Not-So-Summer Rolls

Ingredients

For the rolls

• 1 pack rice paper wrapping sheets, also known as spring roll wrapping papers
• 1-2 nests (roughly 60 g) rice vermicelli noodles

For the filling, an assortment of vegetables such as

• ½ medium cucumber
• 1-2 red or yellow peppers
• 1 carrot
• 1 small head of gem, romaine or iceberg lettuce or some Swiss chard
• 1 large handful of mint (15 g)
• 1 large handful of coriander (10-15 g)
• ¼ red cabbage
• 3-4 radishes

For the dipping sauce

• 3 tablespoons peanut butter, crunchy or smooth
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoons sriracha
• 1 lime, juiced

Method

Add the rice noodles to a large mixing bowl and pour over just boiled water to cover them. Leave them to soak for 5-10 minutes until the noodles have softened. You can taste a noodle to check they are cooked, then drain the water and drizzle over a couple of teaspoons of sesame oil, tossing the noodles well in it so that they don’t stick together. Set the noodles aside while you prepare the vegetables.

Finely chop your chosen vegetables, setting them aside in small piles while you work so it’s easy to prepare the rolls once complete. We suggest using a sharp knife to julienne cut the carrots, cucumber and other vegetables into matchsticks, finely slicing the peppers and cabbage if using and roughly chopping the lettuce and herbs. Most crunchy salad vegetables would work so this is a great way to use up any vegetables you have left in the fridge.

Once everything is chopped, take a roasting tin, large bowl or plate with a lip and fill this with warm water. Take a rice paper sheet and dunk it into the warm water, leaving it submerged for 5-10 seconds – you will immediately feel it soften. Take it out and place it straight onto a chopping board, spreading it out nice and flat. Along the middle of the rice paper, lay out a small amount of the noodles, and add small amounts of each vegetable, plus plenty of the coriander and mint. Be generous with the herbs as it makes a delicious difference to the flavour!

Once all the vegetables are in, tuck one side of the rice paper over the top of them and roll towards the opposite edge, letting the rice paper stick to itself to tighten the roll. You will get the hang of it once you’ve made a couple of them, so don’t panic if they look a bit loose or you’ve added too much or too little filling, you can adjust with the next one. Try not to unroll one you’ve made to correct it, as the rice paper is delicate and may tear and fall apart. Better to move on to the next one, it’ll still taste delicious!

Once all the rolls are assembled, mix the peanut butter, maple syrup, sesame oil, soy sauce, sriracha and lime juice. Adjust to taste, adding more sriracha, more maple syrup or more lime if you like it spicier, sweeter or sharper.

To eat, dip the rolls in the sauce and enjoy! You could also add a few rolls to a container, store in the fridge and take a small container of the dipping sauce with you to brighten your lunchbox.

Extra noodles, herbs, veg and dipping sauce can also be stirred together, with a little extra rice vinegar and soy sauce to loosen them, topped with roasted sesame seeds and you have a quick and easy leftover noodle salad!