These Vietnamese fresh spring rolls are perfect for the summer! Stay cool by adding veggies, protein, noodles & fresh herbs for a crunchy & thirst quenching bite.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 4-5
Ingredients
Fresh roll rice wrappers
Vermicelli rice noodles, soaked
1 bunch of lettuce, cut into medium pieces
4 small carrots, peeled & thinly sliced
1 medium cucumber, peeled & thinly sliced
1 small piece of daikon, pickled in rice vinegar
Firm tofu, cut thin into squares & lightly fried
1 bunch of fresh basil
1 bunch of fresh mint
½ cup of green onions, thinly sliced, or diced
1 avocado (optional), thinly sliced
Peanut Sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp ground peanuts (or peanut butter)
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tbsp sesame oil
Sriracha to taste
Process
Combine peanut sauce ingredients into a small bowl, or a magic bullet to easily incorporate.
If the sauce is too thick, you can always add a splash of water, or even vinegar for a more balanced flavor & consistency.
Set aside for later use.
Soak rice noodles in warm water for 15-20 min, then cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the noodles become translucent. Rinse under cold water, or dunk the noodles into an ice bath to prevent overcooking, and to keep the noodles texture.
Cut the tofu out of the container, let sit, and remove excess liquids. Cut the slices into smaller squares or slices. Lightly saute the tofu slices with 1 tbsp. of soy sauce & ½ tbsp. of sesame oil until golden brown and set aside.
In a deep dish, place the sliced daikon & carrots. Add a generous sprinkle of salt (about 2 tsps). Let sit, and watch the salt extract the excess liquid in the vegetables. Rinse in a strainer under cold water, and dab dry. Place back into the deep dish, and cover with white vinegar.
Let sit for at least 25 min. (You can also halve the banh mi pickled carrots & daikon recipe).
Assemble & prep all ingredients as listed above. We kept all our herb ingredients together, and separated other ingredients into different plates/prep bowls, so it was easier to assemble the rolls.
Assembling the Fresh Rolls
Fill a large, deep dish with generously warm water.
Grab your first rice wrap & submerge it in the water dish until soft. You can gently move the wrap around to adequately submerge, and soften. You’ll want to wait until the premade bumps/textures of the wrap start to fade away, and the wrap becomes ultimately translucent.
Place moistened rice paper on a plate and begin to assemble ingredients in the center and lengthwise as you would a burrito
We recommend to go in this order: Herbs, noodles, tofu, veggies.
Tightly wrap like you would a burrito. Fold over the top and bottom parts, and roll from one side until you’ve sealed the wrap.
Enjoy with peanut sauce!