Filed under: Health
Enjoy this very light and delicious recipe which is so easy to make. Great for when your friends or family gather together. Can be made a day ahead of time (keep refrigerated) or prepare the ingredients and let everyone make them together as you eat.
Fresh (Vietnamese) Vegetable Spring Rolls
Ingredients:
- 1 package rice paper wrappers – You can get this at any asian market (comes in a round plastic container)
- 1 head green leaf lettuce
- 1 bunch cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
- 1 bunch mint (leaves only)
- 1 carrot, julienned into thin strips or use a peeler
- 1 cucumber, julienned thin
- 1 package mung bean sprouts or any sprout will do
- 1 package very thin, round rice noodles (vermicelli)
- Optionally, add fried tofu (chilled) or boiled, peeled shrimp (chilled)
- Serve with peanut butter sauce or fish sauce (egg roll sauce)
Preparation instructions:
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the rice noodles for a minute, then drain them and rinse in cool water.
2. Wash and slice the vegetables and lay them neatly in a large dish or bowl. You’ll need a plate for wrapping the rolls. The lettuce leaves should be sliced into manageable strips, and discard any of the cores that are too tough or crunchy. The mint and cilantro leaves can be left whole or coarsely chopped.
3. Fill a large bowl with hot water to soften the rice paper wrappers. Submerge a single dry wrapper in the warm water completely. (You have to soften and wrap the rolls one at a time.) For the first few, tap the wrapper with a wooden spoon and feel as the wrapper softens and begins to turn transparent. Once the wrapper is very supple, gently lift it out with both hands. It will get sticky quickly, so take care not to let it fold in on itself – if it does, just dip it in the water again. Tap the wrapper on the inside edge of the bowl to get off any excess water. Place the wrapper flat on the plate.
4. Put a little of each filler item into the wrapper. You should create a little oblong mound of filling items just to one side of the center of the wrapper on the side closest you. It may take one or two to get the quantities just right.
5. Wrap the roll up by taking the edge closest to you and flipping it up over the little mound of filling. Gently roll the filling up until you’ve just past the halfway point, then pull the sides in and roll it the rest of the way.
6. Dip into your favorite sauce and eat – Mmm Mmm
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