Healthy, versatile Spring Rolls with a sweet, spicy, creamy peanut butter dipping sauce or a complex, but easy to make Thai dipping sauce.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Asian
Keyword Appetizers, Light Entree, Spring Roll
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 30 minutesminutes
Author Elizabeth at thewildolive.org
Ingredients
Spring Roll wrappers
Assorted veggies and greenssliced into strips and blanched if necessary
Assorted fresh herbs such as basil, mint, cilantro, scallion greens
Cooked shrimp, halved lengthwiseoptional
kani "crab" sticksoptional
Thin rice or wheat vermicelli noodles, cookedoptional
Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce
¼cuppeanut buttereither creamy or crunchy
¼cupwarm water
1Tbsp.lime juice
2tsp.soy sauce
2-3tsp.sugarto taste
½tsp.Sambal Oelek or Srirachato taste
Spicy Thai Dipping Sauce
2Tbsp.lime juice
2Tbsp.rice vinegar
1Tbsp.soy sauce
¼tsp.Srirachato taste
½tsp.Sambal Oelekto taste
2Tbsp.sugar
1tsp.garlicminced
1/2tsp.toasted sesame oil
1Tbsp.finely minced scallion greens
2tsp.chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
Decide what your fillings will be and get them all prepped and waiting, assembly-line style. Fill a large, shallow dish with water. (Your dish needs to be large enough to completely submerge the wrapper without folding it.) Completely submerge wrapper for 15-30 seconds until wrapper is mostly softened. Carefully remove the softened wrapper from the water and lay it perfectly flat on the counter. Sprinkle the counter with water so the wraps will continue to soften and won't stick to the counter. Place desired fillings in the center of the wrap. Be sure to leave the edges free. Place any greens on the bottom, then noodles, other veggies or shrimp, and top with any herbs or scallions. Fold the sides up over the filling, and then fold the bottom over the sides - like you are making an envelope or rolling a burrito. Tuck the fillings into a bundle and roll up like a burrito. You want the bundle tight enough to hold together when you eat it, but not so tight that you tear the fragile wrapper. Chill in the fridge while you make a dipping sauce or two. Be sure to put plastic wrap or damp paper towels between any layers. They will keep in the fridge a few hours, if you are making them ahead.
Spicy Peanut Butter Sauce
Whisk together all ingredients. If dip is too thick, add a bit more water. If it is too runny, add a bit more peanut butter. The texture really depends on the style of peanut butter you use. Adjust the heat to your taste. This sauce shouldn't be HOT, but have a nice balance of salty, sweet, sour and spicy.