Vietnamese Salad Rolls

Makes 8 serving

Dipping Sauce

  • ¼ cup tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)

  • ¼ cup honey, agave or maple syrup

  • ¼ cup water

  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar

  • 4 tsp chilli sauce

  • 2 tsp minced garlic

  • Juice of 1 lime

 Salad Rolls

  • 4 oz/120g vermicelli rice noodles

  • 2 cups carrot julienne (2 inch/5cm long, 1/8 inch/0.4cm)

  • Salt as needed

  • ½ bunch green-leaf lettuce, cut into thin strips

  • ¼ bunch mint or Rau Ram leaves - torn in thin strips

  • 4 cups warm water

  • 2 tbsp brown sugar

  • 8 rice paper rounds, 12-inch diameter

  • Red Pepper and celery cut into fine julienne strips (=fine vegetable sticks)

  • ¼ bunch coriander leaves

 Method

  1. Combine the tamari, ¼ cup honey or agave or maple syrup, ¼ cup water, the vinegar, chilli sauce, garlic, and lime juice. Mix well and chill if made ahead of time.

  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rice noodles, stir once or twice, and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain the noodles and then rinse with cool water until they are chilled. Drain well and set aside.

  3. Marinate the carrot with 2 teaspoon salt for 10 minutes. Rinse in cool water to remove the salt and squeeze out the juice from the carrots. Set aside.

  4. Combine the rice noodles, marinated carrots, lettuce and mint to make the noodle filling. Set aside.

  5. Combine 4 cups of warm water with 2 tbsp brown sugar in a bowl. Place the rice papers, one at a time, in the water until they soften, about 10 seconds. Remove the rice paper, blot on paper towelling, and transfer to a work surface. Spoon ½ cup of the filling in the centre of each rice paper. Roll the rice paper around the filling halfway. Put 2/3 coriander leaves and vegetable sticks if used on the inside of the unrolled part of the wrapper and finish rolling.

  6. Cut each roll in half and serve on chilled platters or plates with the dipping sauce.

 Note

Rau Ram is the Vietnamese mint or coriander and belongs to the buckwheat family. Its aroma is described as combination of lemon and coriander aroma and it has a bitter peppery flavour. If you cannot locate Rau Ram, you can substitute with either mint or coriander.

 How to make rolls

Rice paper is made pliable and easy to work with when it is rehydrated in cold water just before use. When rolling the fillings up inside the rice paper, begin at the bottom of the rice paper and roll away from you. As you pass the middle, bring both sides of the paper in to the centre, and then keep them tucked in as you complete the roll.

MainsNeantog FarmMains