Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Shrimp, Mint and Cilantro

When I was a student at UC Berkeley, I used to ride the bus from campus to downtown Oakland to order spring rolls from the famous French-Vietnamese restaurant, Le Cheval. Today, I make my own. They’re a summertime favorite since they require no cooking.

Ingredients
(makes 4 rolls)

4 rice paper wrappers*
12 cooked shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 cup cooked rice vermicelli*
four sprigs cilantro
four sprigs mint
1 carrot, medium-julienned
1/2 cup sliced green cabbage
6 cups scalding-hot water in a shallow dish or pan

Have all ingredients washed and prepared. Soak one rice paper wrapper in the hot water for 15-20 seconds or until softened. Remove from the water and lay flat, blotting with a paper towel to remove extra moisture if necessary. Place three shrimp down the middle of the wrapper, and top with one sprig each of mint and cilantro. Add about 1/4 cup o the cook rice vermicelli, plus the sliced cabbage and carrot.

Fold the two edges of the rice paper that are closest and farthest away from you toward the middle, then roll the wrapper around the filling from one side like a burrito. The wrapper is sticky when softened and should hold together on its own.

Repeat with the other three wrappers and remaining ingredients. Serve with soy sauce or another dipping sauce of your choice. (I use store-bought Thai peanut sauce, garnished with a drop of Asian chili-garlic sauce and a cilantro leaf.)

*Rice paper wrappers are pictured at right and can be found in the Asian food section of your grocery store. Rice vermicelli should be on the same shelf. Rice noodles cook about a thousand times faster than wheat noodles, so follow the package instructions carefully.