These delicious Summer Rolls are bursting full of plants, protein and what’s more they’re FODMAP friendly. They make for the perfect post gym lunch and better still, they travel really well. Move over great British sandwich, these Vietnamese inspired rainbow rolls are coming for you!
I don’t know about you, but my body is reactive to the season we’re in – when it’s warm I crave for lighter meals, when it’s cold, I crave for slightly more warming meals. Whilst the sun hasn’t officially shined as much as we’d hoped this summer, it’s still been super lovely. So much so, we’ve picnicked a lot this summer and these have been in my basket every single time. I always bring more than we could possibly eat quite simply because they go down so well with everyone we picnic with. My advice, make lots, you’ll be surrounded by friends wanting to join in on the Summer Roll action!
The most fiddly bit in all of this is rolling the rolls, but once you’re a couple down, you find it’s actually really easy to do. The secret to these are the herbs, without them they’re just not the same. It’s these herbs that make the dish really sing so make sure you have plenty of mint and coriander at the ready.
I love the lift it gives by adding a little fruit, the sweetness goes really well with the chilli and nuttiness of the sauce. I used pineapple because its FODMAP friendly, but this could easily be swapped with another seasonal fruit or removed altogether.
Super simple to make and requiring no special equipment, all you need is 15 minutes and you’ll have a stack of delicious Rainbow Rolls ready to take to your picnic or to kick start your dinner party with. Trust me, your dinner party guests will be super impressed!
Rainbow Rolls
Vegan, Gluten Free, FODMAP friendly
For the Rainbow Rolls:
12 Rice Paper Wraps
25g Wholegrain Vermicelli Rice Noodles, prepared according to packet instructions
1/4 Pineapple, finely diced
1/4 Cucumber, cut in to thin sticks
1 small Carrot, cut in to thin sticks
1/2 Small Red Cabbage, finely sliced
Handful of Mint
Handful of Coriander
For the Spiced Dressing:
2 tbsp Peanut Butter
1 tbsp Tamari
1/2 lime, juice
2 tsp Ginger, grated
1-2 tsp Chilli Flakes
A splash of Water, to thin
To Serve:
Lime
Sesames Seeds
Crushed Peanuts
Method:
- Whisk all the dressing ingredients together and set aside for the flavour to bloom. You’re after a
thick drizzle consistency, adding a little splash of water as you go will help achieve this. - Grab a large dish big enough to place your rice wrapper in, add around 1cm of water and place
one rice wrapper at a time to rehydrate. It only takes 10-15 seconds to rehydrate. Don’t be tempted to over soak them, the wrapper will continue to soften once it’s taken out of the water bath. - Place your wrapper on a damp plate to prevent your wrapper from sticking and begin filling the bottom quarter. I like to begin by placing a handful of noodles, followed by some carrot and cucumber sticks on top, then finishing off with some pineapple, red cabbage and herbs. Be mindful not to overfill the wrappers, it makes them really tricky to roll!
- Time to get rolling! Roll the shorter end over your filling first, then tuck both sides in before continuing rolling upwards. It may take a few goes to get the knack, but trust me, it won’t take long to get the hang of it!
- Repeat until you have rolled all 12 rolls. Cut each in half, sprinkle with some sesame seeds and chopped peanuts and serve with a dollop of delicious spicy peanut dipping sauce and squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Notes:
- Any leftover fillings makes the most delicious noodle salad. Simply toss to combine, add a little extra water to thin the rest of the spicy peanut dressing and mix together with a generous squeeze of lime. A deliciously healthy packed lunch bursting full of plants!