I am in love with the summer.
In Brooklyn we spend these months bypassing our under-ventilated rooms for windy bike rides through the city and cool evenings spent beer-clad on roofs.
My diet during these hot days relies heavily on fresh vegetables and fruits -- raw rules! These Vietnamese summer rolls are fabulously versatile and can be altered to include any fresh veggie of your choice. They are a favorite of mine for a light dinner after a long hot day. Serve alongside a spicy homemade peanut sauce!
If you have never worked with rice paper wrappers, they can be a bit difficult, so be patient! The package come with tons of wrappers, so don't worry if you tear a few and have to toss the ripped skins aside. The wrappers start off brittle and become pliable when you soak them in hot water. Check out this helpful video for a few tips.
For the Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 package medium-sized rice paper wrappers
- 1 package rice noodles
- 1 head lettuce, chopped into thin strips
- 4 carrots, peeled and shredded or sliced into thin strips
- 1 cucumber, sliced into thin strips
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 ripe mango, sliced into thin strips
- 1 bunch mint or cilantro
Cooking Directions
- Place the package of rice noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Cover with a lid or baking pan and let sit undisturbed for 7-10 minutes, or until the noodles separate and become pliable.
- Drain the noodles and set aside.
- Prepare each of your vegetables and set up an area on your counter or table to work.
- Fill a pie pan or similarly-sized dish with hot water and soak a wrapper until pliable. Place on a very clean dish towel and pat dry.
- Arrange vegetables and herbs in a small mound and wrap carefully like a burrito. Try to make the rolls as tight as possible. This will take some practice, so don't get discouraged if they come out a little wonky. You can always double-wrap a roll if it rips.
Spicy Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 limes, juiced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon hot sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon hot chili garlic sauce or Sriracha
- 1 clove garlic, crushed and mashed
Cooking Directions
- Simply stir all ingredients together in a bowl to combine!
- Add more lime, hot sauce or vinegar to taste.
