It’s spring!! The perfect time to make spring rolls!
These can be made vegetarian simply by omitting the shrimp or substituting tofu. Or, you can add on more meat like barbecued pork, grilled chicken breast, and the like. The vegetables also are very flexible. What you’re shooting for here is a combination of bright colors to contrast with the whiteness of the spring roll wrapper. But there really are no rules. You can even use this for a Bacon-Lettuce-Tomato roll if you like. (I’ll post that recipe one of these days.)
1 small bundle mung bean vermicelli/cellophane noodles, soaked in hot water 30 minutes, then drained and cut into 4-inch strands
1/2 cup julienned carrots
1/2 cup julienned red cabbage
1/2 cup julienned green onions
1/2 lb. large shrimp, blanched in boiling water with a couple of large pinches each salt and sugar, then peeled, deveined, and sliced in half lengthwise
cilantro sprigs, Thai basil (optional), and lettuce leaves, rinsed and spun dry, leaves torn/sliced in half if large
2 eggs, scrambled with a bit of salt and pepper and cooked in batches, to make thin omelettes, then sliced into strips
1 package banh trang, aka rice wrappers
Dip banh trang — one at a time — for a few moments in the water, feeling the ridges with your fingers. When the ridges start to disappear and/or the banh trang is soft and pliable, it’s ready for wrapping. Lay it flat on a cutting board.
Layer shrimp, lettuce, a bit of the vermicelli, and the different vegetables and roll up the wrapper, enclosing the filling. Fold in the left and right edges as you roll. (Click here for a video tutorial.)
Pile neatly on a plate lined with lettuce leaves. If not serving immediately, cover with plastic wrap to prevent from drying out.
Dipping Sauce #1:
3 tablespoons fish sauce
the juice of 1 lime
1-2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 Thai chili, sliced thinly, or 1 teaspoon chili-garlic paste
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ cup water
Dipping Sauce #2:
1/2 cup peanut butter or almond butter (or tahini, for those with nut allergies)
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
the juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon soy sauce (optional, or use tamari if you’re gluten free)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 Thai chili, sliced thinly, or 1 teaspoon chili-garlic paste
water, to thin to dipping consistency
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