Yvonne's Vietnamese Summer Rolls
Yvonne's summer rolls
- Published
Yvonne says: "This is a beautiful appetizer. The fresh Summer Rolls are stuffed with a combination of noodles, tofu or prawns, veggies, fruit, fresh herbs – or all of the above. Serve with a sunflower seed dipping sauce or a coconut basil dip!"
Ingredients & Methods
For the Rolls (Makes 10):
10 spring roll rice wrappers
1 sheet of cooked rice noodles
115g extra firm tofu, sliced into strips and sprinkled with 1 tbsp cornflour, smoked paprika and mild chilli before frying
1 medium size ripe avocado, sliced
1 medium ripe mango, sliced
12 cooked king size prawns
6 radishes, very thinly sliced
Slices of mini bell peppers
Fresh herbs: basil and mint
Pinches of sesame seeds
Pinches of pomegranate seeds (optional)
How to Wrap - Step-by-Step Instructions:
1. Set Up Your Workspace
Fill a large bowl with warm water.
Dampen a clean kitchen towel and lay it flat on your worktop or a large chopping board
Tip: The damp towel prevents the rice paper from sticking and tearing while you work. But I personally prefer on a clean chopping board.
2. Soften the Rice Paper
Dip one sheet of rice paper into the warm water.
Submerge it for just a few seconds until it becomes soft and pliable.
Carefully lay it flat on a clean chopping board or on damp tea towel.
3. Add the Fillings
Place your fillings (like vegetables, fruit, herbs, noodles, or prawns) in the centre of the rice paper.
Leave about 2 inches of space on each side to make folding easier.
4. Fold and Roll
Have a small bowl of warm water to wet your fingers for rolling.
Fold in the left and right sides over the filling.
Fold up the bottom flap over the fillings.
Gently but firmly roll the paper upwards, tucking as you go, until the roll is sealed.
5. Repeat
Continue with the remaining rice paper wrappers and filling ingredients
Tip: Want to keep your rolls from drying out? Cover them with a damp towel while you finish the rest. Serve with your favourite dipping sauce and enjoy!
For the Dipping Sauces:
Yvonne says: "A good dipping sauce makes these rolls irresistible. There are a quite a few varieties, but my favourite is a coconut & basil dip, as well as a sunflower seed butter dip!"
Coconut & Basil dip (to be mixed in a blender):
115ml full-fat coconut milk
Large handful of fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon sunflower seed butter
Half of lime juice
1 garlic clove
One thumb size piece of fresh ginger
Pinch of salt & pepper
Sunflower Seeds dip (to be whisked in a mixing bowl):
115ml creamy sunflower seeds butter (or peanut or almond butter)
Half of lime juice
2 tbsp of rice vinegar or any mild vinegar
1 tbsp of sriracha
1 tbsp of tamari (gluten free), or soy sauce
1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil
2 tsp of maple syrup
1 tsp of grated fresh ginger
4 to 6 tbsp of water, as needed
To Prepare:
First make the dipping sauce by combining all of your chosen ingredients until smooth.
Season to taste, then pour into a little bowl.
Assemble the worktop area for the rolling.
Cook and drain your choice of noodles.
Pan fry your prawns from raw (4-5 mins), until they reach a pink colour.
Slice and coat your tofu slices in cornflour before frying in a pan with a little bit of olive oil. A sprinkling of smoked paprika and mild chilli can be used on the tofu.
Prepare the rest of your vegetables, fruits, proteins and seeds into individual bowls.
Yvonne's Tips:
Add bean sprouts, red peppers, or purple cabbage for extra crunch.
Keep the tin of coconut milk in the fridge so that a creamy layer can form during refrigeration.
Lay a green leaf lettuce inside the spring roll wrapper for extra texture.
Tuck in thinly sliced spring onions for a savoury kick.
When cooking tofu, you should first press it through a sieve or by hand to remove excess water - this is also why extra firm tofu is the best type to purchase. When cooking on a frying pan, it is best to leave it undisturbed to fry for 3-5 minutes on each side.
Whatever you do, don't skip the herbs!