Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls

You know those fancy Vietnamese spring rolls you get at restaurants that are so delicious? Well, believe it or not, they aren't as difficult to make as they may seem! I first had these at a friend's house. We served them family style and everyone made their own rolls. It was so much fun and so delicious, I had to make the whole meal again myself. I made it with Salmon, but you can make it with shrimp, or really any protein or veggie ingredients that you would like. And while typically you'll find spring rolls served as an appetizer in restaurants, these are delicious as the main course. They only take 20 minutes or so to make (or however long it takes the fish to cook, as that takes the longest)! Healthy, filling, and fun to make...you'll really enjoy these! So here we go...


First, I baked the salmon. Just crack a little salt and pepper over the fish, a spritz of lemon and pop it in the oven to bake (typically at 425degrees for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the fish). You can also oven-poach the fish or cook in any other way you like...a miso marinade would also be delicious!


While the fish was cooking, I made the dipping sauce so the flavors could marinade together while I was preparing the rest of the meal. I created the sauce by taste, so here are my approximate ingredients:


1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
1 Garlic Clove chopped and mashed into a paste
3 Tbsp Okonomi or Hoisin Sauce
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tsp Sriracha (or other chili-garlic paste)
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
Spritz of lime or lemon juice
About 1/4-1/2 Cup of water to thin out the sauce to desired thickness


Combine all ingredients until smooth and serve at room temperature (you can make the day before and refrigerate, just be sure to pull it out plenty of time before serving).


Then, I boiled water for the rice vermicelli noodles. I'd suggest about a handful of uncooked noodles per two people. It only takes two-three minutes for the noodles to cook.


Finally, I prepared the lettuce leaves and cut a cucumber into thin sticks. If you'd like, I bet these would also be good with herbs like mint and cilantro or scallions...get creative!

When the fish was cooked and all the ingredients were prepped, it was time for the fun part...putting it all together!

Using rice paper spring roll wrappers (which you can find at any Asian Grocery or probably even your local store), roll the stiff wrapper in warm water until it is completely wet (but not soaked). As the wrapper sits on your plate, it will get softer so just start loading! I first put a lettuce leaf on the wrapper and took a helping of the noodles to spread down a line. I'd suggest lining everything up slightly off center so you can get a good roll going. I added some cucumbers and grabbed a few pieces of fish to put inside as well. 

Once I was satisfied with the contents of my spring roll (be careful not to over-stuff it!), I started rolling, just like rolling a burrito! The rice paper will be softened by then and you won't have any trouble. Make sure you wrap it tight, but be careful to to rip it! The rice paper sticks to itself but if you are having trouble getting the paper to seal, stick a finger in the warm water and rub it on the end to make it close. I typically fold up one side before rolling the entire roll so everything doesn't fall out, but whatever works for you!

 

Then, dip it in the peanut sauce! If you're up for some extra spice, add extra sriracha and enjoy! 

It's a lot of fun to make, and perfect for an interesting, hands-on dinner party!