Fresh Spring Rolls with Shrimp
The sauces really amp up the flavor of these rolls, and are not to be skipped! The no-peanut sauce recipe is printed below. The spicy sesame vinegar is the salad dressing for my Addictive Asian Cabbage Salad. Rice paper can be purchased at an Asian import store, or Whole Foods carries it as well in the States.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 253kcal
Ingredients
Spring Rolls:
- Rice Paper Wrappers
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves (torn into pieces)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced (optional)
Ginger Shrimp:
- 1/2 pound baby shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger finely grated
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon raw honey
"No-Peanut" Sauce:
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup coconut milk (full fat, from the can)
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice (half a large lime)
- 1-2 teaspoon sriracha
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
Ginger Shrimp:
- Add sesame oil to a frying pan, then saute the ginger and garlic on medium for 4-5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add shrimp, and stir fry until cooked through. Add the seasonings, and adjust to taste. Set aside to cool, or place in the fridge until ready to use. It's best for the shrimp to be cooled before adding them to the spring rolls.
No-Peanut Sauce:
- Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend on high speed for about a minute. The coconut milk will whip and the sauce will end up pourable, but light and airy. Once it has been refrigerated, it will solidify a bit, but remain light and airy.
Spring Rolls:
- Set up a "station," with a flat, round bowl of warm (not boiling) water, and bowls of all your filling ingredients. Take a rice paper wrapper, wet it in the bowl quickly. Don't allow the rice paper to sit in the water until it's soft. It will continue to soften as the fillings as added.
- Start by adding herbs to the center of the rice paper wrapper. The leaves can be left mostly whole, but tear them a bit to release the flavors. Then, add the cabbage, carrots, and bell peppers.
- Add the shrimp to the center of the rolls. Try not to overfill or the papers will be difficult to roll.
- Start rolling by folding the top and the bottom in towards the middle, like wrapping a burrito. Then grab a side, and roll over. The rice paper sticks to itself quite well, so the rolls stay wrapped tight.
- If the rice paper is tearing, it is too wet. Try to use a kitchen towel to dry your rolling surface between spring rolls, and make sure the water isn't too hot, and the paper isn't left in the water too long.
- Serve with "No-Peanut" Sauce, or a spicy rice wine vinegar. Often Thais use a sweet chili sauce or a sweet and sour tamarind sauce.
Notes
The key to making beautiful rolls is not over soaking the rice paper. I used to leave the rice paper in the water until it was soft, and then I was get frustrated with the paper tearing. Once I learned not to over soak it, I realized it's very easy to make them. They only need to be soaked in water for about 1-2 seconds (literally!).
Nutrition
Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 1018mg | Potassium: 553mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 9774IU | Vitamin C: 65mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 3mg