Fresh Spring Rolls
It’s not about the Spring Roll. They are light and fresh but not super flavorful on their own. It’s all about the sauces. Fresh Spring Rolls with Four Dipping Sauces gives you lots of variety for saucing up Fresh Spring Rolls. When I was little my dad used to call me Saucy because I put sauce on everything. Well, I went to Catholic boarding school….in Mexico…and the food was disgusting so I stashed a bottle of A-1 in my dresser and poured it over all the mystery meat coming out of the convent kitchen. My love for sauces has progressed from the nasty bottled stuff and I really enjoy creating healthy, flavorsome concoctions to pour, dip and drizzle over everything. Fresh Spring Rolls with Four Dipping Sauces is the kind of appetizer you can whip up ahead of time and assemble quick like with a variety of flavors. There are oodles of videos on how to roll them so I will not reinvent the wheel. Here is a good video tutorial if you have never done it. Peanut Sauce is a traditional Thai inspired concoction with lots of versions and comes together fast in the Vitamix. The same goes with Mango & Cilantro Sauce. Spice it up or down with hot chilies. Homemade Sweet Chili Sauce is very good and has no nasty fillers like the bottled stuff. Make it thick with Agar or leave it out for a thinner consistency. The traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce of Lime and Fish sauce is easy, fast and can be embellished with chilies, cilantro, garlic or peanuts.
Fresh Spring Rolls with Four Dipping Sauces
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4 sauces
Ingredients
Spring Roll Filling
- Julienned Vegetables:
- Carrots, Red Peppers, Snap Peas, Daikon Radish, Cucumber
- Herbs:
- Thai Basil, Fresh Mint,Cilantro, Baby Leaf Salad
- Thin Rice Noodles-Soaked in hot water and drained well
- Rice Spring Roll Wrappers
PEANUT SAUCE
- ½ c Water
- 4 Tablespoons Natural Peanut Butter
- 1 thumb size piece of Ginger, peeled
- 2 cloves Garlic, peeled
- 1-2 Tablespoon Sweet Chili Sauce or Honey and a chopped Hot Pepper
- 1 teaspoon toasted Sesame Oil
- small handful of chopped Cilantro
- 2 tablespoons Tamari or Soy
- 1 tablespoon Brown Rice Vinegar
- 1 Lime, Juiced
- 1/4 cup chopped Tomatoes
- Sea Salt to taste
MANGO, CILANTRO DIPPING SAUCE
- 1 ripe mango, diced (or frozen Mango, thawed)
- 1 handful Cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 Hot Chili-seeds removed for less hot
- 2 Limes, juiced
- 4 Tablespoons Fish Sauce (substitute Soy Sauce and a teaspoon of dark Miso or Umeboshi Vinegar)
- Squeeze of Honey to taste
SWEET CHILI SAUCE
- 3 cloves Garlic, peeled
- 3 hot Red Peppers-seeds removed for less hot
- 1/2 cup Jaggery or Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Water
- 1/2 cup Brown Rice or White Wine Vinegar
- pinch of Sea Salt
- Squeeze of Lime Juice
- 1-2 tablespoons Agar flakes
VIETNAMESE DIPPING SAUCE
- Juice of 3 Limes
- Sugar to taste
- 2-3 Tablespoons Fish Sauce (or Vegan substitutes)
- Floaties: Chopped Garlic, Sliced Green Onions, Chopped Cilantro, Chopped Peanuts
Instructions
- Toss all the Veggies, Herbs and Rice Noodles together in a bowl
- Soak a Rice Wrapper in warm water and then lay flat
- Lay some filling on the edge of the wrapper and roll once, fold in the edges and roll up
- Serve right away with dips.
PEANUT DIP
- Whirl everything in the Vitamix till smooth, adding more water to desired consistency
MANGO, CILANTRO DIPPING SAUCE
- Whirl everything in the Vitamix adjusting flavors with honey if to acidic
SWEET CHILI SAUCE
- Whirl the ingredients in the Vitamix till smooth, then simmer over low 10 minutes or so. Add a bit of Agar, let it dissolve without stirring, then simmer and give it a stir. If you want it thicker ass a bit more Agar and repeat. It will thicken as it cools. Thin with a squeeze of Lime Juice
VIETNAMESE DIPPING SAUCE
- Mix the Lime Juice and Sugar until it tastes like a good Limeade. Not too sweet and not too acidic. Add Fish Sauce or substitute vegetarian fish sauce ingredients
- Float any of the condiments on top
Spring Roll Filling
Leave a Reply