Summer Spring Rolls (Shrimp)

I’m not gonna lie…I definitely haven’t mastered my rice paper rolling technique. It’s definitely a skill! But these are so good, so filling, and full of healthy veggies. And, no one cares if they aren’t beautifully wrapped. The real star of the show here is the peanut sauce. I might use the spring rolls just as a means to eat the peanut sauce. Since peanut sauce can be higher in calorie, I thin it out and add a few other ingredients to lower the calories a bit.

Throw in anything that might sound good. I don’t add vermicelli noodles but there is no reason you can’t!

Makes 6 Spring Rolls

Ingredients:

• 6 rice paper spring roll wrappers

• 18-24 large cooked shrimp (I try to do 4 per roll)

• Filling options:

  • 6 lettuce leaves (I like Butter Lettuce or Romaine)

  • Carrots and cucumber, thinly sliced into strips

    • about 1/2 cucumber and 1 cup shredded carrots

  • Bean sprouts

  • Mint leaves

  • Cilantro leaves (optional)

Peanut Sauce

• 1/4 cup peanut butter

• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp soy sauce (or more)

• 2-3 tsp chili garlic sauce or siracha (or more)

• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup

• 1 tsp rice vinegar

• 4 tbsp warm water

Directions:

• Slice and dice all your veggies

• In each lettuce leaf, place some carrot, cucumber, bean sprouts, mint, and cilantro. Place to the side and have your 6 lettuce wraps ready to place in your rice paper. The shrimp will go on top of the rolled lettuce.

• Fill a medium sized mixing bowl with room temp water.

• Lay down a cutting board or a towel in front of your ingredients. This is where you will place the rice paper and build your roll. Don’t use a paper towel because it will stick.

• Fill a medium bowl with warm water. Place one rice paper in the water. Dipping it in and out for about 30 seconds. NOTE: you don’t want the rice paper completely softened because it will keep absorbing water even after it’s out. You want to keep a slight stiffness.

  • It’s ready for wrapping when it’s slightly pliable.

• Gently place the wrapper onto your plate or cutting board. And add your lettuce wraps you made above to the lower 1/3 of the paper and top with shrimp.

  • Gently wrap it like you would a burrito — Visualize the wrapper in 3 horizontal sections. Center the lettuce wrap and shrimp in the bottom third and then bring the lower edge up over the filling, fold in the two side flaps, and then roll the entire thing up.

Peanut Sauce:

• Put peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 20-30 seconds just to get the peanut butter softer and easier to mix.

• Add in all ingredients and mix well.

• Taste your sauce and add in more soy sauce and/or chili garlic sauce/siracha to taste.