Tonight’s dinner incorporated two ingredients I’ve never used before…and was quite nervous about using!
1. Rice Sticks:
Much thinner than rice NOODLES, they are similar to cellophane or glass noodles and take just 3 minutes to cook!
2. Rice Paper Wrappers: The egg roll wrapper’s chewier, rice cousin.
If you haven’t guessed – I made Fresh Spring Rolls for dinner!
The good news is that fresh spring rolls are surprisingly fool-proof, thanks to a strong rice paper wrapper that seems rather impenetrable to anything besides a knife and my chompers, and that they are INSANELY, amazingly, delicious!
First we start with zee fillings:
- Cucumber
- Carrots
- Green onion
- Extra firm tofu (pressed, cut into strips and tossed with some dipping sauce)
- Rice sticks
- Avocado
- Basil
I laid them out next to a clean, dry plate and another plate which I flooded with warm water.
I was kind of freaking out because right out of the package the rice paper wrappers are pretty thick, sturdy and…textured? On the contrary – the fresh spring rolls you get at a restaurant are thin, delicate and chewy. At any rate, I pressed on.
After I dunked the wrapper in warm water for 10 seconds, I laid it out on my dry plate and added the toppings.
Magically, as the wrapper laid on the plate, it went from hard, to soft! Yes! I continued to wrap the roll similar to an eggroll – like this – except I rolled them as tight as I could. I thought the wrapper might rip, but it didn’t. Impenetrable, I’m telling you.
Just like that, I had a fresh spring roll! I was slightly shocked, as it was so much easier than I thought! It was loose, but TASTY!!!!
I put the petal to the metal on the next ones, wrapping them super snug.
And it was good!!
SO good! Seriously – I am in LOVE with these things!
Chewy wrapper, fun noodles, creamy avocado and hearty tofu.
Plus you’ve got a nice crunch from the cucumber, carrots & green onion. Amazing texture combos goin’ on!
I served my rolls (and tossed my tofu) with a quick & easy dipping sauce:
Peanut Dipping Sauce
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons peanut butter
1 Tablespoon hot water
1 teaspoon chili garlic paste
2 Tablespoons chopped peanuts
It was, dare I say, perfect? This whole dish was! Who knew making fresh spring rolls at home was so easy. I can’t wait to make these again! 
Have a great night!
~~~~~
What are some foods you were scared to eat or cook with for the first time?
Do you usually order appetizers when you’re out at restaurants? How about dessert?
I was pretty petrified to cook tofu for the first time. Now I can’t live without it!!! And nah, I usually just go for the entree!
I suggest putting rice noodles, carrots, mint, cilantro, carrots, and any sort of lettuce. Thats how they make them at the Vietnamese place where I live, and I get them every time I go there.
Whoops. Put carrots twice!
I can’t wait to try this out! Thanks for sharing!!
I found this on StumbleUpon and I just finished eating the spring rolls I made following this recipe. Thank you for sharing! They were delicious; mine weren’t as tightly wrapped as yours, but still delicious.
Thanks for showing me how easy these were to make! I used a pre-chopped broccoli slaw(can buy in a bag…good short cut!), mint, green onions, and finely chopped chicken tossed in ginger soy sauce. I served them with a Thai sweet and sour dipping sauce…delicious!
How far ahead can you make these ?
Probably a couple hours in advance.
These spring rolls were delicious and the peanut dipping sauce was even better. I have really enjoyed your recipes. Thank you!
i don’t know speek very good english:(, but i love your “fresh spring rolls”…
Thank you for posting this! Loved learning how easy these are to make!
[...] you can make spring rolls all week. Kristin of Iowa Girl Eats gives us a wonderful step-by-step on fresh spring rolls with a great peanut dipping sauce. source: iowagirleats.com Visit link [...]
Your pictures look delicious. This is actually what I had for dinner tonight, minus the avocado.
I’ve been experimenting with peanut sauce recipes for a long time now, trying to find the perfect one. I will definitely give yours a try! (I usually go with a base of PB, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rooster sauce and a bit of lemon juice)
Thank you! Where do you find rice paper wrappers? Rice sticks, yes, but none of the oriental food stores I’ve tried have rice wrappers. And I’ve tried both the DC area and several in New England…
I found mine at the Oriental Grocery Store here in town, but I’ve also seen them at my regular grocery store before!
do you think a batch could be frozen, then thawed out in the fridge the day before or morning you want to eat them?
I’m not sure how the rice paper would react to being frozen then thawed. I’m thinking it might fall apart.
I’m Vietnamese, and I can tell you that you definitely don’t want to freeze these! You can keep them in the fridge overnight if you want them for breakfast or lunch the next day.
Fun recipe, btw! If you have access to starfruit and young green mango (check your local Asian market), they’re also delicious in spring rolls. Chives are great too.
[...] How To Make Fresh Spring Rolls | Iowa Girl Eats 2 teaspoons peanut butter 1 Tablespoon hot water 2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon chili garlic paste 2 teaspoons soy sauce 2 Tablespoons chopped peanuts [...]
[...] Fresh spring rolls. (via CRAFT) [...]
[...] you need some inspiration on what to make for food this weekend, check out this recipe for fresh spring rolls. Always a good choice for tasty [...]
I have been making these for years and I enjoy seeing other people’s ingrediants. I usually just use shrimp, mint or basil, bean sprouts, and noodles. In the summer I add pineapple and it taste great.
Thank you so much for this recipe! My hubby and I both LOVE it so much it has earned a regular spot in our meal rotation! Beyond Delicious!
[...] Spring Rolls Are a Cinch The recipe my fabulous neighbor makes is almost exactly like this one from Iowa Girl Eats. Kristin fully discloses how intimidated she was by the rice paper’s original [...]
Found this on Pinterest today. I’m looking for an alternative to “egg rolls”. I love these when we eat out, glad you broke it down!
Just made this for lunch for my boyfriend and me. It was delicious!!! Thanks for the beautiful pictures. Greetings from St. Louis, MO!