Spring rolls with rice paper, also known as summer rolls, are a popular appetizer or light meal in Vietnamese cuisine. They use a translucent rice paper wrapper, softened by briefly dipping in water. Our version of spring rolls has a Japanese twist. We take the filling of California rolls, minus the rice and nori seaweed, and use it in the spring rolls. The result is interesting and delightful! Instead of Vietnamese vermicelli noodles, we use cooked somen noodles. Our dipping sauce is a simple but tasty combination of soy sauce and wasabi, rather than a complicated peanut sauce. California Spring Rolls are light, refreshing, and healthy affairs, and appeal to many just like California rolls.
Tips for handling rice paper:
- Lightly wet the paper with water; don’t soak it.
- Place the papers on wooden cutting boards or other non-slick surfaces, as wet rice papers are very sticky.
- Keep prepared spring rolls wrapped until just before serving to prevent drying out.
- Avoid refrigerating for too long, as the skin becomes hard and less tasty.
- It’s best not to make them too far ahead of mealtime.
California Spring Rolls offer a fresh taste and pleasing texture contrasts. They’re easily adaptable to different preferences in vegetables and meats, making them a flexible dish. Enjoy them as a starter or light meal, especially in warmer weather. Hope you give them a try!
California Spring Roll
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Ingredients
- 1 bunch Somen noodles dried
- 2 leaves green leafy lettuce
- 1 cucumber
- 1/2 avocado
- 4 sheets rice papers
- 8 fake crab sticks
- 2 Tbsp Masago or Tobiko capelin or flying fish roe
- 2 Tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
- soy sauce
- Wasabi
Instructions
- Cook dried somen noodles according to the package instructions. Rinse well under running water, rubbing gently. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
- Tear lettuce into large pieces. Cut cucumber into 1/3" (8 mm) thick sticks. Vertically slice avocado into 8 pieces.
- Lightly dip a rice paper in water. Lay it on a wooden cutting board. On the rice paper, place a couple pieces of lettuce, noodles, a couple of cucumber sticks, 2 pieces of avocado, and 2 pieces of crab sticks. Top with capelin or flying fish roe, mayo, and then small pieces of lettuce. Roll up, folding the sides in to make a log. Repeat to make 4 rolls.
- Serve with soy sauce and Wasabi.
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