Fresh Spring Rolls

Fresh spring rolls are a popular Vietnamese menu item.  They are quite versatile though, with the mild flavour of the rice paper allowing you to really experiment with the contents.  Here I used carrots, cucumber and celery, because that is what I had on hand.  Next time I want to add sweet red pepper and thinly sliced red onion as well.  To make vegetarian, tofu could easily substitute the chicken.  I was inspired to make these after seeing a photo of them on Kayla Itsines blog a few weeks back.  Kayla recommends making your own sauce, which is usually healthier than a store-bough condiment, but I have a major weakness for hoisin sauce so I used that instead.  This is a great, beautiful recipe to have under your belt with summer just around the corner.

Can I also just say I am a huge fan of Kayla.  She is a personal trainer and creator of the Bikini Body Guide, of which I’m currently on week 2.  Her posts and instagram are positive and upbeat, and the way she is helping women all over the world get in shape and lead a healthy lifestyle is really inspiring.

Fresh Spring Rolls

Ingredients

  • 1 English cucumber 

  • 2 carrots

  • 2 stalks celery

  • 1 head iceberg lettuce

  • bunch mint

  • 2 chicken breasts (or 1 block extra-firm tofu, for vegetarian option)

  • package of rectangular rice paper rolls 

  • 100g cashews 

  • hoisin sauce (for dipping)

Instructions

Prep

  1. Toast cashews in the oven at 400C for 3-5 minutes. Watch them - they'll burn easily.
  2. Butterfly the chicken breasts and then cook in a frying pan until cooked through, about 10 minutes. If using tofu, cut into strips and fry until golden. 
  3. While chicken is cooking, slice the carrots, celery and cucumber into long thin slices.
  4. Clean and roughly chop the mint.
  5. Remove the outer leaves of the iceberg and discard. Rinse the head and separate the leaves, trying to keep the pieces large. 
  6. Once the cashews are cool, chop them.

Rolling

  1. Soak one rice paper at a time in a bowl of warm water, then remove and place on a clean cutting board.
  2. Place a piece of lettuce covering about 1/3 of the wrapper down first, followed by the vegetables, chicken, mint and cashews.
  3. Roll up the rice papers, tucking in the sides.

Served with hoisin sauce on the side, for dipping.

LunchKaleigh Briggs