Prep Time 30 minutes Cook Time 30 minutes
These rolls are my daughter’s favorite meal, hands down. Not only are they fun to eat, but kids love to help assemble the ingredients and stack them inside the rice paper wrappers. I like to make big platters of these veggie-filled rolls to serve at summer parties as an appetizer, and they are enjoyed by kids and their parents alike. To make these a main course, add cooked sliced shrimp, chicken or pork to the rolls.
Yield: 16 pieces
by Alison Needham
What you'll need
- 1/2 package of rice vermicelli (such as a Taste of Thai)
- 1 hothouse cucumber
- 4 scallions
- 2 carrots
- 1 cup baby lettuce
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- 8 spring roll (rice paper) wrappers
- For the Hoison Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
- Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
How to make it
- Bring 6 cups of water to boil in a medium saucepan. Add the rice vermicelli and stir well. Remove from heat, cover with the lid and let sit for 8 minutes or until noodles are tender. Drain noodles and rinse with cool water. Set aside.
- Slice cucumber in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and slice cucumber in half crosswise. Slice the cucumber into thin matchstick pieces. Set aside. Cut scallions (white and green parts) in to matchstick pieces of equal length. Do the same with the carrots. Set aside.
- Assemble the rolls. Fill a large bowl about half way with very hot tap water (or boil water and let it cool a bit). Take one rice paper wrapper and dip it into the hot water until it becomes soft and pliable, but not mushy. Place wrapper on a damp plastic cutting board. It may stick together a bit and can be loosened with additional water. Place a small handful of the noodles in the middle of the rice paper wrapper. Top with a few slices of cucumbers, scallions and carrots. Top with a few leaves of baby lettuce and cilantro.
- Fold in the sides of the rice paper wrapper, and then roll the veggies in the wrapper as you would a burrito. Set aside and cover with a damp paper towel. Repeat with the remaining wrappers.
- Cut spring rolls in half and serve with the hoisin dipping sauce. Rolls can be made ahead and covered with a damp paper towel, then plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator.
