Posted by Tastefully Simple on March 27, 2020
Pasta. Bread. Toilet paper.
I don’t know how your local grocery stores look these days, but the aisles are a bit bare here in Minnesota when it comes to certain pantry and household staples. (Maybe it’s just because Midwesterners make a lot of hotdish when they need comfort food. We won’t speculate about the toilet paper.)
But do you know what’s still stocked in abundance at many of our local stores? Fresh produce!
Unless you’re a pro with canning and freezing, most people don’t buy huge quantities of fresh produce at a time, so many grocery stores are staying well stocked with fresh fruits and veggies. And that means a lot of us have the opportunity to make some pretty healthy choices right now. (Silver linings, right?)
Not sure what to do with all of that fresh produce though? Behold: spring rolls. Made with fresh veggies and simple rice wrappers, these colorful and crunchy rolls are delicious dipped into all kinds of Tastefully Simple sauces, too. You can even let everyone in your family make their own, turning it into a fun hands-on dinner activity.
Easy as 1-2-3: How to Make Spring Rolls
Here’s how to make ‘em tonight, complete with step-by-step photos.
Step 1: Prep Your Veggies & Fillings
Slice your fresh veggies, and keep them within easy reach for assembling your spring rolls.
Look at all of those fresh, bright colors!
Traditionally, the most common fillings for spring rolls are:
– Butter lettuce
– Red cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded
– Carrots, cut into matchsticks
– Cucumbers, cut into matchsticks
– Prepared vermicelli or other rice noodles
– Fresh cilantro and/or mint
I’ll share a couple of my favorites below, but feel free to experiment with different combinations. Even though it’s not traditional, you can even add proteins such as cooked shrimp and thinly sliced steak, like we did. (Again … Midwesterners.)
Step 2: Layer on Flavor
Fill a shallow pan with about 1 inch of warm water. (Pie pans work nicely!)
Place one rice wrapper in the water for about 3-5 seconds. Gently place the wrapper on a wet cutting board. Tip: Keeping your cutting board wet will help prevent the wrapper from sticking.
Leaving about an inch of space around the edges, layer your ingredients on the bottom half of your rice wrapper, like this:
And this …
Step 3: Let’s Roll
Roll it up, burrito-style. Repeat with remaining wrappers, and serve the spring rolls with your favorite dipping sauces on the side.
Try these Honey Teriyaki Spring Rolls:
By the way, ½ cup Honey Teriyaki Sauce mixed with ¼ cup peanut butter makes a delish dipping sauce for these, too!
You can also make these, featuring thinly sliced steak and sweet red bell peppers:
Just don’t be afraid to experiment a little with different combinations.
Have fun in the kitchen, friends. And no matter how crazy life gets, let’s keep rolling with it – together!
– Jen