Spring Rolls with Thai Peanut Dipping Sauce

It’s winter. I know. But this is the season of Christmas cookies, and I’ve eaten nothing but sugar for weeks. And when I go crazy like that, I crave something fresh and crunchy and green! These spring rolls fit the bill and are so easy to throw together.

The ingredients I prefer are listed below, but throw in whatever you have in your fridge. I don’t like peppers, but I’m sure they’d be a great addition. I’ve even used some grated raw brussels sprouts in the past and they were amazing. This is a great clean-out-your-fridge recipe. Just make sure you have both crunchy and soft ingredients!

Oops! Still delicious.

The Recipe

You will need:

• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce (most are vegan, just check the ingredients)
• 2 tablespoons sweet Thai chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• red pepper flakes to taste
• 1 cup cooked vermicelli noodles
• 1 avocado
• juice of half a lime or lemon
• 1 large carrot
• 1 medium cucumber
• lettuce (Your choice! I like soft lettuces. You’ll need about 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, whole
• ~10 spring roll wrappers
• dish of warm water (I like to use a regular dinner plate)

To make:

• Mix the hoisin sauce, Thai chili sauce, peanut butter and red pepper flakes for the sauce. If it’s too thick, thin with water. Set aside.
• Slice your avocado into thin slices and drizzle with lemon or lime juice to prevent browning. Cut the rest of your veggies into thin matchsticks. If you’re fancy, you’d call this julienning!
• Set up a production line, with your veggies on one side and your wrappers on the other.
• Soak a spring roll wrapper in the warm water for ~1 minute. You want it soft, but not so soft that it will fall apart. Experiment to see what works for you.
• Remove the wrapper from the water and place on a flat surface (I used a cutting board but a clean counter would work just fine.) Build your spring roll. Start with the noodles, then pile on the vegetables.
• Roll it up like a burrito! You may have one or two that fall apart – I did! And there’s even photo evidence. But they’ll still be delicious.
• Serve with dipping sauce and enjoy this break from all the sugary Christmas treats!

These actually store very well in the fridge for a day or two, so they’re great for lunch the next day. You just need to be sure they don’t dry out, so wrap them individually in a damp paper towel and store in an airtight container or zip-top bag.

xo Sara