These fresh rolls are made for eating, that’s just what you’d do

Since the long weekend, I acquired a new food addiction. They’re delicious, easy to make and incredibly moreish: I’m talking about Thai-style fresh spring rolls, filled with rice vermicelli, lots of vegetables, avocado, chillies, basil, mint and parsley. I will tell you exactly what I used, although you are encouraged to try new combinations.

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I think what makes these fresh rolls so great are three elements working in harmony: the soft creamy texture provided by the avocado and vermicelli together, the crunch from all the vegetables and the aroma of the herbs, of which both mint and basil in my opinion are key. Play along these lines (for example, why not try mango instead of avocado) and your rolls will always be a success.

The only struggle if you never used rice paper before, is to keep it flat after you soak the sheet in hot water. I filled a large plate with boiling water and immersed the paper sheet in it, taking it out with both hands after about 10 seconds and placing it on another plate where I added all the fillings before wrapping up the roll.

I prepared a 340g jar of sauce by mixing equal parts of tamari soy sauce and water and adding almond butter, palm sugar, two small cloves of crushed garlic and dried ginger and chilli. I used the sauce to add moisture to the vermicelli inside the rolls, and also as a dip.

The rolls turned out amazing, every morsel giving you a new taste sensation because of the many ingredients and aromatic elements in them.

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Here is what I used, although as I said you are free to try different combinations (I certainly will!).

 

Makes 18:

 

 For the rolls

18 rice paper sheets

18 small lettuce leaves or beetroot tops

100g rice vermicelli

3 avocados, sliced thinly lengthways

1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced lengthways

3 large spring onions thinly sliced

4 medium red chillies thinly chopped

2 carrots, grated

1 small turnip, grated

1 small beetroot, grated

a bunch of basil (even better if you find Thai basil)

a bunch of mint

 

For the sauce

150ml tamari sauce

150ml water

3 tsp of almond butter

2 tsp of palm sugar

2 small cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tsp dry powdered ginger

1 tsp dry powdered chilli

 

Method:

 

Lay all the ingredients in front of you ready to be used, one large plate and one smaller plate for assembling the rolls. Boil a kettle with water, get one rice paper sheet out, place it on the large plate and cover with boiling water for about 10 seconds. With both hands get the sheet out of the water and place on the other plate, smoothing it out flat.

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Place the lettuce or beetroot leaf at the bottom, followed by a small handful of vermicelli. Spread a teaspoon of sauce over them, then layer a few slices of avocado. On top of it lay two or three slices of pepper, spring onion and chillies to taste. Then top everything with the grated carrot, turnip and beetroot. Place about four mint leaves along all the length of the roll, add some parsley and two basil leaves. Fold the bottom and top of your rice paper over the filling, then roll it close.

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Repeat with all ingredients and enjoy with your friends!

 

Health score: a full, guiltless, 10 🙂

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Carolina Stupino

1 Comment

  1. Tonia Picciano on April 9, 2015 at 9:19 am

    wonderful combination of colours and flavours….
    Light tasty and healthy meal
    It is a visual pleasure confirmed by harmonic taste.

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