Thai Veggie Wraps with Peanut Sauce

Not only do these wraps look neat, but they taste great too! It’s an awesome way to get in lots of the same veggies you’d have in a salad, but in a different format than a salad. The key is in the sauce - it is what makes it so good. This recipe is inspired by the Fresh Vegetable Spring Rolls recipe from the Complete Vegetarian Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen.

Serves: 2-4 (makes 6-8 rolls)
Time: 30 mins

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Ingredients

For the Wraps

• 2 1/2 TBS lime juice
• 1 1/2 TBS fish sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 ounces rice vermicelli (noodles)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 1/3 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped if desired
• 1 jalapeño or 2 Thai chiles, stemmed, seeded and minced (can also omit)
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into matchsticks
• 8 leaves of red leaf lettuce or Boston lettuce
• 8 (8 inch) rice paper wrappers
• 1/2 cup fresh Thai Basil or mint, leaves whole or torn (can also omit)
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (can omit)

For the Hoisin-Peanut Dipping Sauce

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (crunchy works too if you’re out of creamy)
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 TBS tomato paste
• 1 tsp Asian Chili-garlic sauce (optional)
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic in water
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

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Method

1. Prep the Sauce Base: In a small/medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, hoisin sauce, water, tomato paste, and chili-garlic sauce.
2. Cook Aromatics & Simmer: In a small saucepan on the stove, heat oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and pepper flakes (if using) and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the peanut butter mixture and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook and stir for a few minutes so flavors can meld. Let the sauce cool before serving. (Note: You can prepare it ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)
3. Prep the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar.
4. Cook the Noodles: Bring a medium-large pan of water to boil on the stove. Once boiling, remove from heat and stir in the vermicelli and salt. Let sit for 5 mins, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender but not mushy. Drain the noodles, then add 2 TBS of the lime juice mixture and toss well.
5. Dress the Vegetables: Prepare all vegetables. Mix together the carrots, peanuts, and jalapeño with 1 TBS of the lime juice mixture. In another bowl, toss the last TBS of the lime juice mixture with the cucumbers.
6. Assemble the Wraps: Arrange lettuce on a platter. Lay out a clean, damp dish towel. Fill a pie plate or a shallow baking dish with room-temperature water. One at a time, dip a wrapper in the water until it’s pliable (about 2 mins).
7. Fill & Roll: Scatter 6 leaves each of Thai basil and cilantro on the wrapper, if using. Add 4-5 cucumber sticks, 2 TBS of the carrot mixture, and some noodles on top. Fold the top and bottom of the wrapper over the fillings, then roll up until secure. Place the wrap on a leaf of lettuce. Repeat until all fillings are used up.
8. Serve: To eat, hold the veggie roll wrapped in a leaf of lettuce. Spoon some hoisin-peanut dipping sauce on top, take a bite, and enjoy!