Vietnamese Salad Rolls

I've been making these once a week or so, and I'm getting pretty good now! I've been experimenting with fillings and trying to figure out the most delicious combos. It is a lot of work, set aside at least an hour to make them, eat them and clean up, but use your time to make as many as possible, so you have them for lunch and dinner the next day! Trust me, it's worth the work! And it's super cheap for the amount of food you get. Don't be discouraged if you have trouble making them at first, just have fun and remember they'll be tasty no matter what they look like!

Tasty Salad Rolls

1 package rice paper rolls
1 package rice vermicelli (the thinner the better)
1/2 - 1 package extra firm tofu
Curry/masala/Indian spice powder
Chopped/roasted peanuts (optional)
Oil (olive or grapeseed)
A dipping sauce (sweet chili, peanut, vegetarian hoisin - just check the ingredients!)

Vegetables (for my version, get creative with your favourites!):
1 - 2 carrots, grated
Asparagus, steamed (1 stalk per roll)
1 cucumber, sliced

you can also try:
fresh cilantro & basil (very popular)
green onion (1 stalk per roll)
red pepper, thinly sliced
avocado, thinly sliced
mushrooms, thinly sliced
lettuce or spinach

Boil the vermicelli (2 - 3 minutes is usually plenty), drain and set aside so it has time to dry. Dice the tofu into very small cubes and fry with the curry powder and oil for about 5 - 8 minutes on medium low heat. Set it aside.
Boil a kettle or pot of water and pour it into a large salad bowl (I find it make the softening of the rice paper easier). Let it cool a little or add a bit of cold water to it so you don't burn yourself.
Prepare your other vegetables - slice cucumber, grate carrot, steam asparagus (3 - 5 minutes max, you want it to retain a bit of its crunch). Wash your green onions well if you're using them. Set them aside.
Now the fun part! Get out your rice paper sheets and soak them in the warm water for about 10 seconds, just to soften them. Make sure you hold on by the edge and not the middle. I tend to do two at a time, one right on top of the other, to prevent tearing, and they are so thin it doesn't affect the taste to have the wrap a bit sturdier, in fact it helps to keep it from falling apart!
Lay the softened rice paper flat on a plate and put your ingredients in - flat-sliced vegetables and lettuce are best on the bottom, with a little bit of vermicelli on top, then add a bit of the tofu, peanuts, grated carrots and a stalk of asparagus or green onion. Wrapping it up can be a bit tricky, but if you make your filling pile off to one side and leave so room around the outer edge, so you an fold it over on three sides and then roll it up. Make sense? Good luck! Like I said, it gets better with practice! Dip it in the dipping sauce and enjoy. Your tastebuds will thank me!


The problem I have with taking photos is that I'm usually so hungry I eat it before I remember to take pictures. I'm not the best photographer either, but you get the idea.

P.S. For the tofu, you don't have to use curry powder. If you find a nice vegan teriyaki or black bean sauce, I'm sure those would be tasty, too.
P.P.S. Leftover vermicelli and vegetables with sauce make for a delicious cold and refreshing salad! And hey, it's salvageable if the rice-paper doesn't cooperate.