Fresh and crunchy, these are what I make when I’ve had a busy day at work and want to relish in the last warm nights of summer. This recipe uses FODMAP-friendly ingredients, but being wonderfully adaptable, you can change the ingredients in these late-summer rolls to suit your own tolerance levels and tastes. Swap the chicken for firm tofu or skip it altogether and switch the fish sauce for tamari to make the rolls vegetarian.
Both the Nuoc cham-inspired and peanut dipping sauce are delicious, I highly encourage you to make a bowl of each!
Ingredients
For the courgette and noodle late-summer rolls:
100g vermicelli rice noodles (2 nests)
6 rice paper wrappers
Leaves of 1/2 gem lettuce
1 red pepper, cut into matchsticks
1 small courgette, cut into matchsticks
Green parts of 4 spring onions, finely sliced
For the chicken salad late-summer rolls:
6 rice paper wrappers
Leaves of 1/2 gem lettuce
1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
½ a medium cucumber, cut into matchsticks
150g cooked chicken thighs, shredded
4-5 radishes, finely sliced
Small bunch coriander
For the ginger and chilli dipping sauce:
2 tablespoons fish sauce or tamari
Juice 1 lime
1 tablespoon caster sugar
3 tablespoons water
½ red chilli, finely chopped
1 cm chunk grated ginger
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
For the crunchy peanut dipping sauce:
3 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
Juice 1 lime
1 tablespoon tamari
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Method:
Put the rice noodles into a bowl, pour over just-boiled water and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Run under cold water and drain really well.
Fill a separate shallow bowl with cold water, big enough to fit the rice wrappers in, and set it down on the counter to the left of you. Place a wet tea towel down on the counter in front. Have all of the remaining roll ingredients within reaching distance for easy access.
Dip one rice paper wrapper into the bowl of cold water and leave until pliable - about 5 seconds (the wrapper will soften more as you roll). Place it down directly onto the tea towel. To make the courgette and noodle rolls, put a gem lettuce leaf in the centre of the wrapper, followed by a handful of red pepper and courgette. Using a fork and your fingers, scoop up some of the rice noodles and place on top, then scatter over some of the spring onion greens.
Starting from the end closest to you, roll the rice paper wrapper up and over, until the filling is covered. Fold in the left and right sides of the wrapper, like you might do with a burrito, and then roll the bottom up over the top to seal. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients to make 5 more rolls.
To make the chicken salad rolls, place a gem lettuce leaf in the centre of a softened rice paper wrapper. Top with a few matchsticks of carrot and cucumber, a small handful of shredded chicken, some slices of radish and a few generous sprigs of coriander. Wrap the roll as above and repeat with the rest of the ingredients to make 5 more rolls.
Cut the rolls in half, if you like, and place on a plate to serve.
To make each of the dipping sauces, combine the ingredients in a bowl. Adjust the flavours to taste and then serve alongside the rolls.
