Spring Rolls
Cooking with our kids, ages 6, 5 and 3, is something we really enjoy in our household. My kids love to cook so I love picking dishes where they can help and get involved. It’s not only a fun way to spend time together, it also gets them excited to eat things they wouldn't otherwise try. Spring rolls are great because they are filled with vegetables and herbs that may not appeal to kids right away. The recipe also empowers kids by giving them a choice about what to eat. Kids can pick the filling they like and roll it up on their own—or just choose their filling and adults can help with the rolling.
Note: Quantities for the filling ingredients are all approximations, and you can consider any ingredient optional. This is our favorite combination of ingredients and flavors, but spring rolls are infinitely adaptable. Incorporate some of your children’s favorite veggies, or let them choose.
Ingredients
For Spring Rolls
1 (6.5–8.8 ounce) package rice vermicelli noodles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
12 to 15 round rice paper wrappers
8 ounces tofu (any kind), cut into strips
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
½ cucumber, seeded and cut into matchsticks
2 cups lettuce, cut into small pieces
1 cup red cabbage, cut into strips
¼ cup basil leaves
¼ cup mint leaves
¼ cup roughly chopped cilantro
Edible flowers (optional)
For Dipping Sauce
¼ cup water
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
Directions
Place the rice vermicelli noodles in a large bowl. Cover the noodles with boiling water and allow to soften, about 5 minutes. Drain the noodles, then toss with oil to coat. Set aside.
Fill a large bowl with warm water. Dip a single rice wrapper into the water, making sure it is fully submerged, then place the softened wrapper on a clean flat surface.
Fill the lower third of the rice wrapper with a little bit of everything (the tofu, vegetables, herbs, edible flowers, and vermicelli noodles), making sure to leave a border around the bottom edge of the wrapper. Do not overfill. You’ll want about a half cup of ingredients per roll.
Fold in the left and right sides of the wrapper towards the center. Fold the bottom of the wrapper over the filling and up towards the center. Then continue rolling upward until there is no more wrapper left. Continue filling and rolling spring rolls until you’ve used all the wrappers. Try different filling combinations if you’d like. To make the dipping sauce, combine the water, lime juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and garlic in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.
Serve the rolls immediately with the dipping sauce on the side.
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