Vegetarian Fresh Spring Rolls (Copycat)
A cleansing mouthful of fresh vegetables that makes a delectable appetizer or a fine addition to Asian-influenced meals. Cook time is refrigeration time. Altered from original in Healthy Weeknight Meals.
A cleansing mouthful of fresh vegetables that makes a delectable appetizer or a fine addition to Asian-influenced meals. Cook time is refrigeration time. Altered from original in Healthy Weeknight Meals.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- sauce
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 2 large carrots julienned
- 2 green onions julienned
- 1/2 sweet red pepper julienned
- 1/3 cup napa cabbage thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro minced ( or to taste)
- 1 package (3 oz) dried bean thread noodles
- 16 (8-inch) rice paper rounds softened (see note)
- 1/8 cup fresh thai basil slivered or 1/8 cup mint
- 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil or 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic minced ( i use 2 cloves)
- 1 pinch sugar
- Carbohydrate 7.62067749975229 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 6.04154499951941 g
- Fiber 1.23377497248824 g
- Protein 0.831916666577087 g
- Saturated Fat 0.944873999967661 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (76g)
- Sodium 1293.08245823517 mg
- Sugar 6.38690252726405 g
- Trans Fat 0.315080416648551 g
- Calories 86 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large bowl, combine the carrots, green onions, cabbage, olive oil, cilantro, salt and pepper: toss well.
- Let marinate at room temp for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Meanwhile, place the noodles in a medium bowl.
- Cover with boiling water and soak for 10 minutes, or until the noodles are softened.
- Drain well and snip into 2-inch pieces.
- Set aside.
- Place about 2 Tablespoons of the noodles and about 2 Tablespoons of the vegetable mixture about 1-inch from the lower edge of each rice paper round.
- Sprinkle with basil/mint leaves.
- Fold the bottom edge over the filling; fold in both sides and roll up tightly.
- Press to seal.
- Place on a plate seam side down; cover with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate for 10 minutes (you may also make these ahead of time and refrigerate for several hours).
- Two quick sauces (or use hoisin, hot mustard, etc): In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce and sesame oil.
- In a separate bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, peanut oil, hot sesame oil, garlic and sugar.
- Serve as a dipping sauce with the spring rolls.
- NOTE: To soften the rice-paper rounds before rolling them, fill a large bowl with warm water.
- Dip each rice-paper round into the water for 10 seconds, or until softened and transluceent.
- Remove and let drain on a clean dish towel.
- Do not stack the rice papers; they will stick together.
Working with dried rice paper requires strict adherence to hydration limits; soaking a round for longer than ten to fifteen seconds results in a fragile, unmanageable wrapper that tears instantly upon contact with filling. When submerging the rounds in warm water, test for flexibility rather than total limpness, removing them while they still retain a slight structural firmness so they finish softening on the drying towel. Bean thread noodles demand equal attention, requiring exact boiling water submersion for ten minutes followed by thorough draining and snipping into two-inch lengths to prevent long strands from pulling the rolls apart during the tight packaging process.
Ingredient Adjustments and Dipping Sauces
Julienning the carrots, green onions, and sweet red pepper to a uniform thickness ensures that no single hard edge punctures the exterior starch layer. Allowing the salted vegetable mixture to marinate at room temperature for ten minutes draws out excess moisture, concentrating the vegetal flavors before they enter the wrapper. Fresh Thai basil and mint provide distinct aromatic profiles, and substituting one for the other alters the final herbal intensity significantly without requiring volumetric adjustments. The accompanying sauces rely on precise fat-to-acid ratios, balancing rich peanut and dark sesame oils against sharp rice vinegar and reduced-sodium soy sauce.
- Prevent rice paper from tearing by keeping individual rounds separated on a clean dish towel instead of stacking them wet.
- Avoid soggy rolls by patting the drained bean thread noodles completely dry before mixing them into the filling assembly line.
- Maintain proper texture during short-term storage by keeping the finished rolls under damp paper towels or plastic wrap in the refrigerator for no longer than several hours.
