Vegetable Spring Rolls With Two Dipping Sauces
Vegetable Spring Rolls - they are so fresh and beautiful and will make you feel light and healthy from the inside out. The ingredients are so simple - just raw vegetable wrapped in delicate rice paper, and drizzled with a scrumptious sauce……..But the finished product looks like a culinary work of art.
Fresh herbs are a must! A good clean dipping sauce (of course) and a high quality rice paper wrapper are also key ingredients for success. The sauce will enhance the flavor, and it’s fun to include more than one. For this recipe we have included two of our current favorites - Our Tuesday Tahini Sauce and Perfect Peanut Sauce.
We know that making Spring Rolls from scratch might sound intimidating, but once you get the feel for the technique, you won’t want to stop rolling these beauties!
We have included a video tutorial at the bottom of this post to help you get the hang of it.
VEGETABLE SPRING ROLLS WITH TWO DIPPING SAUCES
Ingredients
For the Spring Rolls:
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1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded an thinly sliced
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1 cucumber , sliced into 3 inch long thin strips
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1 cup grated carrots
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1 cup grated red cabbage
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1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
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3 scallions, white and green parts chopped
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1 tsp low sodium tamari or soy sauce
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1 tsp toasted sesame oil
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1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar
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10, 22 cm round rice paper wrappers
TUESDAY TAHINI SAUCE:
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1/2 cup tahini
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3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
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3-4 cloves garlic, peeled
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1 tablespoon fresh ginger, pee;ed
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1 tablespoon tamari
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pinch of cayenne
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1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
PERFECT PEANUT SAUCE:
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1/3 cup natural peanut butter (we like 365 Whole Foods brand, no stir)
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2 tablespoons rice vinegar
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2 tablespoons tamari
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2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
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1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
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1 cloves garlic, minced
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2 to 3 tablespoons water, as needed
MAKE THE TAHINI SAUCE:
Add all sauce ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend on high until creamy and smooth. Note: You may need to add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time if you’re working with thick tahini. Continue to add hot water until your sauce will easily blend into a creamy, smooth mixture. Pour sauce into a small container and cover until ready to serve.
MAKE THE PEANUT SAUCE
In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, rice vinegar, tamari, honey, sesame oil, and garlic. Whisk in 2 to 3 tablespoons water, as needed to make a creamy but "dip-able" sauce.
HOW TO ASSEMBLE SPRING ROLLS: (PLUS VIDEO TUTORIAL BELOW)
1. In a large bowl, combine all of the sliced veggies and chopped herbs.
2. In a small bow, stir together the tamari, oil, and vinegar. Drizzle over the veggies and toss lightly to coat
3 Pour very hot water into a dish or skillet and immerse rice paper to soften for about 15-30 seconds.Transfer to a cutting board covered with a damp towel and gently spread out the edges. (Make a few extras as this part takes a little practice and finesse - have fun and don’t be in a rush)
4. In the middle of the wrapper, place a small, tightly packed pile of vegetables - arranging them in the same direction. Roll up like a burrito: fold the ends over, then tightly roll up. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and veggies.
4. Place seam-side down and cut on the bias - transfer to your serving platter along side your favorite dipping sauce(s)
*A quick video tutorial on how to roll a Spring Roll.