Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce – Fun to Make, Fun to Eat

In 1979 we only had a small black and white television, so I did not watch much as a child. I do remember a commercial for Ortega tacos, in which people debated the best part about having tacos for dinner – making them or eating them. Children and parents (along with a priest) happily filled hard taco shells with their individual choice of ingredients and in a cheerful, television commercial sort of way, crunched their way through dinner. The tag line at the end of the 30-second spot was “Ortega Tacos. Fun to Make. Fun to Eat.” I don’t know if the commercial influenced me, but I loved eating tacos when I was young because I got to decide what I wanted to put inside, and then I got to assemble them myself; I did like making them and eating them. While my taste in tacos has matured over the years (see my recipes for chicken tacos and steak tacos), I still love the idea of everyone assembling their own meal from an abundance of available ingredients. Enter summer rolls.

Summer rolls (sometimes called fresh spring rolls) are Vietnamese-style wraps using rice paper as the wrappers. Fillings include a variety of healthy ingredients, dominated by lettuce, fresh vegetables, and herbs, and they also sometimes include noodles and a protein. Rolled up nice and neat, there is no need to cook them (not fried = healthier), and they are served at room temperature with either a creamy peanut sauce or a sweet chili dipping sauce.

The ingredients are as varied as the person making them. Lettuces (iceberg or romaine if you like a little crunch), spring mix, or radicchio (for color) are a perfect start. Thin slices of cucumber, shredded carrot, daikon radish, or fresh bean sprouts are delicious additions. For protein, use cooked shrimp, slices of marinated tofu, char siu (Chinese barbeque pork), or sautéed ground turkey. Small pieces of left-over rotisserie chicken would not be out of place. I usually add some cooked somen or rice noodles. And they must include fresh herbs – any combination of cilantro, mint, or Thai basil.

With this wide variety of ingredients, summer rolls are a great dish to serve to friends. They get to choose their own ingredients and as a result they are ideal for vegetarians, vegans, and those who are gluten-free. And they are healthy and delicious. I just lay out a large platter of ingredients, give a quick demonstration, and let the rolling begin. Friends and family who have never made them are always thrilled at just how easy they are to make and how good they taste. Dinner and a show.

And while these summer rolls may not be 100% authentic (neither are my tacos, and certainly not those of my youth), they are certainly fun to make and fun to eat.

Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

When ordered in a restaurant, summer rolls look beautiful and translucent, and most people think they are too difficult to make on their own. Don’t be intimidated! The hardest thing about making them, is obtaining the ingredients. However, if you are in close proximity to an Asian grocery store or you know how to use the internet, you can purchase everything you need.

I have given a list of possible ingredients below, all of which can be prepared ahead of time. Pick and choose what you like. The only non-negotiable items are the herbs. While Thai basil is not widely available (skip it if you can’t find it), cilantro and mint certainly are. And if you are one of the 4 to 14 percent of the population who hates cilantro, leave it out. If you are cooking for vegetarians or vegans, leave the fish sauce out of the peanut sauce, maybe adding a splash of soy sauce in its place. And since the rice paper wrappers and rice noodles are not made of wheat, the meal is perfect for those who are gluten-free.

I have provided the recipe for peanut sauce (modified from Laotian Chef Penn Hongthong’s cookbook Healthy Lao Cuisine), but making or buying a sweet chili dipping sauce would also be delicious. The peanut sauce also works great as a salad dressing.

Peanut Sauce

5 minutes, makes about 1½ cups

¼ cup honey

¼ cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp. fish sauce

1 clove garlic, crushed or finely chopped

½ cup peanut butter

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Add 1 cup of water and blend for 30 seconds or until creamy.
2. Taste and adjust seasonings and the thickness of the sauce. If it is too thick, add water a tablespoon at a time until it is smooth and creamy.

Peanut sauce may be stored refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.

Summer Rolls

rice paper summer roll or fresh spring roll wrappers

possible fillings:

• lettuce
• spring salad mix
• radicchio
• carrots, shredded
• cucumber, sliced thin
• daikon radish, sliced thin
• bean sprouts
• cooked shrimp, tails removed
• marinated tofu, sliced
• char siu (Chinese barbeque pork), sliced
• ground turkey, sautéed
• rotisserie chicken, torn into small pieces
• somen or rice noodles, cooked and then covered in a tablespoon of sesame oil to prevent sticking
• fresh cilantro, mint, and Thai basil, large stems removed, torn if leaves are large

1. Fill a large bowl with warm water.
2. Submerge one piece of rice paper in the water for about 5 seconds. Remove it from the water, allowing excess to drip off.
3. Lay it flat on a plate or cutting board.
4. Place desired fillings on the lower third of the rice paper, making sure there is not too much, so that it is not overstuffed.
5. Fold the bottom of the rice paper wrapper up and over the fillings.
6. Fold both sides of the rice paper towards the center and roll the wrap up from the bottom. There is no need to seal it, since the rice paper is sticky.
7. Serve with peanut sauce.

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