The school year is over and I have a few weeks off before I start working part-time for the summer. I’m happy to be relaxing and taking care of stuff at home (like really cleaning my house- not just surface cleaning, but like…on my hands and knees scrubbing the tiles on the bathroom floor), going to appointments, and coming up with some new recipes for the blog. It’s also been a great time to try out recipes from my favorite cookbooks and blogs that are a little more time consuming (check out my Instagram if you’re looking for some additional food inspiration). I have been dying to make summer rolls for months now, but I was very intimidated by them. They look super difficult and time-consuming to prepare, but I can honestly say that after making them- they are relatively easy to make. I can already tell that these are going to be a summer staple for me, especially when my dad’s garden is overflowing with cucumbers, carrots, and peppers. These crunchy summer rolls are also filled with cabbage and sweet, ripe mango. The mango definitely makes these rolls- it adds a touch of sweetness that goes a long way. I found a recipe for “Clean Eating Thai Sweet Chili Sauce” that I made exactly as is for dipping and it’s OUT OF THIS WORLD delicious. Click the link if you’re interested in using that sauce (I highly recommend it!). I explored some of the pre-made sauces in the grocery store and I wasn’t thrilled with them since most contained high fructose corn syrup or loads of sugar. The recipe I used utilizes pure maple syrup for sweetness, which is still sugar, but it’s natural and not processed. These summer rolls are fresh, crunchy, sweet, and satisfying. They are light and refreshing and perfect for a summertime snack or meal. I served them for dinner as a main dish for me (paired with some steamed vegetables) and as a side dish for Kevin (his main dish was an orange chicken stir fry). We both really enjoyed these summer rolls and I’m sure you will too! This was my first time using rice paper and although it was much easier than I thought, I definitely need some practice on my rolling skills because my summer rolls are definitely not as beautiful as they could be. I’d gladly take some tips if anyone has any!
NOTE: I based the nutrition information on a serving of 2 rolls (4 halves), but take it with a grain of salt because there are many ways to serve these rolls: as a main dish, side dish, or appetizer. I got 6 rolls out of this, but depending how large you make them you could get as many as 8.
NOTE 2: IF YOU ARE GLUTEN FREE, CHECK YOUR RICE PAPER SHEET INGREDIENTS. They SHOULD all be gluten free, but we know that’s not how the world works sometime*
Active Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2 people as a main dish or 6-8 people as an appetizer/side dish
Ingredients:
For the Summer Rolls: 6-8 sheets rice paper* (double check the ingredient list of your brand if you are gluten free) 1 cup (or 2 large) carrots, peeled and sliced into sticks 1 cup (or half a large) hothouse cucumber, sliced into sticks 1 cup (or 1 large) red bell pepper, sliced into sticks 1 cup sliced cabbage, sliced into thin strips
1 cup (or one large) fresh mango, sliced into sticks
For the Clean Eating Thai Sweet Chili Sauce:
Recipe on iFoodReal
Directions: For the Summer Rolls:Follow the directions on the rice paper package. For the brand I used, I soaked one sheet in water for 15-20 seconds, until soft and pliable. Then, I laid it down on a clean kitchen towel and placed a few strips of each vegetable and the mango in the center of the roll. Next, I rolled folded the bottom up over the filling, then each side, and then rolled it up. There should be pictures on the rice paper package to instruct you.
For the Clean Eating Thai Sweet Chili Sauce:
Recipe on iFoodReal
Nutrition Information per serving (2 summer rolls without sauce):
Calories: 119 Fat: 0g Carbs: 27g Protein: 3g Sodium: 76mg Sugar: 13g
*Nutrition information is based on the products I used personally in this recipe. Different products may yield slightly different information.
