Summer Rolls | Fun Finger Food (V, Gf, Sf)
Summer is coming and what’s better than prepping some delicious bites for those lovely shimmering evenings. This vegan spring roll recipe is always a winner and fun to make. You can make them in advance and keep them in the fridge for a while, but it’s also nice doing them “on the go” while having dinner and putting various ingredients for the stuffing on the table. I made this as a simple, plain, and vegan recipe but feel free to add or change as much to it as you’d like.
Utensils
Small towel
Bowl of warm water
Ingredients
For 8-10 spring rolls:
1 pack rice-paper spring roll wrappers
1 Chinese coleslaw
2 handfuls of sprouts
2 red paprika
1 cucumber
Some additional inspiration:
– Shrimps
– Avocado
– Salmon
– Fresh herbs
– Carrot
– Feta cheese
– Chicken
– Tuna fish
– Lettuce (instead of Chinese coleslaw)
– Organic Grass-Fed Sheep Feta
– Raw cashew nuts
As you see you can go all out with these rolls or keep them simple, whatever you like!
Preparation
Cut your cabbage into small pieces and wash thoroughly. Slice your cucumber and paprika into long, thin strokes of approximately 5 cm (they need to be able to fit inside the spring rolls). The different sprouts I used for this recipe are China rose, alfalfa and leek, they will add a lovely earthy taste to your spring rolls. Put everything on the table or countertop at arm’s length so you can easily work on making the rolls.
Sprouts are too often forgotten in the kitchen. Truth is, they aren’t just delicious but packed with even more healthy nutrients than most “normal” veggies or seeds. The process of sprouting adds tons of enzymes, proteins, minerals and nucleic acids that do nothing but good for you. The sprouting also causes the seeds to be “pre-processed” and are therefore easier to digest and less allergy-prone. They boost your immune system and regulate acidity in your body. Add the fact that they taste delicious and look pretty on any dish, and you are bound to fall in love with these green goodies!
Rolls Rolling
This seems hard but is actually very easy and fun to do. Put a bowl of warm water (you can use a cooker to add some hot water if it gets too cold) and a towel on the table. Make sure the bowl is about the same size or bigger than the spring roll wrappers. Take two rice papers and keep them on top of each other so you are almost guaranteed of a non-tearing roll. Put them in the bowl and push them under water with the tips of your fingers. Let them soak for around 30 seconds until the rice paper is completely soft and transparent. Gently lift the wrapper onto the towel.
Now, as you have the glowing circle of spring roll-goodness in front of you, you can start adding the stuffing. Put them on the bottom half of the sheet and leave some space on the sides. Start with a bit of the coleslaw, then some of the sprouts, make a nice center with some cucumber and paprika (or your other ingredients) and top it off with the cabbage and sprouts again. Don’t be too generous, it’s easier to start with a little less filling for practice.
Here we go! Gently pick up the lowest part of the wrapper and roll over/with the stuffing. As you reach the point where the ingredients are covered but still have some sheet left you fold in the sides. Now finish the spring roll by rolling the last bit. Supereasy! Don’t worry if it doesn’t look that nice yet, it tastes awesome and as you do more they will get prettier and prettier.
Serving
I love to serve these as healthy snack with some lovely smoothies or cocktails in the sun. You can also combine them with a filling soup to make a nice and healthy dinner. But best is to put all sorts of ingredients on the table and have a spring roll fest with your friends. Everyone can choose what they like and create their own personal favorites. If you eat only the spring rolls you can easily count on 6-8 per person, since it’s such a light meal. Use hummus, a touch of low sodium soy sauce or any dip you prefer and your evening is complete. Enjoy!
Photo Credit © The Green Tribe’s Laura
