Let's play Family Feud real quick. Name a few things that the first one you make is not the best.
Pancakes — that's an easy one. Crepes, similar. The first of anything that involves icing, like a cookie or cupcake. Dumplings or things that need to be pinched closed. And anything you have to roll up, like a spring roll or a fresh roll. That brings us to today's post on how to make fresh rolls easier to roll up by using microgreens instead of larger pieces of lettuce! This was my first roll. You'll see I got better with each subsequent roll.
Why Microgreens?
I didn't intend to use microgreens necessarily, but when I was at the store I saw a pretty display of City Roots microgreens and I am drawn to them like a moth to a flame. Tiny sprouts, it just makes me want them! Besides, I have been very anti spring-mix lately because it seems like they mold immediately, and I knew I wouldn't be making the fresh rolls until the next day at least. Picking through each leaf to discard the moldy purple ones — always the purple leaves! — didn't seem like it would motivate me to make fresh rolls. So microgreens it is! I picked up snow pea and radish for a green and purple mix, plus the radish would bring a nice bite. If they'd had basil, it would be a perfect addition too!
It's really hard to tell how much of each ingredient to advise to use, it's very flexible and dependent on your tastes and rolling skills, so I'll share approximations — keep that in mind. I had a few rolls without all of the ingredients due to running out before I was done. But if you want everything in every roll, just chop up more. That's the beauty of this recipe!
A Quick Note on This Recipe
Because everything has to be over-justified on the internet these days, no I am not Vietnamese. I have no Vietnamese background, not even a trip there (yet). Yes, I am using Vietnamese ingredients and techniques. No, I don't think I invented this concept at all. But I do enjoy trying and learning about new things to me at home. Is this appropriation? I don't think so, but I am sure someone out there thinks it is.
I am glad these ingredients are so available to me, they are in the big box grocery store around the corner. It means we can enjoy aspects of other cultures even if we don't have the means to travel to the place where it originated. And as someone who just plain loves the taste of these, I enjoy sharing them with you, including my delight at finding out how well microgreens work in fresh rolls to give it a slightly different texture and taste. So there's my over-justification on why I am sharing this recipe as someone who has no stake in the culture from which it originated. I hope you enjoy these too, from a place of delicious food being shared from one person to another, just as it's supposed to be.
Fresh Rolls with Microgreens
Ingredients
Rolls
- 8 sheets rice paper wrappers
- ½ red bell pepper sliced into thin strips
- ½ yellow bell pepper sliced into thin strips
- 4 inches cucumber sliced into thin strips
- 8 baby carrots sliced into thin strips
- 2-3 purple cabbage leaves sliced into thin strips
- 2 varieties microgreens
- fresh Thai basil and/or mint leaves
- 2 ounces vermicelli rice noodles
- fresh edible flowers such as pansies or nasturtiums optional
Dipping Sauce
- ⅓ cup smooth peanut butter OR almond butter
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3-5 tablespoons warm water
- 1 teaspoon sriracha (or to taste)
Instructions
- Boil a medium sized pot of water and cook the rice vermicelli according to package directions (mine was boil water, cook for 3 minutes). Set the noodles aside in a bowl to cool.
- In the microwave, heat up enough water to cover the bottom of a plate or dish that is large enough to fully soak the rice paper in. The water should be lukewarm. Place the water in the plate and set to the left of a large, clean cutting board where you'll do your rolling.
- On a separate rolling board, cut all of your vegetables and separate the leaves from stems as needed. Have them all separate and ready to go in whatever order you want. Put the cool noodles and microgreens nearby too in a mis en place set up.
- When you're ready to roll, dip one sheet of rice paper in the water and use your hands to make sure it soaks all the way through, but work fast, don't let it hang out in the water more than 10 seconds or it will become insanely hard to work with.
- Remove from the water and lay textured side down on the clean cutting board.
- Place the filling ingredients in the area as shown, in the middle lower third of the wrapper, closest to you, but with enough room at the bottom to begin rolling the wrapper. Do not overfill. You'll use 2-3 pieces of bell pepper, a few carrot and cucumber sticks, a pinch of microgreens, a pinch of noodles (tear them as needed to free them from the tangle), and an equally small amount of other ingredients. If you want the flowers to show on the outside, place them down first, stem side up, in the middle of the wrapper, then add other ingredients on top of it, pinning it down.
- When your fillings are in, lift the bottom of the wrapper away from you, towards the filling, and drape it over the filling. Fold each side inwards, encasing the ends of the vegetables completely.
- Use your fingers to keep the filling in a tight log shape as you roll the wrapper up and away from your body.
- Set aside on a clean, dry plate. Dry your fingers before reaching for another dry rice wrapper and repeat the process until the fillings are used. You will have leftover ingredients, like the microgreens and remaining portions of the vegetables you didn't yet use.
Make the Dipping Sauce
- Mix all of the sauce ingredients together. Add the water slowly to achieve preferred dipping consistency. For me, I like it to be thick enough to cling to the roll, but thin enough to dunk easily — about like Hershey's chocolate syrup. You may want to microwave the sauce for 5 seconds to warm it up for a smoother consistency, especially if using almond butter, which can be a little harder to stir into a smooth paste.
Notes
Make Them Your Own
These rolls are incredibly customizable, so if someone doesn't like basil, leave it out of theirs. Don't have purple cabbage on hand? Just leave it out! The only truly necessary ingredient is the rice paper rolls that hold it all together. Everything else you add in is up to your preference.
As for the almond butter dipping sauce option, I know there are a lot of peanut allergies. I made both sauces exactly the same, except a little more water for the almond butter sauce to loosen it up. Once they were thoroughly mixed, I couldn't tell the difference between the two — visually or by taste. Seriously, I had no idea. If you're looking for a peanut-free Asian style dipping sauce for fresh rolls, give this one a try.
The first time I remember having fresh rolls is at a Thai restaurant in DC one weekend. Even though the ones here are a little different, the spirit of enjoying them remains the same. Fresh, rolls.
