Freestyle Vegetable Summer Rolls

• servings: ~12 rolls

Ingredients

12 (10-inch) rice paper wrappers, or more as needed

2 cups thinly sliced or shredded crunchy vegetables, such as carrots, bell peppers, or cucumbers (this is a great time to use a mandoline, spiralizer, or box grater)

2 cups leafy greens or herbs, such as lettuce, kale, spinach, cilantro, mint, or basil, torn into palm-size pieces if large

1 cup sliced tofu, scrambled egg, shrimp, or cooked chicken (optional)

3 ounces rice vermicelli, cooked and drained, or another leftover noodle of your choice (optional)

Nut Butter Sauce or other dipping sauce, for serving

Directions

Set up all your ingredients on a flat surface with some room to work, like a clean cutting board. Fill a wide bowl that fits your Wrappers (we like to use a pie tin) with an inch or two of very warm water (not too hot, as you'll be sticking your fingers in often).

To make each roll, place a rice paper wrapper in the bowl and let sit for 5 to 10 seconds, until the wrapper softens and begins to crumple in on itself like a piece of fabric. Lift it out carefully, letting any excess water drip back into the bowl. Place the wrapper on your work surface, trying to keep it flat, and unfold any spots that may have stuck together.

The next part is basically a free-form exercise-gather about 1/3 cup of fillings of your choice and place them in a little horizontal rectangle on the bottom third of the rice paper. Fold up the bottom edge of the rice paper and tuck the vegetables in tightly, then fold over both sides, and continue to roll up toward the top edge, like a mini burrito. Repeat until you've used up all your ingredients.

Serve right away with your dipping sauce of choice, or refrigerate in a covered container with a damp towel to keep the rolls from drying out.

Notes

Source: Perfectly Good Food, by Margaret Li and Irene Li

These light, crunchy, Vietnamese-style rolls are ideal for using up an assortment of vegetables. (Irene likes to put meat in them too; you can freestyle in any direction you like.) Our only must-have is leaty greens and herbs like mint and cilantro, both for brightness and to fill out the rolls so they aren't lumpy, deflated pillows. If you've never rolled with rice paper before, your first attempts may turn out extremely un-cylindrical, but as Mei tells her six-year-old, they will still taste excellent, especially dipped in Nut Butter Sauce.

NOTE: This recipe usually makes about a dozen rolls, but we never count-- just keep rolling until you're out of filling.