During the warmer months, the last thing you’re usually craving is a hearty dish. Light and refreshing is most definitely the way to go. This Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls recipe is not only quick, but it’s also nutritious. And best of all, no actual cooking is required. Seriously, you don’t have to turn your oven on.
When “cooking,” it’s always best to use vegetables when they’re in season. That’s when they’ll taste their best and hold the most nutritional value. Carrots and cucumbers, although available year-round, are in season at the start of May.
Carrots are crunchy and tasty. Plus, they are a great source of beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin K1, and potassium. In addition, eating carrots has been linked to lower cholesterol levels and improved eye health.
Like carrots, cucumbers make the perfect snack for those warm summer days. They are made up of around 96 percent water, helping keep you hydrated. In addition to keeping you hydrated, cucumbers are a low-calorie food that may lower blood sugar and promote weight loss.
What makes these two vegetables so desirable is that you don’t have to do anything to them to enjoy them. You can eat them raw, and they still taste great. In these Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls, the vegetables are complemented with some fresh cilantro and mint, helping to enhance the flavor profile and provide a very refreshing taste to the dish. A recipe that is so easy to make will be a winner at the dinner table. We guarantee it.
Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls
Ingredients
1 C carrots, cut into long, thin strips
2 C bean sprouts
2 C cucumber, seeded and cut into long, thin strips
1 C minced scallions
½ C chopped fresh cilantro
¼ C chopped fresh mint
8 rice paper wrappers
Directions
- Toss first six ingredients in a large bowl.
- Soak one rice paper wrapper in warm water until soft (1 to 2 minutes). Shake off excess water.
- Place vegetable filling off-center on rice paper, and fold like an egg roll (tuck in the sides to keep the filling inside).
- Repeat with remaining vegetable filling and rice paper wrappers.
- Once you have assembled all of the spring rolls, serve immediately.
Recipe courtesy of National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.