Despite how much grief I sometimes give my husband over how plain some of the food he eats is, there are a handful of foods I didn’t really start eating until I met him. Although I don’t remember the exact moment, I’m fairly confident I ate my first spring roll with Andrew.
This is one of those foods that gets picked up in the regular rotation of weekly meals and sticks around for a while. I love that you can prep most of the ingredients in advance and assemble when you’re ready to eat. It is also one of those meals that feels fresh and healthy for days when you want to get an extra serving of vegetables. However, what really makes this dish shine is the peanut sauce. Believe it or not, peanut sauce is surprisingly easy to make at home and is quite versatile. This is the same peanut sauce recipe I use for my breaded tofu recipe in place of sweet n’ sour sauce.
Ingredients
Spring Rolls
- spring roll rice paper wrappers
- cooked vermicelli noodles
- romaine lettuce, chopped into ~4 in. long sections
- carrots, julienned
- cucumber, julienned
- red cabbage, thinly sliced
- fresh mint
- basil
- wide bowl filled with warm water
Marinated Seared Tofu (optional)
- 1 14 oz block of extra firm tofu
- 2 tbs soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- black pepper, ground
Peanut Sauce
- ¾ c creamy peanut butter
- ¼ c white or rice vinegar
- ⅓ c soy sauce or tamari
- 3 tbs honey
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ c water, plus more until you reach your desired consistency
Method
Marinated Seared Tofu (optional)
- If you choose to make the marinated seared tofu, drain the tofu and slice it into 1/2-inch slices. Place it on a towel and gently pat dry to remove excess water.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk together the soy sauce / tamari, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, and black pepper.
- Place the tofu the marinade bowl and flip to fully coat it. Marinate for at least 15 minutes. I sometimes marinate overnight – this something you can prep a day ahead.
- Heat a skillet to medium-high heat. Add a little oil to the pan and place the tofu pieces with enough space between each so that there’s space in between each piece. Without moving the tofu slices around too much, let them cook for a few minutes on each side until they’re golden brown and caramelized around the edges.
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Spring Rolls
- Working one at a time, wet rice paper in warm water for 10-15 seconds (until soft and pliable) and transfer to a work surface (I like to work on top of a dish towel as the rice paper is less likely to stick to it compared to a smooth surface).
- Place the lettuce flat in the center of the rice paper and evenly place your your fillings of choice (noodles, vegetables, tofu, herbs, etc.) in the same direction on top of the lettuce. I like to use the lettuce together with. the rice paper to form a sturdier spring roll that actually holds together.
- Bring the bottom edge of the rice paper tightly over the filling and then folding in the sides, roll from bottom to top until the top of the sheet is reached, being careful not to tear the rice paper. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
Peanut Sauce
- To make the peanut sauce, in a blender, mix all the ingredients together until smooth. Add two tablespoon of water at a time until desired consistency is reached.
- To adjust flavor, add more soy sauce / tamari for a more savory flavor or extra honey for a sweeter flavor.
– Corinna