The Vietnamese culinary tradition is a thing of beauty - with a focus on balance, dishes are both flavorful and deliciously healthy. With such a vibrant Vietnamese population in Acadiana, I can only hope that we'll eventually see more authentic light dishes on menus around town. My experience with these dishes are few, but I really love that that the feeling you get from the dish is just as important as how it tastes. Vietnamese cuisine is governed by the 5 Asian principles of Wu Xing and takes tastes, health (impact on your organs), nutrients, colors, and senses into consideration. Meals are also prepared with little to no cooking - vegetables are eaten raw or lightly boiled or stir-fried, and meats are cooked quickly too. Of course there are exceptions, like Pho - a beloved slow cooked broth-based soup, but the focus is always on freshness.
In an effort to broaden my horizons I aimed my sights at what I consider to be low-hanging fruit, a dish that's ingredients are readily available and construction is easy to replicate, spring rolls. My rolls were far from perfect, but it was clear they were a winner. With fresh vegetables and lightly cooked seafood, this dish is perfect for a hot summer night, or a picnic by the pool.
Shrimp Spring Roll
Ingredients
8 inch spring roll wrappers - 2 per person (this recipe makes 2 servings)
1/4 package rice sticks (6.75 oz variety)
1/4 of a head iceburg lettuce, about 1 1/2 c chopped
1 small carrot, shredded
4 TBS mung bean sprouts (find them near the mushrooms) 1
/2 lb small shrimp, peeled and deveined
handful of cilantro (1/4 c leaves, unpacked), chopped
Directions
- Boil water for rice noodles, cook until softened, about 2 minutes, drain
- Lightly cook the shrimp, seasoning is not necessary, but salt & pepper if you wish
- Chop all the vegetables, shrimp and noodles and combine with sprouts
- Place a damp cloth on your countertop and have a large bowl filled with water to soften the wrappers
- Dunk each wrapper individually into the water until it's soft and pliable, about 15 seconds
- Lay the wrapper on the towel and place 1/4 of the filling in the center
- Fold from the bottom, then the sides (the wrapper will look like an envelope) and then roll upwards
- Serve with a light mixture of soy, mirin and rice wine vinegar or a premade spicy chili or peanut dipping sauce - all are delicious!
Happy rolling!