Fresh Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce

These delicious fresh, crunchy, gluten-free summer rolls are such a quick and easy lunchtime fix. They bring massive nutrition “bang for your buck” to your diet quickly and easily. I’ve included my peanut dipping sauce recipe for you, too.

½ cup herbs, e.g., coriander leaf (cilantro), mint, and/or basil leaves

1 grated carrot

¼ grated or finely sliced red cabbage

4 oz extra-firm tofu or tempeh

1–2 avocados, thinly sliced

2 cups sprouts of your choice, such as broccoli, cress, sprouted legumes

½ cup lime juice

16 rice paper wrappers (you’ll only need 8 if you don’t double-wrap)

1. Grate the carrot and shred the cabbage. Slice the tofu or tempeh in thin strips. Halve the avocado, remove the stone, slice each half into very thin slices;.

2. Fill a baking tray or dish large enough to hold a rice wrapper with very warm water. Immerse a rice paper wrapper for several seconds to soften it. When it starts to curl, lift it out with both hand and keep it open as you lay it flat onto a clean surface. This is a bit of an art, and you might find that your first couple of attempts end up with the rice paper wrappers sticking to themselves. To double wrap the rolls, which makes them hold better and be easier to handle, wet a second rice paper and layer directly on top of the first.

3. Next, add the filling to the center of the wrap. Start by laying a few leaves/sprigs of fresh herbs down the middle. Add a little bit of shredded carrot, shredded cabbage, and then a couple tofu/tempeh strips. Add a couple slices of avocado, drizzle them with a tablespoon or more of lime juice, and finish with a small bunch of sprouts.

4. To roll, gently fold the sides of the wrapper towards the center and then fold the bottom of the wrapper over the filling, gently pulling the enclosed part of the roll back towards you so it’s tightly packed. Continue rolling until it’s closed and snug.

5. Place each finished roll on a plate and cover with a damp tea towel. You’ll need to renew the hot water part way. When all your rolls are made, slice each roll in half with a sharp knife and serve with a dipping sauce, like my Peanut Dipping Sauce (see recipe below).

Makes 8 rolls, ready in 20 minutes; stores 2 days in fridge (7 without avocado)

Top Tips:

Don’t be tempted to put too much filling into the rolls, or they’ll be difficult to roll and will fall apart more easily.

If you want your rolls to look really pretty, try adding edible flowers and/or any other brightly coloured fillings to them, as we have done in the picture.

If you’d like to keep the rolls to serve later, wrap them individually in parchment paper and plastic wrap, which will help prevent them from sticking to each other or becoming soggy. They’re best eaten within a day or two, due to the avocado. Without avocado added, they will easily last a week in the fridge.

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Quick ‘n’ Easy Peanut Sauce

This sauce is also gluten-free and is amazingly versatile. I often put it on my steamed veggies, and of course, it is the perfect dipping sauce for Summer Rolls. It will keep for up to a week in the fridge.

½ cup organic peanut butter – ensure that it has no added salt, oil, or sugar

½ cup water, with more as needed to make desired consistency

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon tamari (optional)

1 Medjool date, pitted

1 garlic clove, or ¼ teaspoon garlic granules

¼–½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1. Add all the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy.

2. Serve right away, or store in an air-tight container for later.

Top Tips:

The date is added for just a touch of sweetness. It helps balance the heat from the red pepper flakes. However, it can be left out, especially if you don’t add the red pepper flakes.

This is a great sauce to make in double batches and keep throughout the week. The flavour is scrumptious—and actually improves if kept a day or so. I like to make mine in advance, especially if I’m trying to impress guests!