The weather is starting to warm up here in Arizona and that makes me crave refreshing and cool foods. One of my favorite things to make is fresh spring rolls. Not only are they super easy to make, but they look super fancy!! You can change up the ingredients based on what you have available, but I like adding chicken to my spring rolls.
I first learned how to make fresh spring rolls in college while I was interning in Washington DC. One of my friends had a Laotian supervisor and one weekend she invited us all over for lunch. What was on the menu? Fresh spring rolls!! Not only did we all try a new food, but she also taught us how to make it. Aren’t those the best memories?
Ever since I have been hooked. If you have never had fresh spring rolls, then you are missing out!! They are so refreshing and yummy!! My favorite part of fresh spring rolls is the fresh mint. At the first bite, you get a burst of cool and crisp flavor that will have you wanting more.
These are my take on fresh spring rolls and I changed up a few ingredients based on my food preferences. The more traditional Vietnamese fresh spring rolls have shrimp in it. I love shrimp but my husband is not a fan. So, we opt to use chicken instead. If you are vegetarian these would also taste great with fried tofu or by itself with some more vegetables added.
The only tricky thing about this recipe is the spring roll rice paper. It’s super thin and may take a few tries to nail the wrapping. But once you get a hang of it, you are all set. Because the spring roll wrapper is rather delicate, these spring rolls will stick together if not eaten immediately. So, if you plan on saving these for later. Make sure to wrap each spring roll in plastic wrap before storing in an airtight container.
I like serving my fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce. You can make your own or opt to buy store bought peanut sauce. The combination of flavors is so delicious!! You can find most of these ingredients in your local grocery store, however, I like visiting my local Asian grocery store for more flavorful ingredients.
Have fun making these. If you are more of a visual person, I made a YouTube video on how make Fancy Fresh Spring Rolls. If you do make this, please send me a picture on Instagram or Facebook. I always love seeing your fancy creations.
Fancy Fresh Spring Rolls
Yields: 8-10 Spring Rolls
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. of cooked chicken, shredded or sliced
- 3 large leaves of romaine lettuce, cut into 2 x 3 rectangles
- 2 carrots shredded or thinly sliced
- 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 bunch of fresh mint
- 1 bag of Vermicelli rice noodles
- 1 package of Spring roll wrappers
- Peanut sauce for dipping
Directions:
- Gather all prepared and chopped ingredients in front of you
- Boil 1 liter of water and cook vermicelli rice noodles for a few minutes and rinse with cold water. Save about 2 cups of the excess boiled water.
- In a shallow dish or plate, pour the saved boiled water into the dish. Then place your spring roll wrappers into the warm water and start to soften your spring roll wrappers until 75% translucent and transfer to a new plate. This should take a few seconds.
- Layer ingredients in the middle of the spring roll wrapper. I like to add my ingredients in this order. Romaine lettuce, rice noodles, chicken, carrots, cucumbers, and mint.
- Carefully fold both sides of the spring roll wrapper to the center and start to tuck and fold the other sides into a burrito. You want the wrapper to be tight, but loose enough so the wrapper doesn’t rip.
- Repeat this until all ingredients are used up!
- Voila, enjoy with your peanut sauce
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Want to learn how to make another refreshing and delicious recipe? Then head here to learn how to make Fancy Navajo Coconut Chia Seed Pudding. https://thefancynavajo.com/2019/03/22/fancy-navajo-coconut-chia-seed-pudding/
