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Fresh Rolls with Microgreens

Roll up your salad in rice paper wrappers and dip it into a sumptuous nut-based dipping sauce. If you're peanut-free, try the almond butter dipping sauce option!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time3 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: fresh roll, microgreens, rice paper wrapper
Servings: 8 rolls
Author: April

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

  • 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

Save leftover fresh rolls by storing in an air tight container with a tight fitting lid. Try to keep each roll from touching. Burp the air out with the lid as much as possible and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Store the dipping sauce separately.