Fresh Vegetable Spring Rolls
These fresh spring rolls are like a handheld salad and much healthier than fried egg rolls. They are loaded with crisp lettuce, crunchy red cabbage, fresh herbs, carrots, cucumbers, and tender rice noodles. We added shrimp to some spring rolls for extra protein, but feel free to leave them out or substitute them with tofu.
Print
Pin
Save
Servings: 10 to 12 spring rolls
Calories: 121kcal
Ingredients
- 18 medium shrimp optional
- ½ package of vermicelli rice noodles
- 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 head butter lettuce or red leaf lettuce
- 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
- 3 carrots cut into thin strips or shredded
- 1 cucumber seeds removed and cut into thin strips
- 3 green onions cut into thin strips
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves
- ½ cup fresh Thai basil leaves
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- 12 sheets of rice paper spring roll wrappers
Dipping Sauce
Instructions
Prepare the Shrimp (if using)
- Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. While the water boils, prepare a bowl of ice water.
- Add the shrimp to the boiling water and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until bright pink.
- Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the ice water to stop them from cooking.
- Peel the shrimp and slice them in half length-wise.
Make the Spring Rolls
- Place the vermicelli noodles in a large bowl and poor hot water over them. Let them sit in the water to soften while you prepare the vegetables.
- Once the noodles are soft, drain them. Place the noodles in a bowl and toss them with rice vinegar and soy sauce.
- Remove the thick stem on the lettuce. Place the vegetables, shrimp, and noodles together at your workstation so you can assemble the rolls easily.
- Pour a cup of warm water into a pie plate and dip your rice paper in it for 3 to 4 seconds. It should still be slightly stiff, and it will continue to re-hydrate while you make the rolls. Don't soak it until it is soft, or it will be unmanageable.
- Brush a small amount of water on your counter or a cutting board and lay the wet rice paper on the damp surface.
- Place a piece of lettuce toward the top third of the rice paper. Add a pinch of the rice noodles then a bit of each of the veggies and herbs. Line three shrimp halves about 2 inches away from the opposite edge of the wrapper.
- Roll the rice paper over the vegetables and then the shrimp. Tuck the ends of the rice paper over as you roll to close the ends.
- Continue with the remaining ingredients.
Notes
- If the spring roll wrapper tears when you make the rolls, you can dip another wrapper in the water and roll it in a second layer.
- You can make these salad rolls 2 days in advance, but they are much better if you eat them the same day you make them. The rice paper wrap gets a bit tougher when you refrigerate it.
- Keep the work surface slightly damp so the spring roll wrapper doesn't adhere to the counter.
- Make sure you don't soak the wrapper too long in the water. You just want to dunk it in the water and then remove it. Place it on the counter while it is still stiff. If you soak it longer, it will be impossible to work with.
- If you don't serve the spring rolls immediately, lay a damp dish towel over them to keep them from drying out.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 roll | Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 222mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g