Salad on a roll - Recipe

Wrap up fresh greens with seafood or chicken for an appetizer or light lunch

In Granville Market in Vancouver, British Columbia, stacks of long, skinny white cylinders catch my eye. The sign says "salad rolls," but these stark white tubes look nothing like salad. They're Vietnamese fresh spring rolls, which often appear as appetizers in restaurants.

On closer inspection--and tasting--I find that the name fits. The thin wrappers enclose crisp lettuce, cooked shrimp, fresh mint, and cool rice noodles--elements of a tasty, healthful salad. The rolls would be perfect for a light lunch or as party appetizers.

The key to these packaged salads is the wrapper, a fragile, paper-thin disk made from rice flour, water, and salt. The mixture is dried on shallow bamboo trays, creating a crosshatch pattern. When moistened in warm water, the brittle rounds quickly soften. They can be filled and eaten uncooked at this soft, supple stage (as in the recipes here) or fried to make a delicately crisp casing.

Rice paper wrappers come in several sizes. We use medium ones, which are the easiest for first-timers to handle. If you can't locate the rice paper rounds, nori--the toasted seaweed sheets used for sushi--are a good alternative.

Salad rolls wrapped in rice paper or non taste best freshly made. You can, however, prepare the elements ahead, then assemble the rolls just before serving. Guests often enjoy helping out with this task.

Rice Paper Salad Rolls with Shrimp

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 hour

NOTES: Look for rice paper wrappers in Asian markets near the dried noodles. Labeling is a bit erratic: B[acute{a}]hn tr[acute{a}]ng is the Vietnamese name, but they may be called spring roll wrappers. If you can't find them in the size specified, buy smaller or larger ones and adjust the filling proportions accordingly. If making ahead, cover uncut rolls with a damp towel, then plastic wrap; let stand at cool room temperature up to 1 hour or chill up to 1 day (chilling firms and toughens the wrappers and noodles slightly).

MAKES: 12 rolls (12 appetizer or 4 main-dish servings)

12 shrimp (21 to 25 per lb.)

1/4 pound dried thin rice noodles (rice sticks)

1 piece English cucumber (5 in. long, 6 oz.), rinsed

12 dried rice paper wrappers (b[acute{a}]hn tr[acute{a}]ng, about 8 1/2 in. wide; see notes)

1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, rinsed and drained

12 pieces rinsed and crisped red or green leaf lettuce (each 3 by 5 in., about 4 oz. total)

Hoisin-chili sauce

(recipe follows)

1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring 2 to 3 quarts water to a boil. Add shrimp and noodles; return to a boil and stir to separate noodles. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand until shrimp are opaque in center of thickest part (cut to test) and noodles are barely tender to bite, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain; immerse in cold water until cool, about 5 minutes, and drain again.

2. Remove shrimp from noodles. Peel shrimp and, with a small, sharp knife, split in half lengthwise through back. Remove veins; rinse and drain shrimp.

3. Cut cucumber lengthwise into 1/4 inch-thick slices, then cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch sticks.

4. Fill a large pan or bowl with hot water. Dip 1 rice paper wrapper into water, lift out, and drain briefly. Set on a flat surface. Repeat with another rice paper round; lay beside first. Let stand until wrappers are soft and pliable, about 30 seconds.

5. Working with 2 wrappers at a time, arrange 2 shrimp halves, cut sides up and end to end, in a horizontal line 2 1/2 inches from bottom of each wrapper, coming to within about 1 inch of each side. Distribute 3 or 4 mint leaves over shrimp on each round. Lay 1 cucumber stick at 1 long edge of each lettuce piece and roll up tightly Set a lettuce roll over shrimp on each wrapper. Distribute 1/4 cup rice noodles evenly over each lettuce roll.

6. Pressing down on filling with your fingers, fold bottom of each wrapper over filling, then fold in sides; roll to enclose filling tightly. Press edges to seal; if rice paper is too dry to seal, moisten unsealed edges with a little more hot water. Set rolls on a platter and cover with a damp towel.

7. Repeat to fill remaining rice paper wrappers, 2 at a time. (If rounds begin to take more than 45 seconds to soften, replace water in bowl with more hot water.)

8. To serve, cut rolls crosswise into 3 or 4 pieces; stand pieces upright. Dip in hoisin-chili sauce to eat.

Per roll: 114 cal., 2% (2.7 cal.) from fat; 4.6 g protein; 0.3 g fat (0.1 g sat.); 23 g carbo (0.8 g fiber); 43 mg sodium; 24 tog chol.

Hoisin-Chili Sauce

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 15 minutes, plus about 30 minutes to cool

NOTES: If making up to 1 day ahead, combine all ingredients except peanuts, then cover and chill; cover peanuts separately airtight and let stand at room temperature. Hoisin sauce and Asian red chili paste are available in well-stocked supermarkets and in Asian food stores.

MAKES: About 1 cup

In a 1- to 1 1/2-quart pan, combine 3/4 cup prepared hoisin sauce, 1/4 cup minced onion, 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, and 2 tablespoons water; stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils, about 3 minutes. Stir in 2 to 3 teaspoons Asian red chili paste, to taste. Let cool, about 30 minutes. Just before serving, stir in 2 tablespoons minced salted roasted peanuts.