Vietnamese Noodle Rolls
Photo by Annabelle Breakey
Time: 35 minutes. Serve these refreshing rolls for dinner, or cut them into thirds and spear each with a toothpick to turn them into hors d’oeuvres.
This recipe, and others like it, can be found in the article “25 Fresh Summer Meals You’ll Want to Make All June.”
How to Make It
Step 1
1
Put noodles in a large bowl and cover with just-boiling water. Let noodles sit until tender, 5 to 8 minutes.
Step 2
2
Meanwhile, cut cucumber and carrot into 4-in. lengths and then into matchsticks, using a mandoline* or other hand-held slicer, to yield 1/2 cup matchsticks of each (or cut cucumber into matchsticks with a knife and coarsely shred carrots).
Step 3
3
Drain noodles and rinse with cold water. Spread noodles out on a baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel. Pat dry.
Step 4
4
Divide noodles into 2 long "logs," then cut with scissors to total 10 equal portions.
Step 5
5
Set out all ingredients except the sesame sauce near a work surface. Pour very hot tap water into a large shallow bowl such as a pie plate. Submerge 1 rice-paper wrapper until moistened and softened slightly but not completely pliable (it will continue to soften as you work with it).
Step 6
6
Lay wrapper on work surface and put 1/2 lettuce leaf in center. Mound 1 portion of noodles on lettuce followed by about one-tenth of the cucumber, carrot, and apple slices; 3 mint leaves; 4 cilantro leaves; and a sprinkling of onions. Arrange ingredients into a rectangle about 4 in. long. Fold paper over short ends of filling, then roll up tightly from a long side. Repeat to make remaining rolls. Serve with sesame sauce.
Step 7
7
*Find at cookware stores.
Step 8
8
Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.
Ingredients
3 1/2 ounces thin dried rice noodles (also called rice vermicelli)
1/4 English cucumber, unpeeled
1/2 large carrot, peeled
Ten 8 1/2-in. rice-paper wrappers (bánh tráng)
5 red lettuce leaves, torn in half crosswise
1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and very thinly sliced lengthwise
30 mint leaves (about 1/4 cup)
40 cilantro leaves (about 1/4 cup)
About 1/2 cup canned french-fried onions
