These are a super refreshing lunch or appetizer.  They are best made about an hour before eating, but can be held, wrapped and cooled for 24 hours ahead.  This version of the summer roll is vegan, but feel free to throw in some sliced cooked chicken, sliced avocado or sliced plain omelet.  There are no amounts here – fill with however much goodies as your wraps hold and all the veggies are seasonal – this is what was growing in the garden in early summer.  You can use a jarred Asian Sweet Chili Sauce to Dip, plain soy, or the Vietnamese dressing that goes with the Crispy Rice Pancakes.

  • Rice Paper Wraps – in the Asian Aisle of most grocery stores
  • Butter Lettuce or Romaine
  • Fresh Mint Leaves
  • Cucumber, seeded and julienned
  • Kohlrabi, peeled and julienned
  • Fried tofu, thinly sliced
  • Carrot, peeled and julienned
  1. Prep all of your ingredients before you start, as this moves quickly! Fill a flat dish, like a pie plate with warm water and put it next to your ingredients.
  2. Place one rice paper wrap in the warm water and swirl it around for about 30 seconds until it becomes soft and translucent.  Remove it from the water and place directly on your very clean kitchen counter or a large piece of plastic wrap.
  3. Place a piece of lettuce on the bottom third of the wrap, parallel to the edge of the counter.  Fill the piece of lettuce evenly with the other ingredients.
  4. Gently fold the the bottom of the wrap up and over the filled lettuce leaf.  Fold the left side of the wrap, then the right, in towards the center.  Roll the wrap up so that everything is nicely tucked in.  We call this “Burrito Style.”
  5. Keep going, dipping one rice wrap at a time in the warm water, changing the water as it cools.  Cover the Summer Rolls with plastic wrap until ready to serve.  When you are ready to eat, cut them in half on an angle.

*These pack really nicely for lunch or a picnic and they are great eaten cold or at room temperature.