Can you tell that I love vegetables? Except brussel sprouts, they’re not really my favorite. No matter how you cook them, they just don’t do it for me and I won’t eat them. Ok, back to the other delicious vegetables that are out there. These spring rolls are easy to prepare and they are light enough to be enjoyed as a lunch or an appetizer before dinner. Take them with you to the beach, on a picnic or to work–as long as you wrap them in a damp cloth or paper towel and keep them cool, they will stay fresh.
Make sure all of your vegetables and herbs are prepped before you start to assemble the rolls. For these I used cucumbers, radishes, rice noodles, tofu, greens and fresh cilantro and mint. But feel free to use anything that you have or see at the farmers market. Fresh basil, avocado, fresh mango or red bell pepper would also be so tasty in these!
- spring rolls
- 12 spring roll papers
- 2 persian cucumbers, cut into 12 strips
- 2-3 red radishes, sliced paper thin
- 1c fresh cilantro leaves
- 24 fresh mint leaves
- 1 head baby lettuce
- ½ packet thin rice noodles
- 1 block firm tofu, pressed & cut into 24 strips
- warm water for the spring roll papers
- cashew sauce
- 1c raw cashews soaked in water for 30 minutes
- 1T tamari
- 1T apple cider vinegar
- 1T honey
- 1t rice vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼t cayenne pepper
- ½t sea salt
- Cook the rice noodles in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Check to see if they're done and cook longer if needed.
- Drain well and rinse with cold water. This is important so that they don't stick together. Set aside.
- While the noodles are cooking, prep the vegetables and herbs. Arrange them in bowls or in groupings on a plate.
- Next make the cashew sauce by adding all of the ingredients into a high speed blender. Starting on low, slowly increase the speed until the sauce creamy. You may need to add more water if it's too thick. Taste for seasons and adjust if needed.
- Assembly: Add hot water into a saucepan or bowl and submerge one spring roll paper until it softens. This will take about 10-15 seconds. Transfer onto a plate and spread it out gently. Don't be discouraged, it may take one or two tries to get the water temperature right. I usually end up throwing out the first one.
- Towards the bottom half of the wrapper, start layering all of the filling ingredients. Whatever you start with will be seen when the roll os finished. Be creative.
- Gently fold in the sides and start rolling from the bottom all the way up, tucking in the filling as you go. The roll will seal itself.
- Place the finished roll seam side down onto a serving dish.
- Cover with a damp cloth until all of the rolls are done.
- Serve wit the cashew dipping sauce. I love to dip any extra cucumbers or radishes into the sauce.
Leave a Reply