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Active Time
1 hour
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Total Time
1 hour
We like to think of the summer roll as an elegant example of fast food: a salad packed into an edible container—in this case, paper-thin rice sheets—which results in something as beautiful to behold as it is practical to eat by hand. Better yet, the summer roll is a big win for the health-conscious because the roll is almost fat-free, and the sauce, while sporting a little peanut butter, is not highly caloric. One dipped bite yields an explosion of flavors and textures that's guaranteed to excite any palate.
Editor's Note:This recipe is part ofGourmet'sModern Menu for Fiery Fare. Menu also includesSpicy Sweet-and-Sour Grilled ChickenandChile-Ginger-Mint Jellies.
Ingredients
Makes 6 servings (12 summer rolls)
Sauce:
Summer rolls:
For the sauce:
Step 1
Whisk together sauce ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Set aside.
For the summer rolls:
Step 2
Put noodles in a heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling-hot water. Soak noodles for 10 minutes then drain and pat dry. Toss noodles with 1 tablespoon lime juice. Cut noodles with kitchen shears or knife in 5 or 6 places.
Step 3
Stir together sugar and remaining tablespoon lime juice in another bowl until sugar is dissolved, then toss with carrots and chiles.
Step 4
Gently immerse 1 rice-paper round in a large bowl of hot tap water and let stand until soft and pliable, 15 to 20 seconds. Lift out, letting excess water drip off, then lay round on a work surface, smoothing it out. If round is still very wet, gently blot top with kitchen towel.
Step 5
Arrange about 1/4 cup cabbage across center of round, leaving about 1 1/2 inches uncovered on both sides. Top cabbage evenly with 3 tablespoons carrot mixture, then sprinkle with 1 generous tablespoon peanuts. Cover mound of vegetables with a layer each of mint and basil leaves. Top evenly with about 2 tablespoons noodles.
Step 6
Fold edge of wrapper nearest you over filling, tucking in filling as tightly as possible, until it touches other side of wrapper, then fold in sides and continue to tightly roll until sealed.
Step 7
Put roll on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a damp towel and cover with another damp towel. Make 11 more rolls in same manner, storing them on baking sheet without touching.
•Commercial hoisin sauces can vary quite a bit in flavor. We think Lee Kum Kee is a good brand.
•Sauce can be made 1 day ahead and kept chilled. Bring to room temperature before using.
•You will likely have leftovers of some of the filling ingredients and sauce, but when making these rolls, it's better to have a little extra rather than not enough. The sauce is excellent on just about anything: chicken, pork, steak, tofu, and vegetables. Gourmet Live staffers swooned over it.
•Rolls can be made 6 hours ahead, wrapped individually in plastic wrap, and then stored in a resealable plastic bag and chilled.
How would you rate Spicy Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce?
Leave a Review
Reviews (10)
Back to Top82 grams of carbs each? That hardly seems right looking at the ingredients. How about a more accurate estimate?
ebetsey
Columbus, Ohio
7/30/2014
Making summer is hard! This isn't a problem that's specific to this recipe, of course, but something this fussy had better be completely delicious, and these were only okay. The proportions were a bit off here--too much cabbage and noodles. And the sauce was really overpoweringly hoisin-y. I would start with about 1 tablespoon of hoisin and then gradually add more to taste. I also added some coconut milk and sriracha to the sauce to dilute the hoisin flavor.
snewland
Cambridge, MA
7/27/2014
伟大的整体,尽管有点混乱。我还的t able to roll them up as tightly as it was suggested. The rice paper kept tearing so I used two pieces for the additional strength. Sauce is great, but I added dried pepper flakes for more attitude. Next time I'll reduce the Hoisin sauce and increase the peanut butter.
tuva
West Vancouver
6/25/2014
What's not to like about summer rolls? Just used what I had on hand for the insides. The dipping sauce was excellent.
KimAdams12
Murrells Inlet, SC
5/15/2014
Made this the other name and it was great. I made the sauce as described, but added cilantro, avocado, and baked tofu to the filling. Will definitely make again!
rebeccabr
Ithaca, NY
3/25/2014
Delicious! I agree with another reviewer in that more jalapeño could be used as it was not at all spicy with the amount it called for in the recipe.
4theloveoffood2013
Toronto, ON
1/30/2014
We loved this exactly as written. And it was easy to adapt for the kids in my family who are picky eaters. (I made a few with just shredded carrots and noodles, but the options are endless.) Next time I might up the ratio of jalapeno peppers because they weren't all that spicy.
cranklet
Ann Arbor, MI
9/8/2013
Great recipe! I added bean sprouts and omitted the noodles for some of them. My husband preferred them that way. I was worried about using rice paper rounds, but they turned out to be easy and forgiving. I didn't have any rip on me. My kids (6&8) were split; one liked it, the other not so much.
JenninOntario
Russell, Ontario
3/23/2013
I was a little afraid of the rice paper rounds before trying this, but they were easy. I also wasn't sure if they would hold up for leftovers or if they would fall apart. Not a problem. The rolls are yummy, sauce is delicious, and I now make extra to make sure we've got extras for the next couple day's lunches.
Anonymous
Apex, NC
1/3/2013
My family loves Vietnamese Summer rolls and this recipe is a good one. I like to add a few ingredients - chicken and bean sprouts (bean sprouts are a MUST at my house). I love this sauce, but when I'm lacking peanut butter, I like it with just hoison sauce (I add a little bit of hot water to thin it out) OR with sweet chili sauce (my favorite).
biomech
12/2/2012
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