Fresh Vegetable Spring Rolls

Fresh Vegetable Spring Rolls are a delightful and light dish that offers a wonderful contrast in textures and flavors. These rolls are filled with chewy rice vermicelli, crunchy vegetables like carrots and cucumber, and fresh herbs such as Thai basil and cilantro. A zesty combination of lime juice, fish sauce substitute, and sugar brings a burst of bright flavors to the filling. The rice paper wrappers encase the filling and are served with a spicy hoisin-peanut dipping sauce, creating a satisfying and refreshing appetizer or light meal. Mastering the technique of preparing these spring rolls ensures you’ll enjoy a restaurant-quality dish at home.

MAKES 8 SPRING ROLLS

INGREDIENTS:

• Salt and pepper
• 2½ tablespoons lime juice (2 limes)
• 1½ tablespoons fish sauce substitute
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 ounces rice vermicelli
• 1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
• ⅓ cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts
• 1 jalapeño chile or 2 Thai chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into matchsticks
• 4 leaves red leaf lettuce or Boston lettuce, halved lengthwise
• 8 (8-inch) round rice paper wrappers
• ½ cup fresh Thai basil or mint, small leaves left whole, medium and large leaves torn into ½-inch pieces
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 recipe Hoisin-Peanut Dipping Sauce

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. MAKE THE FISH SAUCE MIXTURE: In a bowl, combine lime juice, fish sauce substitute, and sugar.
2. COOK THE RICE VERMICELLI: Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Remove from heat, stir in rice vermicelli and salt, and let sit, stirring occasionally, until tender but not mushy, about 10 minutes. Drain the noodles, transfer to a medium bowl, and toss with 2 tablespoons of the fish sauce mixture.
3. PREPARE THE VEGETABLE FILLING: Toss shredded carrot, chopped peanuts, and minced jalapeño with 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce mixture in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, toss the cucumber with the remaining 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce mixture.
4. ASSEMBLE THE SPRING ROLLS: Arrange the lettuce leaves on a platter. Spread a clean, damp dish towel on the counter. Fill a 9-inch pie plate with 1 inch of room-temperature water. Submerge each rice paper wrapper in water until just pliable, about 2 minutes, and lay the softened wrapper on the damp towel. Scatter about 6 basil leaves and 6 cilantro leaves over the wrapper. Arrange 5 cucumber sticks horizontally on the wrapper, leaving a 2-inch border at the bottom. Top with 1 tablespoon of the carrot mixture, then arrange about 2½ tablespoons of the noodles on top of the carrot mixture. Fold the bottom of the wrapper up over the filling. Fold the sides of the wrapper over the filling, then roll the wrapper up into a tight spring roll. Set the spring roll on one lettuce leaf on the platter and cover with a second damp dish towel.
5. SERVE THE SPRING ROLLS: Repeat the process with the remaining wrappers and filling. Serve the spring rolls with the hoisin-peanut dipping sauce, wrapping the lettuce around the exterior of each roll. Spring rolls are best enjoyed immediately but can be covered with a clean, damp dish towel and refrigerated for up to 4 hours.