Looking for something super fresh? Look no further! Vegetable spring rolls are garden fresh, crunchy, healthy & DELICIOUS! Serve with a homemade peanut sauce or a spicy chili oil 🌶

Ingredients:

1 package rice noodles

2-3 large carrots, skin shaved

2-3 large celery stalks

1 large red bell pepper

5-6 large jalapeño peppers

1 bunch cilantro

1 package spring roll wrappers (note: these are extremely thin, dry rice paper wraps. Not the same as egg roll wraps).

Peanut Sauce:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 Tablespoon spicy chili oil (you can sub Siracha)

1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice (you can substitute white vinegar if you prefer. I find that lime juice provides the acid this sauce needs but also adds freshness)

1 Tablespoon honey (you can sub sugar, but you may want to use a little less)

1-2 Teaspoons soy sauce (I recommend low sodium)

Water (This is only necessary to thin out the sauce. I find it best to make the sauce and then determine how much water to add based on your consistency preference. One of my favorite sayings in cooking is that you can always add more, but once you’ve added too much you can’t take it out.

To Make Sauce:

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Add water 1 spoon at a time to thin out the sauce. In the words of Ina Garten, “How easy was that?”

Try garnishing with some chopped roasted peanuts 🥜

To Make Spring Rolls:

Place dry rice noodles in a large bowl of warm water. Make sure noodles are covered in water. Let sit 30 minutes or until noodles are soft

While noodles are soaking, julienne the carrots, bell pepper & celery

Give the cilantro a rough chop

Finely slice jalapeños

Once noodles are softened, strain the water

Grab another large bowl & fill halfway with water

Take a rice wrap and dip it into the water quickly. The wrap should just barely go into the water for a second, otherwise it will become gummy and you won’t be able to work with it. Note: The quick-dipped wrap will continue to soften as you work with it.

Wraps should be soft and pliable, somewhat like a sheet of phyllo dough.

On a clean surface (I like to use a large baking sheet lined with wax paper) begin assembling your spring rolls.

Lay rice wrap flat & add your julienned carrots, celery & bell peppers to the upper corner of the sheet (lay filling diagonally).

Add slices of jalapeño & cilantro.

Add some rice noodles.

Now carefully roll your wrap around the filling like an envelope. Start by folding the two side corners inward, then roll away from you. The wrap will seal nicely because it is sticky from the quick water bath. I’m not great at rolling these up, but they are paper thin and you can see the colorful vegetables inside so they will be vibrant & beautiful no matter how you roll them up.

Repeat until you have used up all your vegetables.

Place your beautiful vibrant spring rolls on a serving platter & garnish with thin slices of jalapeños & whole cilantro leaves. Cheers to your health!