Vegetable Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Have you ever had a spring roll before? If not, I’m sure you’ve noticed them on menus or seen pictures online. They are sometimes called Vietnamese spring rolls or rice paper rolls and are similar to egg rolls but are unfried. They are loaded with fresh vegetables and fruit and taste amazing! They are also vegetarian/vegan and oh so healthy.

The recipe I want to share with you today is for Vegetable Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce. These make a great lunch, dinner, or appetizer. All you have to do is follow the instructions on the rice paper package…and maybe make a practice roll to familiarize yourself with the texture and feel of the rice paper 🙂 The taste is so light and refreshing!

The recipe can be found here.

The first thing you want to do is prep all your vegetables and fruit. You will have a lot to cut so be patient with yourself and don’t rush it because you want everything to be sliced thin. You can use a variety of vegetables, fruits, and herbs – customize the spring rolls to meet your tastes! You can even add rice, noodles or some thin cut shrimp (if you don’t have dietary restrictions).

This is what I put in my spring rolls: zucchini, carrots, bell pepper, mango, lettuce, cabbage, basil, and avocado. The zucchini, bell pepper, mango, and avocado need to be sliced thin or julienned. I like to buy pre-shredded lettuce and matchstick carrots to save myself some chopping. I then create an assembly line with the vegetables.

Add warm water to a large bowl. Soak 2 pieces of rice paper in the water at a time, until they soften. I found this takes about 10 seconds. Lay the first rice paper on the counter. Then lay the second rice paper on the counter with about ½ of the paper overlapping the first piece of rice paper. This makes it easier to wrap the vegetables because the double layer prevents ripping and makes the wraps a bit more durable. Trust me…. use 2 wraps!

Start stacking the filling, making sure to add some of each vegetable, fruit, and herbs. Start on the end nearest to your body. Then you want to “wrap” the filling with the rice paper. You do this in a similar way to rolling a burrito. Fold the top part over the filling and try to secure the filling as snug as you can (this is where a practice round comes in handy). Next, fold in the sides. Then roll the rest of the way to form the spring roll. The rice paper should be a little sticky and this will help the roll stay together.

Slice in half and set on a plate. Repeat this process until all rolls are made.

I like to serve the spring rolls with a peanut sauce to dip in. Add the peanut sauce ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Serve immediately with the spring rolls. Enjoy!