Thai Summer Rolls are bright, colorful, flavorful, and light! Great for dipping in addictive peanut dipping sauce! Perfect for lunch or for an appetizer.
My husband and I eat salads almost every day for lunch. But when the weather gets warm, I change things up so we still get our veggies but in this colorful roll with fun dipping sauce!
There is a difference between spring roll wrappers and summer roll wrappers…
When I first started making spring rolls and summer rolls, I didn’t realize that the wrappers were COMPLETELY different! I saw the semi-transparent spring roll rice wrappers in the Asian section of the grocery store and thought they were the ones you fry up to make those lovely, crispy spring rolls you get at any good Asian restaurant.
I was disappointed (to say the least) when I attempted to wrap, then fry the rice wrappers. They crumbled, were greasy, and were pretty much…terrible.
Then I learned that the spring roll wrappers were actually in the FROZEN section, NOT the Asian section. Whoops!
Learning curve…
Once I learned that, I realized that rice wrappers (AKA spring wrappers) are really for summer rolls. You quickly soak them in warm water, then working quickly, you add your favorite fillings (like noodles, veggies, or shrimp), roll and then voilà! Delicious summer rolls!
Since then, I love to make them in the summer. There’s something about the chewy rice paper, crunchy veggies, and that delicious peanut sauce that just makes your mouth happy!
Try them soon! You won’t regret it! Yum!
How to Make Thai Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce
Summer Rolls
Clean and prep all of the vegetables. Fill a shallow bowl or round cake pan with an inch of warm water. Lay a lint-free towel next to the bowl.
Dip one rice paper into the warm water for 3-4 seconds. It will be slightly stiff but will continue to soften as you make your roll. Lay the wrapper on the towel.
Roll them up!
Starting 1 inch away from the edge, layer the ingredients to cover about ⅓ of the wrapper. A small handful of baby spinach, a pinch of cabbage, carrots, pepper, cucumber, and micro greens. Add a good pinch of the fresh herbs.
Fold the lower edge up over the vegetable filling, gently but firmly tucking the roll under and away from you. When you are ⅔ of the way folded, fold the ends into the roll and continue rolling until the roll is finished.
Place on a dish and continue rolling the rest of the rolls. Try to keep the rolls separate as they will stick together.
Peanut Dipping Sauce
In a small bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients except the water. It will be very thick and clumpy at first. Add water, a tablespoon at a time, as needed, to the sauce to make it creamy and dippable.
Serve the summer rolls with the peanut dipping sauce on the side. You can serve them whole or slice in half.
Notes:
You can make the peanut dipping sauce in advance and prepare the veggies up to a day ahead. Do not make the summer rolls until shortly before serving – they will dry out and start to harden.
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Thai Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
Ingredients:
Summer Rolls
- 6 sheets rice paper spring roll wrappers
- 2 carrots julienned or cut into matchsticks
- ½ English cucumber thinly sliced into matchsticks
- 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
- ½ red bell pepper thinly sliced into strips
- 1 cup baby spinach or kale
- 1 handful microgreens
- ⅓ cup fresh herbs cilantro, mint, basil
Peanut Dipping Sauce
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup or honey
- 2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp. grated ginger
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp. water as needed
Instructions
Instructions:
Summer Rolls
- Clean and prep all of the vegetables. Fill a shallow bowl or round cake pan with an inch of warm water. Lay a lint-free towel next to the bowl.
- Dip one rice paper into the warm water for 3-4 seconds. It will be slightly stiff but will continue to soften as you make your roll. Lay the wrapper on the towel.
- Starting 1 inch away from the edge, layer the ingredients to cover about ⅓ of the wrapper. A small handful of baby spinach, a pinch of cabbage, carrots, pepper, cucumber, and micro greens. Add a good pinch of the fresh herbs.
- Fold the lower edge up over the vegetable filling, gently but firmly tucking the roll under and away from you. When you are ⅔ of the way folded, fold the ends into the roll and continue rolling until the roll is finished.
- Place on a dish and continue rolling the rest of the rolls. Try to keep the rolls separate as they will stick together.
Peanut Dipping Sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients except the water. It will be very thick and clumpy at first. Add water, a tablespoon at a time, as needed, to the sauce to make it creamy and dippable.
- Serve the summer rolls with the peanut dipping sauce on the side. You can serve them whole or slice in half.
I’m definitely going to try this recipe. Thanks for the clarification on the wrappers.