Brown Rice Spring Rolls
Spring rolls are such a refreshing "salad in a roll" and are perfect for lunch or dinner! They are low in caloric density but VERY filling! You can add whatever you like to these rolls, but I will share what we add to ours below. Don't forget the Low-Fat Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce!NOTE: You can pre-prep (the day before or earlier on the day you plan to eat them) most everything for this meal, except any soft fruit or veggies that might get brown or soft before you make the rolls. Store in airtight containers until use.
Equipment
- Wooden Board
- Shallow Pie Plate or Bowl, slightly larger than the circumference of the spring roll wrappers
Ingredients
- Brown rice (or white rice) spring rolls wrappers (found in most grocery stores, Asian markets, and online; my favorite brand is from Star Anise Foods)
- carrots shredded or sliced into matchstick slices
- cucumbers cut into matchstick pieces
- red cabbage sliced into thin ribbons
- red and yellow bell pepper sliced thinly
- ripe pear or mango sliced into matchstick pieces
- baked Teriyaki tofu (OPTIONAL, store-bought or homemade)
- cilantro
- low-fat spicy peanut dipping sauce (see recipe link above)
- sriracha sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the low-fat peanut sauce in advance and have ready to serve with the meal. You can store in the refrigerator until use.
- Prepare the teriyaki baked tofu in advance if you are making it homemade. You can use the teriyaki baked tofu recipe from our sushi bowls recipe if you like.
- Prepare all of the veggies and fruits and place into separate containers for quick preparation of the spring rolls.
Putting the Rolls Together:
- Take out a large shallow bowl or pie plate that is slightly larger that the circumference of your spring roll wrappers. Fill with 1 1/2 to 2" of warm tap water.
- Fully submerge a rice wrapper into the water, anywhere from 10-30 seconds. Check to see that the pattern on the wrapper is JUST STARTING to fade. Place the wrapper on a wooden board.
- Quickly layer all of the ingredients into the center 2/3 of the wrapper. Fold in the sides first from the end closest to you, rolling the forward a bit, rolling the top section over, again fold in any remaining sides, then roll over one more time to close. Place closed-side down on a plate, without touching any other spring rolls as they will stick! You can individually wrap them in plastic wrap if you can't eat them immediatey, but they are best eaten right after you roll them.
- Serve with dipping sauces, like low-fat spicy peanut sauce and/or sriracha.