Distractions are sneaky things. They swoop in unexpectedly and divert your attention just long enough to make you forget the destinations to which your motivation was guiding you. Exhibit A ↑. A tasty summer roll and dipping sauce that was created, photographed, and devoured yesterday with the intent of sharing with you today. However, upon inserting the above photo into this post, I stood up, opened the fridge, and pulled out the three remaining summer rolls that yesterday's appetite had spared... and then there were none. Distraction at its hungriest.
Before being distracted, I planned to delve into this post with a lengthy story about my grocery store escapades from yesterday. It includes my quips with a large grocery store chain that I shopped at only because I thought they were more likely to have rice paper wrappers than TJ's. They didn't. That failure alone was nearly all the encouragement I needed to never return to this grocery store again but then I figured I best not be hasty. However, the store's fate was truly sealed when my poorly bagged Kombucha launched itself from the cart in the parking lot, ate some serious pavement, and then proceeded to break in a manner that allowed it to fizz and spray up my shorts. This garnered not one but two pitying glances from onlookers.
After a few disappointing calls to other grocery stores, I finally found the elusive rice paper wrappers at an Asian food market a few blocks away. Recipe abandonment diverted.
These rolls are super easy to throw together once you've sliced and diced, and they are packed with bright summer flavors. The spicy peanut dipping sauce coats the rolls in a tangy and flavorful glaze. I especially love how the cilantro, red pepper, and mango play off of one another. The cucumber adds a crunchy bite of freshness and the avocado adds an indulgent layer of creaminess. These rolls make the perfect summer appetizer for a party or a light dinner for two.
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sriracha chili garlic sauce (feel free to add more, to taste)
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon raw agave nectar
- water to thin, if needed
- 12 rice paper rounds (aka spring roll wrappers)
- 1 cup baby greens of choice (spinach, romaine, arugula, etc)
- 1 red bell pepper, cleaned, seeded, and thinly sliced
- 1 small cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 mango, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, peeled, seeded and sliced
- 6 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
- For the Spicy Peanut Sauce: Add first seven ingredients to a bowl and whisk until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate for at least a half hour before serving to bring out the flavors within the sauce.
- For Summer Rolls: Fill a wide-mouth bowl with hot, not boiling, water. Take rice paper round, slide into water, let sit for 10 seconds, and remove. Place on a clean work surface.
- Fill the bottom third of the rice paper round with greens, two strips of the pepper, cucumber, mango, avocado, and scallion. Top with a small handful of cilantro leaves.
- Fold in the sides of the rice paper wrapper first, then begin to tightly roll the rice paper wrapper forward. Set roll aside.
- Repeat with each rice paper round.
- Serve alongside spicy peanut sauce.
Very light and flavourful. Refreshing, I dare say. Nice idea!
Very fresh and tempting....can't wait to try one.
Gorgeous! I hope your shorts survived the kombucha explosion.
Very nice post. I certainly love this website. Stick with it!
These look amazing. Just shared on my FB page https://Facebook.com/JacquelinesGems. Hope you stop by!
I am really glad you posted this recipe because I have been indirectly looking for recipes like this for a while. Though as I was tasting the sauce I thought something was missing. I added coconut milk and it tasted awesome. I think the peanut butter comes off as too strong, but I am really grateful you posted this recipe because I want my family to eat more healthy without consuming meat. Thank you!!! :)
Hi, Mina! I'm so glad you gave the recipe a try and are enjoying it. Also, great idea to add a bit of coconut milk to cut the peanut butter flavor if it's too intense. Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback and adjustments; I really appreciate it.
My husband made these last night. I had two at midnight when I got home from work, two for breakfast, and then two for lunch. I love them! The recipe made so many. The only trouble is that they're pretty hard to put together and then they sort of fall apart... but maybe it just takes time to get the hang of assembling them. Good recipe!