Ingredients[]
- 1 lb thin asparagus, bottoms trimmed and discarded, with 4- to 5-inch tips remaining
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp canola oil
- 2 oz rice vermicelli
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into long strips, ⅛ inch wide
- 1 Japanese cucumber, peeled and sliced into long strips, ⅛ inch wide
- ½ cup large fresh mint leaves
- 1 small head red-leaf lettuce, leaves separated and washed
- 8 to 10 (8½-inch-round) rice paper wrappers
- Ginger Dipping Sauce
Directions[]
- Bring saucepan of water and sea salt to a boil over high heat.
- Blanch asparagus for 1 minute.
- Remove asparagus from water, rinse under cold water and set aside.
- Add oil to water and cook vermicelli about 2 minutes, or until tender.
- Drain and rinse under cold water.
- Leave noodles in cool water to prevent sticking together.
- Just before wrapping, drain noodles and place on cookie sheet, loosely covered with damp paper towel.
- Repeat with prepared vegetables, mint leaves and lettuce.
- Fill large mixing bowl with very hot water.
- Keep boiling water handy if temperature drops.
- Dip rice paper wrapper into water for several seconds; these soften after moistening.
- Remove from water and lay flat on work surface.
- Place 2 mint leaves on bottom half of wrapper.
- Layer small lettuce leaf, 2 asparagus spears and pieces of cucumber and carrot on top of mint.
- Top with 1 tablespoon of the noodles.
- Start rolling wrapper up tightly, folding right and left sides in over filling after first roll.
- Continue rolling rice paper and pressing in ingredients, keeping edges folded in, until packet is complete.
- Repeat procedure with rice papers until you have used up filling.
- Cut each roll in half, arrange attractively on platter and pass with Ginger Dipping Sauce.