Vegetable Avocado Summer Rolls

VIETNAM

This is the perfect thing to have when you want to feel virtuous; it is basically a salad rolled inside rice paper. You can play around with the ingredients as long as you make it a point to include lots of fresh fragrant herbs and crunchy vegetables. In fact, on the odd winter day when I feel like I’ve had enough of stews and roasts (usually in the first week of January), I make ‘winter rolls’ with shredded red cabbage, kohlrabi and leftover roast chicken. In summer, my favourite combination is decidedly lighter and in fact vegan-friendly. I use lots of crisp vegetables and fresh herbs – radishes, lettuce, mint, coriander, Thai basil, chives – and rice vermicelli. I love adding sliced ripe avocado to the mix too; it adds a much-needed touch of creamy richness to the raw vegetables.

Makes 6

• 40g uncooked rice vermicelli
• 2 ripe Hass avocados
• juice of ½ a lime
• 6 little gem lettuce leaves
• 4–6 radishes, thinly sliced
• a handful of fresh coriander
• a handful of fresh mint
• a handful of fresh Thai basil
• a small bunch of chives
• 6 rice paper sheets (22cm wide)

To serve

(either or both of the following)

• nuoc cham (see here)
• chilli honey tamarind sauce (see here)

1. Place the rice vermicelli in a bowl and pour boiling water over. Cover and leave to cook for about 10 minutes, or until soft. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Halve the avocados, then cut each half into 4 slices. Squeeze the lime juice over to stop them oxidizing and turning brown.
3. Get your rolling station ready! Have the cooked rice vermicelli, avocado, vegetables and herbs in front of you. Prepare a shallow tray of lukewarm water big enough for dipping your rice paper sheets into.
4. To assemble, dip a sheet of rice paper into the water and take it out immediately. Soaking the paper for too long will make it too limp. Lay the rice paper sheet on a clean board. Arrange a lettuce leaf on the centre of the sheet, followed by slices of avocado, radishes and a scant handful of rice vermicelli. Tear some coriander, mint and Thai basil leaves and lay them over along with a few chives.
5. To roll, fold the bottom half of the rice paper over the fillings, and while holding the roll firmly, fold the two sides inwards. Begin rolling the sheet horizontally up and away from you, tucking in and pressing all the time to make sure it is a tight package.
6. Place on a baking tray and cover the tray loosely with clingfilm while you continue making the other rolls. These are best served fresh, but you can also store them in airtight containers to prevent them drying out too much. Serve with any or all of the dipping sauces.