Raw Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Vienna has a lot of street food.  There is one place in particular that has these Vietnamese spring rolls that I always see people walking around with.  They look so delicious and I am always tempted to get them. After a movie with the hubby the other night, we were scrounging around the city for something quick to eat and my mouth started watering at the thought of those rolls.  We walked to the place and I asked the nice little man for an order when he so nicely told me that they had shrimp in them.  I'm allergic to seafood and get violently ill if it even touches my food, so that was not an option.   My response: WHAT??? But I want them, can't you make them without shrimp?   Him: no, with shrimp only.  Me: Ugh.  Fine, give me some of that rice and those bland veggies then.  Needless to say, I was a little pouty.  When I got home I started looking up recipes to make my own and was very pleased to know that I could actually get the ingredients at the store.  Almost every recipe I found had shrimp in it, so you can use it if that's your thing.  You can also cook the veggies before putting them in your rolls, but I liked the idea of using fresh, raw veggies for a nice crunch.  If you are allergic to peanuts, you could make a spicy sauce with hoisin, or just use a store bought sweet and sour sauce.  Anyway, I hope you all enjoy these, I know that I sure did!

PS- these get kind of gummy the next day, so I would only make the amount that you are actually going to eat.  If you are making them for a party, you could just prep the veggies and noodles the day before and actually roll them the day of the event. 

Raw Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

Spring Rolls

• 1 package "glass noodles" (also called rice noodles or rice vermicelli)
• 1 package rice paper wraps
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1 small cucumber, peeled into strips with a peeler
• 5 radishes, sliced into matchsticks
• 1 cup white or purple cabbage, shredded
• Mint or Thai Basil leaves (optional, see note)

Note: Thai basil is different than normal basil that you put in some Italian dishes, make sure you purchase the correct one.  Most of the recipes called for mint leaves for freshness.  We used about 2-3 whole mint leaves per roll and found this to be extremely overpowering and picked it out.  I would suggest chopping both the mint or basil very finely and sprinkling just a little into each roll so they are not overpowered.  

Spicy Peanut Sauce

•  2 tbsp. crunchy peanut butter
• 2 tsp. chili paste (more or less depending on how hot you like it)
• Juice from one lime
• 2 tsp. ginger paste or 1 inch of fresh ginger, chopped finely
• Soy sauce

Directions:

1.  Prepare all your vegetables and set them aside.

2.  Get a large bowl and fill it with extremely hot (but not boiling) water.  Place your glass noodles in the bowl and let them sit for 5 minutes.  As soon as the noodles are soft, they are ready.  Drain the noodles and set aside. 

3.  Remove your rice paper wraps from the package, and create an assembly line for wrapping.  Have a large bowl of very hot water on the left, your drained rice noodles, your vegetable platter, and a place to roll the wraps.  Use a smooth surface so your rice papers don't rip, a smooth cutting board, a piece of parchment, etc.  You are ready to roll!  Haha :)

4.  Dunk your rice paper wraps in the hot water, count to 8, and take them out.  Lay the wrap on your rolling surface, being careful not to tear them.  If it does tear, it is no big deal, just keep going. 

5.  Place a small amount of the glass noodles in the center of the wrap, making sure to leave space at the top and bottom of the wrap  so that you can fold it. 

6.  Place your veggies in layers on top of the noodles. Try to pack them tightly, and not too much filling.  Keep the space at the top and bottom for rolling!

7.  Fold the top edge and the bottom edge inward toward the center of the wrap. 

8.  Fold the right edge of the wrap toward the center of the filling, making sure that the top and bottom edges stay tucked inside. 

9.  Using your fingers, tuck the filling tighter into the roll toward the right edge.  Fold the entire wrap toward the left onto the exposed edge of the wrap. 

10.  Your completed wrap should be completely sealed on all sides.  It takes a couple to get the hang of the rolling process, so don't be discouraged if you don't get it on the first try.  Use a serrated knife to slice the rolls diagonally so they are easier to eat. 

11.  Place the peanut butter, ginger, chili paste, and lime juice into a small bowl and whisk together. 

12.  Add soy sauce and continue whisking until the sauce is thin enough for dipping.

 13.  Serve your spring rolls with a cup of miso soup and some spicy edamame for a complete meal.  Enjoy!