Asparagus fresh spring roll with spicy sweet chili dipping sauce

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:

Prepare filling:

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.