Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

This is a delicious, refreshing recipe that can be made as is or changed to a vegan dish by simply replacing the shrimp with a marinated tofu or tempeh. It’s gluten free and dairy free to boot! For the gluten free version be sure to use tamari sauce instead of soy sauce.

What You Need

Spring Rolls:

• 2 oz. (55g) vermicelli rice noodles
• 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 cup (75g) lettuce, leaves torn
• 1 cup (90g) red cabbage, shredded
• 2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into matchsticks
• 1 cucumber, sliced into strips
• ¼ cup (125g) spring onions, sliced
• ¼ cup (12g) coriander, chopped
• ¼ cup (12g) mint, chopped
• 16 oz. (450g) cooked shrimp (or marinated tofu for vegan recipe)
• 8 sheets rice paper (spring roll wrappers)

Peanut Sauce: 

• ⅓ cup (80g) smooth peanut butter
• 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 tablespoons water, as needed

What You Need to Do

For the spring rolls:  

1. Prepare the noodles according to instructions on packaging. Drain and rinse them under cool water, and place in a bowl. Toss the noodles with the sesame oil and salt and set aside. 
2. Fill a shallow pan or container with an inch of water. Fold a lint-free tea towel in half and place it next to the dish. Make sure you have prepared all the other ingredients and have them close by. 
3. Place one rice paper in the water and let it soak for about 10-20 seconds. Remove it from the water and carefully lay it flat on the towel. Leaving about 1 inch of the rice paper around the edges, cover the lower third of the paper with 2-3 shrimp or pieces of tofu, a few pieces of butter lettuce, followed by all the other ingredients. Sprinkle generously with a mixture of the herbs. Ensure that there is not too much filling as you want to be able to fold the rice paper. 
4. Fold the lower edge up over the fillings, rolling upward just until the filling is compactly enclosed. Fold over the short sides like you would to make a burrito. Lastly, roll it up. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. 

For the peanut sauce:  

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, rice vinegar, tamari, honey, sesame oil, and garlic. Whisk in 2-3 tablespoons of water, just enough to achieve a dip-like consistency. 

Serve the spring rolls with peanut sauce on the side as a dip. Serve them whole, or sliced in half on the diagonal with a sharp chef’s knife.