Fresh Vietnamese Spring Roll Recipe

Asian cooking sounds like heaven to me. I love ethnic food. Heck, I just love food period, and finding a good authentic spring roll (whether Vietnamese or Thai) can be really difficult. While I usually admittedly prefer the fried spring rolls a little more (stupid Americanized taste buds), I still enjoy a quality fresh spring roll. Since they're hard to find, why not make your own? The best part about fresh spring rolls: you don't have to wait while they fry. Spring rolls are a refreshing change from the usual fried variety, and are a very nice change of pace, flavor wise. Preparation time is only 45 minutes, cook time is 5 minutes, meaning these can be ready from scratch in less than an hour. If you love Vietnamese cooking like I do, these are a treat.

List of Ingredients:

4 ounces rice vermicelli

8 rice wrappers

Several large cooked shrimp - number varies based on preference, but 12 large is a good start

3 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves

3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

2 chopped lettuce leaves

Grated carrots

Thinly sliced shredded pork (optional)

Sauce Ingredients:

4 teaspoons fish sauce

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons white sugar

1/2 teaspoon garlic chili sauce

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

Cooking Instructions:

Bring a small saucepan filled with water to boil. Boil the rice vermicelli 5 minutes and then drain.

Fill a large bowl with hot water. Dip one wrapper into the hot water for only a couple seconds in order to soften. Lay the wrapper out flat.

In a row across the center, place several shrimp halves, a handful of vermicelli, basil, mint, cilantro, grated carrots, and lettuce, leaving about 2 inches uncovered on each side. Fold the uncovered sides inward and then tightly roll the wrapper, beginning at the end with the lettuce. Repeat with all the other remaining ingredients.

In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, water, lime juice, garlic, sugar, and chili sauce to make a great dipping sauce. You can also exchange these ingredients out for garlic powder, pepper, or whatever you prefer for a sauce.