Fresh Summer Rolls with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce are light, crunchy, and healthy, and paired with a craveable yet easy dipping sauce!
Fresh Summer Rolls with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce are a summer staple at our house.
Not only are they light and refreshing, but healthy and customizable too. Make then devour on demand – they’re perfect for piping not nights where you don’t want to turn on the oven or grill to cook.
Fresh, healthy, crunchy, creamy, and flavorful – you’re going to adore these rolls!
How to Make Fresh Summer Rolls
Start by spiralizing 2 small, thin cucumbers using the thinest blade on your unit. I have a Paderno Spiralizer and love it.
If you don’t have a spiralizer, peel then seed the cucumbers, and then slice them into thin sticks.
Transfer the spiralized cucumbers to a colander to drain while you prep the rest of the ingredients – you’ll be surprised by how much water comes out!
Next cook 15 jumbo shrimp that have been peeled, deveined, and tails removed.
Drop the shrimp into salted boiling water for 1-1/2 minutes, or until cooked through, then slice in half widthwise and chill.
I’ve made this recipe with smaller shrimp kept whole but they tend to slip and slide around when rolling. 16/20 count jumbo shrimp (meaning there’s between 16 and 20 shrimp per pound,) sliced in half make for nice and stable base for the roll.
Next pluck 20 leaves each mint and basil (cut basil leaves in half it they’re large,) peel then slice 2 carrots into matchsticks, and thinly slice 1 avocado.
I really love the combination of mint and basil in these rolls – so refreshing and distinctively “summer roll”.
Last step is to separate the leaves from 1 small head green leaf lettuce. This is just your run of the mill green leaf lettuce found at any grocery store.
Alrighty, time to wrap the rolls, starting with 10 rice paper rounds. You can find rice paper at nearly any grocery store these days in the Asian foods aisle.
Rice paper rounds are textured and firm, and need a 5-7 second soak in warm tap water to become pliable.
You want the wrapper to be pliable but not soggy when transferring it over to a cutting board to fill – you’ll see what I mean when you’re doing it!
Place three shrimp halves cut side up in the center of the wrap, then place a piece of lettuce on top, trimming if it extends past the shrimp.
Fill the lettuce leaf with a couple slices of avocado and carrot, plus two leaves each fresh basil and mint. Finally, add a small handful of cucumber noodles then gently stretch the bottom half of the wrapper over the top, pull the sides over, and then wrap like a burrito.
Rice paper wrappers stretch and hold more than you think, so don’t be afraid to really wrap them tightly.
After all the Fresh Summer Rolls have been wrapped, whisk together the super easy Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce until smooth. You’ll need:
- Gluten-free tamari (or soy sauce if not GF,)
- Creamy peanut butter
- Rice vinegar
- Siracha chili sauce
- Hot water
The next time you get a summer roll craving, I encourage you to try rolling them at home vs going out to a restaurant. You’ll love how fresh and simple they are! Enjoy!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1lb 16/20 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 small thin cucumbers
- 1 head leaf lettuce, core removed then leaves separated
- 2 carrots, peeled then cut into thin strips
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 20 basil leaves, large ones cut in half
- 20 mint leaves
- 10 rice paper rounds
Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce:
- 1/4 cup gluten free reduced-sodium Tamari, or soy sauce if not GF
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon siracha chili sauce, or more or less – I used Lee Kum Kee brand
- 2-3 Tablespoons hot water
Directions
- Add shrimp to a pot of salted, boiling water then simmer for 1-1/2 minutes or until cooked through. Drain, slice in half widthwise, then chill.
- Fit Spiralizer with the thin noodle blade then spiralize cucumbers with the peel on. Transfer noodles to a strainer to drain excess liquid while prepping remaining ingredients. Alternatively you could peel then seed a cucumber, and then cut into sticks.
- Fill a plate with a slight lip with hot tap water then dip a rice paper round in the water and let soak for 10-15 seconds, or until pliable but still with a little texture. Place wrapper on a cutting board then place three shrimp in the center. Top with a piece of lettuce then fill with a couple slices avocado, a few carrot sticks, a small handful of spiralized cucumber, and two leaves each fresh mint and basil. Pull the bottom of the rice paper round over the top of the ingredients tightly, then wrap the sides in and continue rolling like a burrito. Place onto a platter then continue with remaining ingredients.
- Whisk together Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce ingredients then taste and adjust rice vinegar and/or chili sauce if needed, adding more hot water to achieve desired consistency. Serve with Fresh Summer Rolls.
Notes
- If not eating right away, wrap platter tightly with plastic wrap then refrigerate for 1-2 hours. (You can chill longer – we’ve gone 1-2 days, but the wrapper gets a little tough.)
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I made these last night for my husband and I to take for lunches this week (I made some with shrimp and some with rotisserie chicken and also added a few fresh slices of jalapeno to his because he likes the spice). I got the following email a few minutes ago from my hubs, “Those spring rolls were DELICIOUS!” I so agree. I’m already excited about lunch tomorrow!! This was my first foray into making spring rolls (and buying rice paper Wang’s Asian Market ftw) and now I feel like I am basically an Asian chef. Plus that peanut sauce? I could eat it by the spoonful! Once again your recipes have inspired me to try making something I would’ve never thought to make before. Thank you and keep up the great work!!!
I am not only thrilled that both you and your husband loved the rolls, but that you learned a new kitchen skill! Thank you so much for the great feedback!
I LOVE making spring rolls. So easy, so yummy and can make a big batch to last a few days or to share! I never thought to spiralize my cucs – so doing that next time. I wish I had time to make these now!
Ok, a comment about nothing that has to do with this recipe. We made your chicken chili with green chiles in the crockpot yesterday and it was SOOOO good, even though I think my husband put twice as much chicken in it. I have another white chicken chili recipe that is amazingly delicious but way more work so we hardly ever have it. This is a great and healthier substitute. Just wanted to give some positive feedback!
Ahh, I’m so glad to hear it!! Made my day – thanks for the great feedback! :)
These look so fresh and yummy! I love me some rice noodles, but the few times I have tried to make them at home, they turned out like rubber bands :/ will be trying these for sure!
I want to try your peanut sauce!! Yum!! I love making summer rolls!! These look so good!
yum!! CANT wait to try these out <3 I love sushi full haha and I need some summer in my diet instead of all this heavy winter food 0_0
You knocked another one out of the ballpark Kristen! I have GOT to try these!
Can you post some more spiralizer recipes? I bought the same one and haven’t gotten it out yet. I need some inspiration!
Hi Jen! Check out http://inspiralized.com/ – ALL spiralizer recipes!!
they look amazing! so light and fresh and yummy! do they keep well in the fridge? I’d love to make them and enjoy for a few days of work lunches.
Yum! I am totally going to do this and swap the mint for cilantro!! Would you recommend eating these immediately or do you think they’d hold up in the fridge for a day or so?
They will hold up! The wrappers get a little bit tough the longer they sit, but definitely still edible and delicious.
Plus the restaurants always skimp on the shrimp, this way you can stick it full of them and have a few extra on the side!
I’m with you on the rice noodles – mine always turn into a gooey mess! This light dinner looks soo good.
It’s that peanut dipping sauce that’s getting my taste buds in a tizzy. I think I’ll be using it for more than just this recipe. Never made spring rolls before, I kind of thought that was something you HAVE to hit up a restaurant for. But you’re building my cooking confidence here. If I pull this off, I’ll be amazed!