Well, spring is here! It’s brighter in the morning, the birds are singing, and the breeze is just a little bit warmer. Beautiful flowers are in bloom and the promise of growth and newness is in the air.

And we’re no different! It’s a great time of year to try NEW things: cultivate new friendships, visit a local shop you’ve never been to, take a more scenic route home from work, hike that trail you’ve always wanted to, make new recipes, read different books, or…whatever! It’s time to take a few risks and get a little crazy this spring! Newness recharges our batteries, cultivates creativity and gives us great perspective, even joy! It’s a terrific habit to get in to.

In the spirit of all things new, here is a new recipe for Veggie Spring Rolls. It’s based on a recipe we wrote a while back, but this time it’s vegetarian – but still protein-packed and absolutely delicious. Give it a try and let us know what you think!

Spring is here…and so are our Veggie Spring Rolls!

Ingredients

  • Spring Rolls
  • 1/2 pound thin rice noodles (suggestion - Maifun brown rice noodles)
  • 1 sweet potato, diced, roasted and cooled
  • 1 thinly sliced cucumber
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded spinach
  • 1 bunch mint leaves
  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • 1 bunch Thai basil leaves
  • 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and thinly cut lengthwise
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and thinly cut lengthwise
  • 1 carrot, cut into julienne or into small strips
  • 2 tbs chia or sesame seeds, optional
  • 12 10-inch rice or tapioca spring roll wrappers
  • Cashew Dipping Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons chili paste
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/4 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 cup cashews
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk, unsweetened
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1/8 cup soy sauce or coconut aminos (or other soy alternative)
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons ginger powder
  • 3/4 cup tahini
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
  • Kosher salt, optional

Instructions

  1. Spring Rolls
  2. 1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse under cool water and set aside.
  3. 2. Assemble rolls one at a time. Dip 1 spring roll wrapper into lukewarm water and transfer to a
  4. clean and damp kitchen towel. (Wrapper will soften within seconds.)
  5. 3. Place 1-2 tbs sweet potato bits in a horizontal line across the center of each wrapper and top
  6. with a few tablespoons of cooked noodles.
  7. 4. Top the noodles with 2 slices of cucumber, 2 tablespoons or so of the shredded spinach, 2
  8. mint leaves, 2 sprigs of cilantro, and 2 basil leaves. Continue filling with 1 jalapeño strip and
  9. 1 red bell pepper strip. Place a few sticks of carrot along the top of the filling ingredients and
  10. sprinkle on top 1/2 teaspoon chia or sesame seeds, if using.
  11. 5. Carefully pull the lower edge of the wrapper up and over the filling. Fold the 2 sides inward
  12. over the filling and press to seal. Work carefully and try not to tear the wrapper. Once both
  13. sides are folded inward over the filling, roll the spring roll upwards so that the filling is tight
  14. inside; roll up to seal. Set the spring roll aside on a dish, covered with a damp paper towel.
  15. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and ingredients.
  16. 6. Once you have assembled all of the spring rolls, slightly chill for 20 minutes in the
  17. refrigerator, covered with the damp paper towel.
  18. 7. Serve immediately with the Cashew Dipping Sauce (recipe follows) on the side for dipping.
  19. Cashew Dipping Sauce
  20. 1. In a small saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute shallot and garlic for 1 minute.
  21. Add tomato paste, chili paste, and honey and saute for 2 minutes. Add vegetable stock and
  22. bring mix to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
  23. 2. In a food processor, blend cashews for 1 minute, or until mealy.
  24. 3. Add the shallot-garlic paste mix and the remaining ingredients: coconut milk, lime juice, soy
  25. sauce (or soy alternative), balsamic vinegar, ginger powder, tahini, cilantro and salt (if using).
  26. 4. Blend all ingredients in food processor adjusting flavors and thickness your taste and texture
  27. preferences. Serve along with the Spring Rolls as a dipping sauce.
https://collabkitchen.com/spring-is-here-and-so-are-our-veggie-spring-rolls/