Summer Rolls, or Vietnamese Spring Rolls are stuffed with fresh ingredients and always served with a fabulous dipping sauce too! My Summer Shrimp and Soba Rolls with Plum Sauce are no exception!

SUMMER SHRIMP AND SOBA ROLLS

If you’ve never made Summer Rolls, it’s high time you put Summer Shrimp and Soba Rolls into your culinary arsenal!

Summer rolls are really just a “raw” version of fried Spring or Egg rolls.  But Summer Shrimp and Soba Rolls are so much more healthy, and can be customized with all the ingredients you love.   You’d be amazed at the list of ingredients you can put into a Summer roll, like these:

• Cucumbers
• Carrots
• Bell peppers
• Avocado
• Cooked shrimp or crab
• Shredded red cabbage
• Boston or leaf lettuce
• Cooked ahi tuna
• Noodles (vermicelli, rice or soba noodles)
• Red onion strips
• Water chestnuts
• Kimchi

 

HOW TO ASSEMBLE FABULOUS SUMMER ROLLS

The most important thing is to have all your filling ingredients ready and waiting.  I like to place all the filling ingredients on a large cutting board or rimmed baking sheet to make assembly fast and efficient. 

When you’re choosing the ingredients you want to include in your Summer rolls, always add some crunch like carrots, cukes and peppers.  Also consider the colors you’re including so that you’ll have pretty vegies showing through the translucent rice paper wrappers.

If you want your Summer rolls to be a bit more substantial, add a protein like my Summer Shrimp and Soba Rolls have.  I like to slice my shrimp in half lengthwise, so I can have the “pretty” side showing through the wrappers.  If you put in whole shrimp, they can made the roll fall apart when biting into it.   Remember that you should thinly julienne most vegetables to help keep your delicate rolls from breaking. 

 

HOW TO PREP THE RICE PAPER WRAPPERS

 

• Pour warm water into a large bowl or 9-inch square or round baking pan. Working with one at a time, dip the rice paper wrapper into the warm water for 15-20 seconds (or as package directs). The wrapper should be soft, yet still slightly firm and pliable. Immediately remove from the water and place flat onto a work surface such as a large plastic or ceramic cutting board.  Pat the wrapper with paper towels to dry slightly.

 

NAN’S TIP: For a little added “bling” – try laying strips of seaweed sheets on top of wrappers before rolling up the filling!

 

ROLL EM’ UP – Gently!

There are several different methods of rolling rice paper wrappers , but this is the one I find the easiest.  It gives me consistently tightly wrapped and pretty rolls:

• Place your filling ingredients in a tight bundle on the bottom 1/3 of a barely firm rice paper wrapper. Leaving the top 2/3 of the wrapper free leaves plenty to tightly wrap your Summer rolls. Do not over-stuff!  Begin with a smaller amount and add a bit more if necessary. It takes a bit of practice, but they go together quickly once you get the hang of it!
• Keep it tight – think burrito!  Here’s how:  gently pull up the bottom of the roll and pull over the filling. Then, roll and use your fingers to keep the filling in as you go. Keep it tight, but you don’t want to tear the paper.  For a nice presentation, tuck the ends of the rice paper underneath the roll and moisten to seal shut. 

 

*You’ll find the recipe at the bottom of this post.

HERE’S HOW TO DO IT – You Tube Video Demonstration

 

THIS RECIPE IS ONE OF THE “PERFECT PICNIC” RECIPES INCLUDED IN THE PERFECT PICNIC SERIES OF POSTS.  CLICK HERE TO READ THE MASTER POST WITH THE REST OF THE MENU:

• Mediterranean Chicken Focaccia Sandwich
• Fruit Salad with Orange Poppyseed Sauce
• Smoked Salmon Dippers with Grissini
• Lobster Roll Sliders

 

5 PERFECT PICNIC RECIPES

 

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PERFECT PICNIC PLANNER PRINTABLE PDF

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• Guest Cup Name Labels
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• Dessert “Treat” Bag Stickers
• Picnic Condiment 5 piece Hang Tag Set

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Summer Shrimp & Soba Rolls with Plum Sauce

Yield: 10 rolls

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

So pretty on the plate, these Summer rolls are stuffed with crunchy vegies, Asian spiced shrimp and soba noodles. They're a perfect start to any fabulous meal. Summer Shrimp and Soba Rolls make a fabulous light lunch for the gals too!

Print

Ingredients

• PLUM SAUCE
• 1 cup plum jam
• 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. allspice, ground
• 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/3 cup warm water
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 10 Rice paper wrappers
• 1 sheet seaweed, cut into 1/2" wide strips with scissors
• 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
• 1 large washed and unpeeled cucumber, julienned
• 1/2 large yellow or red bell pepper, julienned
• 1" bundle Soba noodles
• 1 Tbsp. Tarmari sauce
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 20 medium cooked shrimp, peeled and sliced in half length-wise
• 1 tsp. 5 spice powder

Instructions

1. PLUM SAUCE - Place all ingredients except water in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Add warm water, by the tablespoon, stirring between each addition, until desired thickness is reached. Pour into a serving bowl, cover and chill until ready to serve.
2. PREPARE SOBA NOODLES: Cook the noodles as directed on package. Drain and place in a small bowl. Add Tarmari sauce and toss to coat noodles while still hot. Set aside.
3. PREPARE WRAPPERS - Pour warm water into a large bowl or 9-inch square or round baking pan. Working with one at a time, dip the rice paper wrapper into the warm water for 15-20 seconds (or as package directs). The wrapper should be soft, yet still slightly firm and pliable. Immediately remove from the water and place flat onto a large plastic or ceramic cutting board. Pat the wrapper to dry slightly.
4. STRIPED ROLLS - Lay 4 seaweed strips vertically on top of prepared wrapper and continue as instructed.
5. FILL THE ROLLS - Toss sliced shrimp in a small bowl with 5 spice powder. Place 4 shrimp halves down the center of the bottom 1/3 of the wrapper, cut side facing inside (pretty side will show on top of roll). (refer to post)
6. Add a few sticks of carrot, cucumber, bell pepper on top of the shrimp. Top with a small amount of noodles and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro (remember you want to place your ingredients on the bottom 1/3 of the rice paper. DO NOT overstuff the roll. Start with less and add a bit more, if needed, as you go along assembling your rolls.
7. ROLL 'EM UP:  Roll tightly, but gently! Here's how: gently pull up the bottom of the roll and roll up and over the filling ingredients. Then, roll and use your fingers to tuck the filling in as you go. Think: burrito! You must end up with a very tight roll. You can tuck under the ends of the rice paper roll if you wish for a more finished presentation. SEE NOTES FOR DO-AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS.

Notes

DO AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS: Wrap rolls individually in plastic wrap and layer in a tightly covered storage container between sheets of was paper or parchment. They can be made up to 24 hours before serving.

Nutrition Information

Yield 10 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 175Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 21mgSodium 162mgCarbohydrates 39gFiber 1gSugar 17gProtein 4g

Calorie and fat counts will vary according to specific ingredients used.