Shrimp Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

If you like Vietnamese food, chances are you've had these spring rolls before, or something very similar.  They're the perfect sidekick for your phở bowl, or almost any Asian meal! Fresh shrimp, crisp, cool vegetables, and a zingy peanut sauce have made these a longtime BMK favorite. We hope you like them too!

We buy our rice stick noodles and our rice paper wrappers at an Asian market nearby. We've also seen them in some well-stocked supermarkets!!

Makes about 10-12

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar

• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1-2 tbsp sugar
• 3 Tbsp Peanut Butter 
• 1/2 tsp sririacha
• 2 tbsp coconut milk (optional) - we made with fish curry so we had extra!
• 1 tbsp asian fish sauce

• 10-12  8" rice paper wrappers
•  mint and basil leaves, sliced
• 1 large bunch radish sprouts (or butter lettuce)
• 1 lb shrimp, deveined, boiled, peeled and halved lengthwise
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper cut into thin strips
• 1 bag thin rice noodles, boiled until tender (usually about 2 minutes)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a bowl, toss the carrots, onion, 1/4 cup of the vinegar and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let stand until the vegetables soften, 30 minutes. Drain.
2. In a bowl, mix the remaining vinegar, sugar and garlic. Microwave at high power for about 30 seconds, until the sugar is dissolved. Blend or mash with fork.
3. Add peanut butter, sriracha, coconut milk, and fish sauce and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, soak 1 rice paper at a time in very warm water until pliable, about 10 seconds; transfer to a work surface.
5. Set shrimp halves on the lower third of the rice paper and top with some mint and basil. Top with some of the yellow pepper, sprouts, rice noodles and the pickled vegetables.
6. Fold in the side ends sticking the paper to itself. Roll up tightly.
7. Place the roll on a platter and repeat with the remaining ingredients. Halve the rolls and serve with the sauce for dipping.