Ready to start craving vegetables?
Notes from the LHTC Team:
One of the few ways to actually crave vegetables - spring rolls are a gorgeous and healthy snack or meal. Make them in any flavor - more vegetables for something light, maybe a little more meat or fish to make a filling meal. We went with a classic combination of cucumber, carrots, avocado and crab sticks from the fish section of our local grocery store.
The one trick we discovered to make rolling the sticky rice paper sheets a little easier - only soak for a couple of seconds - the sheet won't be completely soft - but it continues to soften as you fill and roll - and even as the roll sits before eating. Slice immediately if you want them cut in half or in sushi-style pieces as they become more sticky and harder to cut the longer you let them sit (use a chef's knife - not a serrated knife which only gets caught on the wrapper and rips out the filling). *And if you find that everything is getting just a little too sticky, wet your hands and spritz a little water on your surface.
Fresh Spring Rolls
Servings: 2-4 | Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Download the Recipe
INGREDIENTS
4 Spring Roll Wrappers
Warm Water
1 Carrot, peeled
1/2 Cucumber, peeled
4 Leaves Butter Lettuce
Avocado, sliced in thin wedges
Crab, Salmon, Chicken or Shrimp
Pickled Ginger
Cilantro Leaves
Sweet Chile Sauce, for dipping
Optional Add-Ins:
Mango, sliced into matchsticks
Thai Basil
Scallions/Green Onions
Shredded Red Cabbage
Red Bell Pepper, sliced into matchsticks
Cooked Rice Vermicelli Noodles
Scrambled Egg, cooled & sliced into strips
1. Prepare the vegetables: slice carrot and cucumber into thin match sticks. Lay out all other ingredients so they are easy to access while assembling - the lettuce leaves, avocado slices, crab (or sliced salmon, chicken or shrimp), cilantro leaves and pickled ginger.
2. Assemble the spring rolls: pour warm (not boiling) water in a wide, shallow bowl (a pie dish works great for this). Dip 1 spring roll wrapper entirely in the water to submerge for a few seconds. Remove when just moistened (It's okay if it's still a little stiff, it will continue to soften as you fill it). Lay flat on a cutting board (a plastic or silicone board will help a little with sticking).
3. In the bottom third of the wrapper, add the fillings - carrot, cucumber, lettuce, avocado, crab (or other protein), pickled ginger and cilantro leaves. Fold the bottom of the wrapper over the filling and fold the sides in similar to a burrito. Finish rolling the spring roll - as tightly as you can.
4. Serve immediately with sweet chile sauce if desired.