Vietnamese Vegetable Spring Rolls with Homemade Dipping Sauce

Vietnamese vegetable spring rolls with homemade dipping sauce is one of my favorite dishes. They are naturally gluten and dairy free and I was surprised at how easy they were to make! Since I like to modify most recipes for dietary preferences (i.e. remove onion, refined sugar, gluten and dairy), I prefer a homemade version whenever possible.

I also wanted to serve the rolls with a dipping sauce that was low in sugar. Since I couldn’t find any store-bought sauces without refined sugar, I made a homemade version modified from a few recipes I found online.  I liked it so much I used it as a sauce for stir-fry the next night. The amount of ingredients listed below will make at least 12 rolls with plenty of dipping sauce for all.

If you’ve never made spring rolls before, here is a good link that explains how to prepare and roll the rice paper wrapper. It was also the first time I minced fresh ginger, so I found a helpful how-to video link.

Shopping List

Ingredients for Spring Rolls:

• Rice paper wrappers
• Vermicelli rice noodles
• 1 -2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced into strips
• 3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced into strips
• 1 cup cilantro

Ingredients for Dipping Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (I use a gluten-free version)
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 2 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

To make the Spring Rolls:

• On the stovetop, bring a medium pot to boil and add the vermicelli rice noodles.
• Cook for 2-3 minutes (stirring occasionally), drain, then rinse with cold water.  Be careful not to overcook the rice noodles or they will become mushy.
• Dip the individual rice paper wrapper in warm water for about 10-15 seconds, until the entire wrap is moistened with water. I fill a shallow baking sheet with sides with water to soak the wrapper.
• Lay the wrapper onto your work surface and fill the center with a handful of rice noodles, 2-3 strips of cucumbers, 2-3 strips of carrots, and a handful of cilantro.
• Fold the wrapper similar to how you would fold a burrito.

To make the Dipping Sauce:

• Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, ginger, sesame seeds, sesame oil in a bowl.
• Whisk together until mixed completely, then serve.