Vegetable spring rolls

Ingredients

Serves: 12

• ¼ cup (60 mL) natural peanut butter
• 3 Tbsp (45 mL) water
• 2 Tbsp (30 mL) reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp (15 mL) honey
• 2 Tbsp (30 mL) rice vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 tsp (5 mL) finely minced fresh ginger
• 60 g vermicelli rice noodles
• 1 pkg (350 g) extra-firm tofu, drained
• 12 rice paper wrappers (spring roll wrappers)
• 12 Boston or leaf lettuce leaves
• 1 large carrot, cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks
• ½ English cucumber, cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 avocado, sliced into thin strips
• ¼ cup (60 mL) sliced green onion
• ¼ cup (60 mL) fresh mint leaves
• ¼ cup (60 mL) fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

Instructions

1. Whisk together peanut butter, water, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, garlic and ginger in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.
2. Place rice noodles in a 13 x 9-inch glass dish and cover with hot tap water. Let soak for 5–7 minutes, or until softened. Drain and set aside.
3. Cut tofu in half horizontally, then slice each piece lengthwise into 6 long strips. Set aside.
4. Arrange all prepared ingredients so they are easy to divide evenly among the 12 rolls.
5. Fill a flat pan or shallow bowl with room-temperature water. Submerge one rice paper wrapper until pliable, about 30 seconds. Place on a clean work surface.
6. On the edge closest to you, layer 1 lettuce leaf, 1 strip of tofu, small amounts of noodles, carrot, cucumber, bell pepper and avocado. Sprinkle with green onion, mint and cilantro.
7. Fold the bottom edge of the wrapper over the filling, fold in the sides, then roll tightly to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers, being careful not to overfill.
8. Serve immediately with peanut sauce.

Tips:

• Cooking know-how: If not serving immediately, cover rolls with a slightly damp tea towel and refrigerate for up to 2 hours. Leave space between rolls so they don’t stick together.
• Substitution: To make shrimp rolls, omit tofu and use 12 large cooked shrimp. Slice each shrimp in half lengthwise and layer with the vegetables.
• Nutrition know-how: Preparing your own peanut sauce helps control the amount of added sugar and sodium.