Vegetable Summer Rolls

Though I love ordering them at restaurants, for years I have been too intimidated by summer rolls to try to make them myself. The whole wrapping/dipping sauce thing had me convinced that they were much too complicated. However, the other day at the grocery store I spotted some rice paper wrappers while buying fish sauce (a new staple in my apartment) and decided to give it a try. Though the first one I made was a little wonky, to my surprise I quickly got the hang of it and they weren’t too hard to master. A perfect appetizer before Pad Thai, or you could do what A. and I did and just have them for dinner.

Vegetable Spring Rolls (adapted from Food & Wine and Tyler’s Ultimate)

For chile dipping sauce:

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons water

1 small red chile, thinly sliced

For peanut dipping sauce:

3 garlic cloves, minced

1-inch piece ginger, minced

3 scallions, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 cup peanut butter

6 tablespoons water

3 oz vermicelli

12 rice paper wrappers

3 large carrots, cut into matchstick-size pieces

1 cucumber, cut into matchstick-size pieces

1 avocado, thinly sliced

4 oz tofu, cut into thin slices

Small handful basil, julienned

Whisk all ingredients for chile dipping sauce together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Sauté garlic, scallions, ginger, and red pepper flakes until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Whisk in vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, peanut butter, and water until peanut butter melts. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.

Place vermicelli noodles in a medium bowl. Pour boiling water over, and let soak until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water.

Working in batches of two, soak rice paper wrappers in a shallow bowl of water for 5 seconds. Let soften for 30 seconds, then place a little bit each of rice noodles, carrots, cucumber, tofu, basil and 1 slice avocado on top. Fold up sides of wrapper and roll until sides close (it’s kind of like making a burrito). Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve immediately with dipping sauces.