ 5 minutes (read the instructions on package), Once soft, drain the noodles and set them aside.
Gather all the ingredients. Mis-en-place organization is really handy when making summer rolls. The faster you lay all the filling ingredients on the rice paper, the easier it is to roll.
Dip the rice paper in water. Fill a wide shallow plate with warm water. Dip the rice paper for 3-5 seconds. The rice paper should come out slightly firm as it will continue absorbing water and softening. If you soak the the rice paper for too long, it will become too soft and will begin to fold on itself, making rolling practically impossible.
Lay the rice paper on a wet ceramic surface or a damp towel. My favorite surface is a ceramic cutting board. When wet, the rice paper simply slides on it; it doesn't stick or tear. A damp kitchen towel would be my second choice. Avoid dry surfaces.
Double up the rice paper (optional). If this is your first time working with rice paper, consider doubling it up. It will be much easier to handle when rolling. The downside is that the ends are a bit chewy because there are multiple layers of rice paper. I usually use just one rice paper per roll but use a lettuce leave as a protective barrier instead.
Assemble the summer rolls. Start laying the filling ingredients at top ⅓ of the rice paper to have enough room for rolling. Keep in mind that whatever ingredients you place first will be the top of the roll. So, if you're using whole mint leaves, basil leaves, or even edible flowers, lay them on the rice paper first, so they are visible. Then place a lettuce leaf on top and finally the the rest of the filling ingredients. Be careful not to over-stuff the rolls so they don't burst.
Roll. When you're ready to roll, bring the top edge of the rice paper up and over the filling, then fold in the two side flaps, and continue rolling until the rice paper ends. Keep tucking all the ingredients together as you roll. You want to end up with a tight and straight summer roll.
Store. Leftover summer rolls keep well wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 hours. You can also wrap the summer rolls in a damp lint-free tea towel or moistened paper towel, but keep in mind that as soon as the tea towel/paper towel dries out, it will stick to the rolls. For longer term storage, store the wrapped rolls in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Rice paper tends to harden in the refrigerator though, so the summer rolls won't be as soft and pliable.

Peanut Sauce

Mix. Add the peanut butter, tamari, maple syrup, lime juice, and ginger into a small mixing bowl and mix until well combined. Add water to thin.

Notes

*You can use white rice paper or brown rice paper.
**I added ~ ¼ cup/60 ml water.

**Nutrition information is calculated without optional ingredients.

**Nutrition information is approximate and may contain errors. Please, feel free to make your own calculations.

Nutrition