Summer rolls are exactly as they sound – fresh, healthy, and full of summery flavors. I love getting them at my favorite Vietnamese or Thai restaurant with cilantro, basil, rice noodles, and shrimp, but you can also make them at home using whatever fillings, protein, and fresh veggies you want! Highly suggest pairing them with an awesome peanut sauce, which you can find at the store or easily make yourself. The trick to these is to only dip the rice paper in hot water once, and rather quickly – if it’s soaked by the time you pull it out of the water, it’ll be too gummy and sticky to successfully use. Have you tried making summer rolls at home?
Shrimp Summer Rolls
Ingredients
- 16 6-8 inch rice paper rounds
- 1 head of lettuce, washed, dried, and torn into pieces
- 2 cups cooked rice vermicelli noodles, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 lb cooked shrimp, peeled
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 2-3 limes, cut into wedges
Peanut Sauce
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2-3 tbsp water, as necessary
Instructions
- Stage all the fillings around where you will be filling the rolls, as once you wet the rice paper, you will have a limited work time. Lightly dampen a towel and place it down on the counter. Fill a large bowl with hot water, make sure the bowl is wide enough that whatever rice paper you choose will be able to fit in it.
- Dip the rice paper quickly into the water half way, then pull it out and dip the other side. It may seem that the paper is still a bit stiff, but the water will soak, and the dampened towel will also help. Lay it flat on the towel, and on the bottom third of the wrapper lay out 3-4 shrimp, followed by some lettuce, noodles, carrots, and herbs. Tightly fold up the bottom of the wrapper around the fillings (just think of it as a small burrito). Fold in the sides, and then continue rolling up the summer roll, as tightly as you can without ripping the paper. If you found the paper way too soft, you may be dipping it in the water too long. A little goes a long way! Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
- To make the peanut sauce, in a small bowl combine all the sauce ingredients, without any water, and whisk until smooth. If it's too thick, add water 1 tbsp at a time until your desired consistency is reached.
- Serve the immediately, or they can be refrigerated for up to 2 hours, covered lightly. Serve with dipping sauce and lime wedges.
- Enjoy!
