Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

These are fun to make. There’s little cooking, other than a quick boil of the rice noodles. Kids like to participate and everyone likes to eat them. The sauce is finger-licking good!

Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Rice paper is wrapped around crisp veggies, dipped in flavorful sauce. No cooking required.
Course: Appetizer, Sauces and dressings, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Spring rolls

  • 2 oz thin rice noodles
  • 12 sheets rice paper spring roll wrappers
  • 1 cup cabbage red or green, sliced very thin
  • 2 carrots cut into matchsticks
  • 1 cucumber sliced very thin
  • 2 green onions chopped
  • 12 pieces butter lettuce
  • 1 jalapeno pepper thinly sliced

Dipping Sauce

  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 Tbs soy sauce
  • 2 Tbs maple syrup
  • 2 tsp Siracha adds heat; to taste
  • 2 Tbs rice vinegar
  • 3 Tbs water

Instructions

Spring Rolls

  • First cook the noodles according to package directions. Should take only a couple of minutes. Drain and rinse.
  • Fill a cake tin that is larger than the rice paper with an inch of water.
  • You will make each spring roll one at a time. Lay the rice paper in the water until it is pliable, about 20 seconds. Take it out and place it on a towel.
    If you leave it in too long, it will disintegrate. You'll get the hang of it!
  • Leaving about an inch on each side, layer a little bit of each filling ingredient, lettuce first, on the bottom third of the wrapper.
  • Roll up the wrapper from the bottom about half way, then fold in the sides. Continue rolling all the way.
  • The wrapper might stay closed; you can also dampen the very top with some water to help it stick.

Dipping Sauce

  • Whisk all the ingredients together.

Notes

Recipe makes 12 spring rolls.
Other optional ingredients include slivers of baked tofu, cilantro, and mint.
Normally my recipes are no-oil but sesame oil adds such great flavor that I’ve included it.
If you take these as your contribution to a meal, better make a lot more – they will go fast!