I'm not going to sit here and lie to you. This is a "somewhat fussy" recipe. Fiddling around with rice paper can be a little frustrating. In fact, I'd be willing to go out on a limb and say even the most experienced cook is going to tear one or two of those pesky little wrappers. So just expect a few rips here or there and remind yourself that your rolls don't have to be perfect! Or at least that's what I tell myself.
I'm also not going to tell you this recipe is "speedy" whatsoever. There's lots of washing, chopping, boiling, mixing, dipping, and delicate handling involved. Towards the end you might even feel as though these little rolls took entirely too long. I will confess to being totally over them by the time I was done making them.
However, all those negative thoughts will fly right out the window as soon as you take that first bite. These little veggie rolls are pretty much screaming with flavor. Bright pops of red, orange and yellow veggies add color and crunch. The chile yogurt sauce is fiery hot and lends a decadent creaminess that makes these rolls feel truly indulgent. The soft soba noodles make for a pillowy soft center that is rather addictive. I found two of these rolls very satisfying. We loved these and I would most definitely make them again!
Vegetable Rolls With Chile Yogurt Sauce
Adapted from Feel Good Food
by Giada De Laurentiis
Makes 8/Serves 4
Sauce
1/3 cup plain nonfat 0% Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon Asian chile sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce or fish sauce
1 garlic clove, minced*
1 tablespoon light agave nectar
Rolls
4 ounces dried soba buckwheat noodles
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, shredded
8 (8-inch) rice paper rounds
8 fresh lettuce leaves, ribs removed
8 fresh basil leaves
8 fresh mint leaves
For the Sauce: In a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt, chile sauce, lemon juice, fish/soy sauce, garlic, and agave.
For the Rolls: Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodle and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Using scissors, cut the noodles into 2-inch pieces. Add the noodles, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and carrot to the yogurt sauce and toss until coated.
Lay a damp kitchen or paper towel on a work surface. Soak a rice paper round in warm water until softened, 20 to 30 seconds. Put the rice paper on the damp towel. Lay a lettuce leaf in the middle of the rice paper and spoon 1/3 cup of the noodle mixture on top. Put 1 basil leaf and 1 mint leaf on top of the noodle mixture. Roll the rice paper around the filling and seal the ends with a little water. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
If not serving immediately, drape the finished veggie rolls with damp paper towels, wrap with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours.
Per Serving (2 rolls): Calories: 110; Protein: 4g; Carbs: 24g; Fiber; 1g; Sugar: 4g; Fat: 0g
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| Theme: May Potluck! |
It is cold and wet and utterly miserable today in my part of the world. In fact, it's the middle of the day and I am still sitting up in bed with a blanket wrapped around my shoulders, because I don't want to get up and face the day. Opening your post brought a little ray of sunshine into my day, and has me wishing I could have summer back right now so that I could enjoy a plate of these. Your vegetable rolls look fantastic. Personally I would happily put up with a bit of chopping and tearing and wrapping for one of these. I've bookmarked these to make with the first glimpse of warmer days :-)
ReplyDeleteSuch healthy, colorful, and pretty rolls. I like that the creamy sauce is tossed with noodles, peppers and carrots and put side the rolls so you get that extra flavor in every bite. Yum! ;-)
ReplyDeleteI admire your patience. This recipe would be too fussy for me, but I'd like to eat one ;-)
ReplyDeleteThey are a little fiddly to make but always pretty and delicious. I like the idea of the sauce, especially this spicy yogurt version, coating the ingredients inside the roll, rather than being served as a dip on the side.
ReplyDeleteDespite all that hard work, I'm sure your fruit of labour is very delicious. I like how spicy yogurt is being used as the sauce for this vegetable roll. Definitely worth the effort!!
ReplyDeleteI have to say they do look delicious but like you I hate the washing up and fiddly work.
ReplyDeleteKim, we all appreciate your honesty about using rice paper. This has been something on my list to try, not necessarily Giada’s veggie rolls, but a rice paper recipe for rolls. My hubby can’t eat wheat anymore so I wanted to make spring rolls so we can enjoy Chinese food again.
ReplyDeleteSounds like it’s frustrating but, I have to give it a shot! You are so right – those rolls you made are popping with color and look very flavorful. Nice choice!
I've never used rice paper but I had a feeling by looking at them that they would require some work. The resulting rolls are amazing and I can see lots of uses for your tasty yogurt sauce with the fish sauce. I always have a bottle of fish sauce and of course soy too, but fish sauce has more depth of flavor and I use it often.
ReplyDeleteSam
Rice paper rolls are a MAJOR nuisance. But often so worth it. These look awesome!
ReplyDeleteSuch delicious and beautiful looking rolls! I can see that all that hard work certainly paid off! it looks delicious with all the ingredients, and the yoghurt sauce sounds good to me! Yes, I do agree with you, rice paper can be pretty frustrating to work with!
ReplyDeleteI so appreciate your honesty. I have yet to play with rice paper, and I've heard it's a real challenge to work with. But, I'd be willing to give it a go. They are gorgeous to look at, and I can definitely imagine these were so flavorful...and healthy!
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