These fresh and healthy summer rolls can be made with any protein and vegetables you have on hand. Just wrap in rice paper and dip in the addicting sweet and salty peanut sauce. It’s the perfect casual weeknight dinner!
True story: I used to be way intimidated by summer rolls but in reality, they are so simple to make. They’ve quickly become a favorite weeknight dinner in my house. Once you have the rice paper, you can throw these together with any fillings that you need to use up.
As a bonus, the peanut sauce is a combination of basic pantry staples that is worthy of being eaten straight from the spoon (trust me, I know). You’ll want to take a swim in this jar!
Related: my Rainbow Salad Jars with Peanut Miso Dressing are basically the same ingredients in salad form so if you love these flavors, you MUST try this one too.
How to Make Summer Rolls
The most important piece of advice for being successful with summer rolls: prep all of your vegetables and ingredients and get an assembly line set up first. Once you start dipping the rice paper, it can go from pliable to unworkable quickly so you’ll need to move fast.
Can’t find rice paper in your local grocery store? Here’s an option you can order online that has great reviews: Three Ladies Spring Roll Rice Paper Wrappers (affiliate).
Suggested Ingredients
Get creative with ingredients. The more color the better in this situation. I usually go with some combination of the following, but the great part is you can use whatever you want. It’s actually a great way to clean out the fridge in the summer!
- Purple cabbage
- Carrots
- Red bell pepper
- Leaf lettuce (or another green like arugula or spring mix)
- Avocado
- Cucumber
- Basil & Mint (adds great flavor and presentation)
- Protein of choice: shrimp, crispy tofu, leftover cooked chicken
Everything should be julienned (chopped into small rectangle pieces). Put the pretty items on the top and bottom of the roll so they’re visible once rolled up. Things like purple cabbage, basil/mint and shrimp look especially beautiful.
Customize the protein or leave it out completely to make these “salad rolls”. I’ve used this method of crisping up tofu and think it works wonderfully in these.
I love the idea of doing a build-your-own style meal with friends. Regardless of what variation you choose, they’re a fresh and delicious meal that’s guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.
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PrintEasy Summer Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce
These fresh and healthy summer rolls can be made with any protein and vegetables you have on hand. Just wrap in rice paper and dip in the addicting sweet and salty peanut sauce. It’s the perfect casual weeknight dinner!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 rolls 1x
- Category: Fish and Seafood
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp fresh grated ginger (or ginger paste)
- 1 tsp chile sauce (like Sriracha)
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp hot water (or as much as needed to thin the sauce)
- 8 rice paper wrappers (6″ in diameter)
- 3 leafs lettuce
- 2 small carrots, peeled and chopped into matchsticks
- 1/2 cup red cabbage, sliced very thin (I use a mandoline)
- 1/2 avocado, peel removed and sliced thin
- 8 oz pre-cooked shrimp, tails removed and cut in half lengthwise
- Basil
- Mint
Instructions
- Add peanut butter through brown sugar to a mason jar and stir to combine. Gradually add hot water as needed to make the sauce pourable.
- Fill a shallow large shallow dish with warm water (for dipping the rice paper), then build an assembly line with the rest of the ingredients.
- Dip rice paper in water for about 5 seconds. Layer the ingredients in a line just below the center of the wrap (being careful not to overfill). Fold over the end closest to you over the top of the fillings. Next fold in each side and roll up like a burrito (away from you) and place on a cutting board or plate seam side down. You can drape a wet paper towel over the top to keep the rolls moist while you finish building the entire batch, but as long as you eat them right away I don’t think it’s necessary.
- To serve, arrange the rolls on a serving platter with a dish of the peanut dipping sauce.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
- These are best served immediately, but leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. The rice paper gets a little stiffer over time but I don’t mind!
- Make sure you don’t let the rice paper soak for too long. When you remove it from the water, it may seem as if it’s not quite “roll-able” yet but if you over soak, they’ll become sticky and tear.
- Can’t find rice paper in stores? They’re available online: Three Ladies Rice Paper (affiliate)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 rolls (with sauce)
- Calories: 337 calories
- Fat: 14 grams
- Carbohydrates: 32 grams
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Protein: 20 grams
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