It's asparagus season! The tender and luscious green stalks are in the markets - or if you're lucky - in your gardens.
I love eating asparagus steamed, sprinkled with sea salt and spritzed with a bit of lemon. But I always enjoy trying something new. When I saw this recipe for spring rolls made with fresh asparagus, I thought, wonderful, my favorite spring veggie in my favorite Asian wrapping.!
The spring rolls, actually summer rolls since they aren't fried, are a version of the traditional Vietnamese roll, Gỏi cuốn, made with rice vermicelli, fresh herbs, shrimp and pork. Most often summer rolls are served with a peanut dipping sauce, but also are served with Nuoc Mam Cham, a fish sauce based sweet and sour sauce,
Asparagus fresh spring roll with spicy sweet chili dipping sauce
Makes 18 to 24 slices.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound asparagus
- 3/4 cup fresh mint leaves
- 3/4 cilantro leaves
- 1 mango or papaya
- Fresh ginger, 2-inch piece
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup dry roasted, salted peanuts, chopped
- 2 cups fresh bean sprouts
- 8-inch dried rice paper spring roll wrappers, 6 to 8 sheets
- 1/4 cup store-bought Asian Sweet Chili sauce
- Juice of 1 lime
Preparation:
Blanche asparagus in boiling salted water until tender to the bite, 3 to 5 minutes. Peel and julienne mango or papaya and ginger. Julienne bell pepper. Set aside with remaining filling ingredients.
To assemble:
Fill a large bowl with hot water. Working with one wrapper at a time, slip rice paper wrapper into water until pliable, about 1 minute.
Place wrapper on cutting board. In the center, put 3 to 4 asparagus spears with the tips coming off the end of the wrapper slightly, 3 to 4 mango or papaya slices, 3-4 pepper slices, 3 tablespoons sprouts, 2 tablespoons herbs, sprinkling of ginger and peanuts.
Roll the wrapper from the bottom up, tightly. Leaving the ends open. Set aside and cover with a damp towel. Finish with remaining wrappers.
When ready to serve, slice wrappers into 3 segments each and stand upright on a serving platter.
Mix chili sauce and lime juice together. Serve along side the rolls as a dipping sauce.
Makes 18 to 24 slices.
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