I very rarely veer off my “tried and true” basic recipe for Vietnamese Nuoc Cham (dipping sauce with lime juice, fish sauce, chili peppers, sugar, water) for Vietnamese Spring Rolls. It’s easy, predictable and I can make the sauce just by taste without measuring anything!
But just because I *LOVE* something doesn’t mean that my entire family loves it too. My fish-fearing husband won’t touch it….and therefore my kids won’t dip in it either. Sigh. I keep telling the kids that, “Buddha is a happy eater (see his belly!?) and he would want you to eat like Mama, not Dad.”
My friend, Blender Girl (okay, her name is really Tess) just came out with a cookbook called The Blender Girl: Super-Easy, Super-Healthy Meals, Snacks, Desserts, and Drinks–100 Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipes.
I found a recipe for Orange Almond Sauce for Vietnamese Spring Rolls. Big massive hit all around. It’s creamy, light and made with almond butter and fresh citrus juices for something a little different.
If you vow to cook a little healthier this summer – take a look at Tess’ book with 100 recipes that are good for you. The blender does all the hard work! The book features smoothies you’d expect from a blender book – as well as sauces, soups, marinades, dressings and desserts.
The book is currently #3 cookbook on Amazon!
Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Orange Almond Sauce Recipe Video
Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Orange Almond Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE SPRING ROLLS:
- 6 ounces dried rice vermicelli noodles
- 16 large dried rice paper wrappers
- 8 large lettuce leaves, preferably soft ones, halved and hard ribs removed
- 1 cup matchstick cut carrots
- 2 cucumbers, julienned
- 1-2 avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
- 1-2 bell pepper, cored, julienned
- 1 cup loosely packed cilantro
- 1 cup loosely packed min
- 1 cup loosely packed basil
FOR THE ORANGE ALMOND SAUCE:
- 1/4 cup water, plus more as needed
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 cup raw almond butter
- 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon honey or coconut nectar
- 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon wheat-free tamari or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Soak the noodles in hot water for about 20 minutes, until soft. Drain.
- To assemble the rolls, fill a shallow dish half full with hot water (hot to the touch but not boiling. and submerge one rice paper wrapper for 5 seconds, let excess water drop off.
- Place wrapper on a clean, dry surface and fold in half to form a half-circle. The wrapper should still be a bit stiff, but will soften by the time you've finished filling with vegetables.
- Place a lettuce leaf in the middle of the half-circle and top it with a forkful of noodles, and then add a bit of each of the vegetables and herbs.
- Carefully roll up the Vietnamese Spring Roll and set it on a dish, seam-side down in single layer. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. If not serving immediately, chill in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap.
- To make the dipping sauce, throw all of the ingredients into your blender and puree on high for about 1 minute, until well combined. You may want to add an additional tablespoon or two of water to thin out the sauce. Stir in sesame seeds. Serve alongside the rolls.
By the way, if you are looking for a juicer to make the orange and lime juice for the recipe, I recommend the Omega Masticating Juicer.
