Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

So, our class decided that it would be a great idea if we all got together at least one weekend every month to have a "potluck". It's just a way for us to stay involved with each other outside of school... plus, we all really enjoy cooking and eating, so it's just fun!

I'm making spring rolls, a recipe that Dianne gave me, it's simple but I really enjoy the freshness of the vegetables and herbs that she picked to use. The spicy peanut sauce is also really good, we usually make it a lot spicier but I don't want to overwhelm anyone's taste buds tonight.


Spring Rolls

spring roll wrappers
leaf lettuce, torn
spicy peanut sauce {recipe below}
vermicelli {rice} noodles, cooked
rice wine vinegar
carrots, shredded
cilantro, torn
mint {regular or chocolate}, torn
basil {regular or thai}, torn
napa cabbage, chopped

  • To assemble the spring rolls, soak a wrapper in warm water until pliable.
  • Place the lettuce on the bottom and top with about 1 tablespoon of sauce, add some noodles, carrots, herbs and the cabbage and wrap up as if you were wrapping a burrito.
  • Cut in half on the diagonal and serve when ready.

I actually forgot to add the rice wine vinegar to the noodles, but they are still fine without it.



Spicy Peanut Sauce:

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons onion, chopped
2 garlic clove, chopped
4 tablespoons red pepper flakes*
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water 
2 tablespoon peanut butter
2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoon tomato paste or ketchup
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar



  • In a pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil and cook the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and combine. Cook for about 5-6 minutes.
*If you're not as fond of spice as myself, you can reduce or omit the amount of red pepper flakes in the recipe. That's the awesome thing about a recipe, it can be changed to fit you better!



Ashley

Comments

  1. Looking at those is making me hungry.

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  2. Lol, I made them for a get together we had at a classmates house! I think they were just a bit too spicy for some people though. :oP

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  3. If you don't want the peanut sauce to be spicy, can you just leave out the red pepper flakes, or is the hoisin sauce also spicy?

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    1. Hi Marissa! You can reduce the amount of pepper flakes that are in it, or omit them all together. The hoisin sauce is kind of tangy and sweet so you can leave that in.

      Hope that helps!

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    2. I chopped up red onion and 2 tblspns of red jalapenos and the sauce was heaven. One batch l ended up eating it straight out the bowl, cannot get enough of it...

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  4. saw this on pinterest and it looks amazing! i can't wait to make it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Love, Katie

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  5. They look great. I have to say I was very dissapointed :/ Flavor combination was not good, and they were wayyy to spicy! Even for someone who loves spicy food. I am a chef, it's not like I can't cook....sorry, just being honest.

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    1. For me, the spice is just slight... I've become quite immune to hot food! I love the combination of herbs vegetables, it's very fresh to me. Don't worry, I'm not offended, it's just not your kind of dish. :D

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  6. Have to make soon! Love spicy , Thai and I have tons of fresh herbs to use.

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  7. they look delicious! Can you swap the mint & basil for other herbs....say cilantro maybe?? I'm not so into mint or basil...

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    1. There's actually already cilantro in these! What's nice about spring rolls is that you can really just make them your own, especially when you add in your favorite ingredients.

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  8. Thinking about making these tonight to take tomorrow night to eat for dinner while the kids play ball. Do you think they would be okay made a 24 hrs in advance?

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  9. Looks like a great recipe. However, is it really 4 Tablespoons of red pepper flakes? I love spicy, even extra--but this seems a bit excessive for the quantities of the other ingredients for the sauce. Looks good and I will try it---but just want to double check on the red pepper. Thanks!

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    1. It's very excessive, but we like super hot! Just reduce the amount to 2 tablespoons and it should be a little bit more tolerable. You can change anything to your liking! :D

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    2. for Shalom - i made these yesterday and only added 2 Tablespoons of the red pepper flakes, and it was still VERY spicy, and we all love spicy food, but i encourage you to start with 1 tablespoon and work your way up from there.

