Make your dining experience extraordinary with these vibrant Fresh Spring Rolls that burst with wholesome goodness. Ready in just 40 minutes, these light and refreshing rolls pack a nutritious punch while keeping calories at a modest 80 per serving. Perfect for warm days, casual gatherings, or a healthy lunch option, these rolls combine crisp vegetables and delicate rice paper for an irresistible texture. Best of all, they’re customizable and require minimal cooking time – just 5 minutes at the stove!
Fresh Spring Roll Ingredients
- Rice Wrappers: 1 package, available in Asian food section
- Vermicelli Rice Noodles: 1 package, found in Asian food section
- Fresh Produce: 2 mangos (thinly sliced), 1 large carrot (shredded), 1 English cucumber (thinly sliced)
- Protein: 1 pound cooked shrimp (deveined, no tails) or chicken
- Fresh Herbs: 1 bunch each of mint, basil, and cilantro leaves
Peanut Sauce Ingredients
- Base Ingredients: ¾ cup sweet chili sauce, ⅓ cup peanut butter
- Seasonings: ½ teaspoon each of low-sodium soy sauce and hoisin sauce
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Noodle Preparation: Cook vermicelli in boiling water briefly, drain and rinse with cold water
- Mise en Place: Arrange all prepared vegetables, herbs, and shrimp within reach
- Wrapper Preparation: Soak rice wrapper for 10-15 seconds in water until slightly firm
- Assembly: Layer veggies, shrimp, herbs, and noodles on the bottom third of wrapper
- Rolling Technique: Fold sides inward, then roll from bottom up like a burrito, keeping contents tight
- Sauce Making: Blend all sauce ingredients until smooth consistency achieved
Rolling Techniques
Rolling spring rolls is like wrapping a tiny, tasty present! The key is to be gentle with the rice paper – it’s delicate but forgiving. Keep a clean, damp kitchen towel nearby to prevent your work surface from getting sticky. If your first few rolls don’t look perfect, don’t worry! Many home cooks need a few practice rolls to get the hang of it. The trick is to keep your filling neat and compact in the center, and tuck those sides in firmly before rolling.
Make-Ahead Tips
You can prep all your veggies and protein up to a day ahead and store them separately in airtight containers. The peanut sauce can be made 3-4 days in advance – just give it a good stir before serving. While the rolls taste best fresh, you can make them a few hours ahead: wrap each roll individually in plastic wrap and keep them at room temperature. Pop them in the fridge if you need more than 2 hours, but remember they might stick together if touching!
Mix and Match Filling Ideas
These spring rolls welcome so many tasty swaps! Try matchstick-cut bell peppers for crunch, swap mango for avocado, or use tofu instead of shrimp. Love spice? Add fine strips of fresh chili or a few leaves of Thai basil. The rice paper wrapper is your canvas – just keep the filling amount similar so rolling stays easy. Grilled chicken, crab meat, or even thin strips of omelet work beautifully as protein options.
Serving Style
Make your spring rolls shine by cutting them at an angle to show off those beautiful layers inside! Place them on a platter lined with lettuce leaves to prevent sticking, and put extra herbs around the edges for pretty presentation. Serve the peanut sauce in little dipping bowls – one bowl per 2-3 people works great. A squeeze of lime on the side adds a nice touch!
Fresh Spring Rolls
Equipment
- food processor or blender
Ingredients
Spring Roll Ingredients
- 1 package spring roll rice wrappers found in the Asian foods section at the grocery store
- 1 package vermicelli rice noodles found in the Asian foods section at the grocery store
- 2 whole mangos peeled and sliced into thin strips
- 1 large carrot peeled and shredded or sliced into thin strips
- 1 large English cucumber peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 pound small, cooked shrimp deveined, tails removed, or substitute chicken
- 1 bunch fresh mint leaves
- 1 bunch fresh basil leaves
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro
Peanut Sauce
- 3/4 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1/3 cup peanut butter smooth or crunchy
- 1/2 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon hoisin sauce
Instructions
- Cook vermicelli noodles in boiling water, for just a few minutes, according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Gather all topping ingredients together, including chopped veggies, herbs, cooked shrimp.
- Add about 1 inch of water to a large, deep dish, or pie pan. Place one rice wrapper into the water and let soak for just 10-15 seconds. It should still feel pretty firm as you remove it and lay it on your counter or plate. (It will soften up as you add the filling ingredients, but If you let it soak for too long it will get too soft and will tear when you roll it up.)
- Layer 1-2 slices of each veggie, a few shrimp, a few leaves of each herb and a pinch of noodles on the ⅓ of the spring roll that is closest to you.
- Fold the sides of the spring roll in over the ingredients. Then pull the side closest to you up and over the ingredients, sealing everything together tightly, and rolling it up like a burrito.
- For the peanut sauce: Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.
