Fresh Spring Rolls With Salmon and Peanut Sauce

This fresh spring roll recipe with salmon and vegetables makes a great Spring and Summer meal for lunch or dinner. They are unbelievably easy to make, delicious and healthy. Wrapping the rolls is not as intimidating as it looks (it’s actually super easy) and you can fill them with many different fillings. I love to serve them with homemade peanut sauce for dipping and they make a great light lunch, dinner or appetiser.

My protein of choice for these particular ones is Gold Seal’s traditional Wild Pink Salmon. Canned salmon is an often overlooked seafood. It can be a great start to a fast and healthy meal just like these fresh spring rolls. It contains a range of nutrients, rich in protein, vitamin D, calcium (from the bones) and healthy omega-3 fats. Canada’s Food Guide recommends we eat at least two servings of low-mercury fish such as salmon each week. Canned salmon is budget friendly way to have seafood in your diet. It’s a great pantry item to have stocked. It’s always a good idea to look for the traditional one which is packed as a whole piece of fish with skin and bones, making it an excellent source of calcium and omega-3s.

How to make fresh spring rolls?

These fresh spring rolls come together very very quickly so it’s a good idea to have all your ingredients assembled and prepped including the chopped veggies, salmon, noodles, herbs, and rice paper wrappers. Chop all of your vegetables into long, thin slices. Choose a variety to the love - the ones I have chosen below are just suggestions and the combo I love to put together.

Dip wrappers in water. Fill a large shallow dish or pie plate with an inch or so of water. Remove one rice paper wrapper from the package at a time and place it in the water to soak for about 10 to 15 seconds and then remove and place on a plate or countertop. The rice wrapper should still feel pretty firm at this point. It will soften as it sits and as you add the filling ingredients. (If you let it soak for too long it will tear easily when you roll it). You don’t want them water logged, but you want the colour to turn from white to clear.

Add filling. Layer everything on the ⅓ of the spring roll that is closest to you. Add a little of each ingredient. Leave about an inch on both sides unfilled so you can fold the sides in easily before you begin rolling them up from the bottom. They’re a bit fragile, so roll gently, but use firm pressure to keep the roll as tight as possible.

Wrap. Pick up the sides of the spring roll and fold them in over the toppings. Then pick up the edge closest to you and pull it up and snugly over the toppings. You can also start from the closest side to you first and then close in the sides, whichever feels more comfortable for you. Continue rolling all the way up like a burrito. Wrapping these is like making pancakes - the first one isn’t always the most perfect looking one but is still tasty. Practice is key, the second one will be better and so forth, just try to keep all of the ingredients in tightly together as you roll everything up.

I love how versatile these are and how simple they are to make. They can easily be filled with whatever veggie you like. The more colourful the filling the better they look and taste. These fresh rolls work as a light dinner, a healthy lunch, and one very impressive looking appetiser. Have fun making them!

I have partnered up with Gold Seal to bring you this fabulous recipe, but all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting Olive & Mango.

Recipe

Makes 10 fresh spring rolls

Ingredients

For the sweet chili marinade

• 1 lime, juiced
• 4 teaspoons sesame oil
• 3 teaspoons Asian red chili paste (sambal oelek or Sriracha)
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
• 2 teaspoons sugar or honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the spring rolls

• Two 213g cans of Gold Seal Wild Pink Salmon, larger bones and skin removed and flaked
• 10 sheets of spring rolls rice paper wrappers
• 5 large green lettuce leafs each torn in half
• 1 ounce cooked rice vermicelli (optional)
• ½ cup purple cabbage sliced thin
• 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into thin strips
• 1 large cucumber, sliced into thin strips
• 1 bunch fresh mint leaves
• 1 bunch fresh basil leaves
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• optional for garnish: sesame seeds

Easy peanut dipping sauce

• ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 Tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce or a chile garlic sauce, optional for spice
• 1–2 Tablespoons warm water, or more as needed

Directions

For the dipping sauce

1. Process in a food processor or whisk together everything except water until smooth. Add 1-2 tablespoons of warm water or until you reach desired thinness. Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with crushed peanuts (optional). Set aside.

2. In a small bowl whisk together the sweet chili marinade and the pour over flaked salmon and toss gently.

3. Cook vermicelli noodles in boiling water, for just a few minutes, according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water and set aside Gather all topping ingredients together, including chopped veggies, herbs, and marinated salmon

4. Add about 1-2 inches of warm water to a large, deep dish, or pie pan. Place one rice wrapper into the water and let soak for just 10-15 seconds. It should still feel pretty firm as you remove it and lay it on your counter or plate - don’t use wood as wrapper will stick to it.

5. In the middle of the wrapper, place one lettuce leaf half. Top with a couple tablespoons rice vermicelli followed by some veggies. Be careful not to overstuff the roll as it will make it harder to roll and more likely to tear. Line 3 portions of salmon in a row next to the filling. Place 2 basil or mint leaves in between it – this is purely decorative.

6. Roll up wrappers carefully and tightly like you would a burrito. Starting with the side away from the salmon, gently pull the bottom of the roll over the first row of filling, then fold in the sides and continue to roll. Repeat process until all spring rolls are assembled. Slice each spring roll in half if desired and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve with the Peanut Sauce.

Storage

They taste best the day they are made, but they can be stored for 2-3 days, wrapped individually and stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.