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    3. I actually added a side note about the red pepper flakes. If someone wants to reduce or omit the amount that they add to the sauce they are more than welcome! It's based on your taste buds.

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  10. The sauce looks like the ultimate salad roll dip! Good to read about the red pepper flakes! I like some heat with mine as well! Yum!

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  11. Those rolls look so fresh and good!

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  12. yum! if you are a Thai food lover,this is perfection as far as combined herbs and sweet/spicy.Quite a few people who get their Asian cuisines mixed up.
    Chinese spring rolls are wayyyyy different then Vietnamese spring rolls which are wayyyy different than Thai spring rolls. A lot of people have an Americanized pallet. Just because something 'looks' like something they would like, they don't realize the flavors that are dominant cilantro,basil,etc. are acquired tastes for many people.My first born son was a 'sushi' boy, loved all seafood,raw fruits and vegi's,California cuisine,up for anything new. My youngest son could not be any more different, a complete 100 % opposite. He cant stand any thing with a 'green taste' as he puts it.He does not like spices and can actually 'taste' a smell...he has a 'raw eating ' honing device embedded in his nose we think...He is aware of even the most slight hint of something...herby, to try and 'sneak' something past him would make him into a paranoid eater...we just wait for his tastes to advance, if they ever do...
    This being said these wraps rocked and I LOVE the flavor combination. I wonder why people critique a recipe as if you were a restaurant. Their opinion is their own. You put a comment about the red pepper flakes...it was their choice on how much to use...odd.

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  13. I have been slowing wanting to try a few Vegan recipes and make healthier choices in the way my family eats. I ran across this recipe that someone pinned on Pinterest and I CANNOT WAIT to try this!! It's late, and maybe because I'm tired I think I may have skipped past something upon reading this. I know you said you forgot to use the rice wine vinegar, but where would on actually use it and how much, etc? Are vermicelli noodles similar to rice noodles used in the Filipino dish pancit? Thanks for sharing this recipe! Can't wait to try it!

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    1. The vinegar is just to coat the noodles once the water is drained. Gives a little bit of extra flavor. I've actually never had Pancit, but I'm sure the noodles used in it has similarities to the vermicelli noodles.

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    2. Have to tell you I finally made these tonight. OH MY...THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A PERFECT concoction. Thank you so much for sharing this. This will be a regular in our household for sure!! :-)

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    3. Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed them. :D

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  14. Very happy to find an alternative idea to the original spring rolls made with rice paper,which is a bit more challenging to make.Thank you :D

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  15. just made it. very satisfied.
    only downside was that it's hard for me to keep inside what small amount of veggies&herbs that I put into the wrap..in the wrap:(

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    1. I've experienced that as well. They are definitely a messy item to eat!

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  16. I've been looking for these Thai inspired spring rolls forever. I don't particularly like the deep fried ones, but simply love the fresh ones with peanut sauce. So thank you for providing me with the recipe:o)

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  17. I wonder if I could make these using the lettuce for wrappers. My girls are not fans of spring roll wrappers :)I guess then they would be lettuce rolls.

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  18. My friend just made us some of these for lunch. She's a GREAT friend! She subbed quinoa and ginger and garlic for the vermicelli... SOOOO good. Thanks for posting the recipe :D

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    1. Quinoa is all the rage! I'm glad to hear it worked out great.

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  19. Spring rolls are terrific, but for me, it's all about the sauce. Love your food styling!

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    1. The sauce really does help to make them, and thank you for the compliment!

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  20. It looks fantastic! Great idea for a party!

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  21. Delicious! I just made them for dinner tonight for my family and everyone loved them! I omitted the red pepper flakes because they don't like spicy, but next time I will make a separate batch with the flakes for me ;) I also added some chow mien noodles to the wraps for an extra crunch...extra yummy :)

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    1. Ohh, crunchy does sound great! Glad you and your family enjoyed them. :D

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  22. This is wonderful! I love the fresh herb taste that is so common in Vietnamese dishes - and this hits the spot! I made this for a competitive potluck at my husband's work and won first place in side dishes! Their harshest critic even came up and praised the dish for its freshness and spicy sauce. Thank you for sharing! I should note I decreased the red pepper by a quarter since I was making it for a crowd - it was still pretty spicy!

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  24. Can't wait to try this. Instructions say "Place the lettuce on the bottom and top with about 1 tablespoon of sauce,"
    On the top and bottom of what? Do you put the wrapper in between two leaves of lettuce? Do you lay out the wrapper and cover the entire wrapper with lettuce?

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    1. Hi! You will first put down the pre-soaked spring roll wrapper and place 1 to 2 pieces of lettuce on top of that and top the lettuce with the sauce. The lettuce is just there to help hold in the ingredients. I hope that helps!

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  25. Hello! I have made these SEVERAL times. Love, love, love them! Although I haven't figured out a way to keep them "moist". I am making them for a potluck and will have to make them a couple hours before the event. I have found in the past that the rice paper on the rolls will harden and not remain supple. Do you have any suggestions? I don't want to have to wrap them individually because usually I make a TON because I find myself eating half of them!! haha Thanks in advance.

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    1. So, what we do is put wet paper towels over them and then wrap them to make sure the moisture stays in. Definitely helps if you're planning to make ahead of time. Hope that helps!

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    2. And by wrap, I mean with plastic wrap. :D

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  26. I made these for dinner tonight! Very yummy and the sauce was perfect :)

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  27. Hi! Just did your receipe and I loved it! Thank you from paris ;)

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  28. a more traditional recipe:rice paper,chopped lettuce, thinly sliced cucumber (length wise), rice vermicelli noodles, chopped cilantro(optional chopped mint and Thai basil), boiled devained shrimp and/or boiled thinly sliced pork. as for the sauce:Hoisin sauce, water,(oil to saute the garlic and onion)minced garlic, minced onion and peanut butter (creamy or crunchy) if you want a kick you can add chilly oil or sirracha. This is a family recipe (I married in to a Vietnamese family)

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  29. These were awesome! We cut back on the red pepper flakes - and apparently I have no idea how to use rice paper wraps - so we just used the leaf lettuce to wrap them up and omitted the rice paper. Delish!! We also omitted the mint because I am not a huge mint fan. I added cucumbers to my vegetables as well. I used crunchy peanut butter in the sauce.

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    1. I love crunchy peanut butter! I usually use it too. :D

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  30. I used 1 T of red flakes and my mouth was on fire. Guests thought the peanut sauce was fine. I will again reduce to 2t next time.

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  31. Wow This is look so good. I love vegetable and I love fresh rolls. I would have to try this spicy peanut sauce.I'm from Thailand and I also live in Utah!!

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  32. This is kind of a strange question... but how did you shred your carrots? Mine are always terrible when I try!
    Amy
    ps. this recipe looks fantastic and easy!

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    1. Hi Amy! Not a weird question at all, I simply used a peeler to achieve the strips. It's so much easier. You could also use a julienne peeler if you have one.

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  33. This is a really great combination of flavors and it is hugely popular with all of our friends on the green belt. Everyone wants to learn how to make it and it will disappear from the appetizer table at your next cook out. We like it spicy!

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  34. These look delicious, and I could easily eat them as a meal. I love the freshness of them, and I think these would be a real party hit. The peanut sauce looks incredibly tempting too!!

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    1. Thanks Catherine! They are delicious and refreshing.

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  35. I found these on Pinterest. My next food I'm making. I'm going to make an almond instead of peanut sauce (don't eat peanuts). Looks genius and wonderful. Perfect for Super Bowl Party.

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    1. That does sound great Angela! Thanks for sharing the idea. :D

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