Healthy Spring Rolls with Jalapeño Pesto
I know I’m in the minority here, but when I think comfort food, I think “Thai.”
Yes, I know: most people turn to lasagna or mashed potatoes, but I turn to curry and spring rolls — the spicier, the better! The Thai restaurant at the end of my street is the place to go when I’m in need of a pick-me-up. Luckily, I don’t need a pick-me-up too often, or I’d be pregnant with a food baby named “Extra-Spicy Peanut Curry.”
However, that doesn’t mean my spring-roll love is limited to bad days. There’s nothing I love more than taking the fresh veggies and herbs in my CSA basket and creating my own healthy spring rolls. In addition to requiring very little cooking, these rolls pack a LOT of fresh, bright flavor in a tiny little package. The secret is the jalapeño pesto, which utilizes fresh cilantro, mint and ginger for an amazing taste explosion.
The best part about this recipe is that it’s incredibly CSA-friendly — you can really use whatever you have on hand! In today’s healthy spring rolls recipe inspired by Healthy Comfort Food Week, I used peaches, but if you’ve got pineapple in the fridge, try that instead. If you’d rather make this with grilled shrimp, have at it. No carrots? Try jicama. Not a fan of red onion? Leave ’em out! It’s a choose-your-own-adventure of the culinary variety. Go on — have some fun with it!
- FOR THE ROLLS:
- 12 round rice paper sheets
- 3 peaches or nectarines
- 2 carrots
- ½ cucumber
- ½ red onion
- 1 yellow or red pepper
- ¼ head red cabbage
- Olive oil
- 1 batch Jalapeño Pesto (below)
- FOR THE PESTO:
- 1 bunch cilantro, stems removed
- 5-7 mint leaves, stems removed
- ½ cup almonds (raw or dry-roasted)
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded (or leave seeds in for extra heat)
- 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Set your grill to medium. Slice peaches or nectarines into 1-inch thick slices, then brush lightly on both sides with olive oil. Grill until just softened (1-2 minutes per side). Remove from heat and set aside.
- Julienne carrots, cucumber, red onion, red pepper and cabbage.
- In a food processor, pulse together cilantro, mint, almonds, jalapeño, ginger and salt until combined. Set the food processor to its lowest continuous setting, then stream in olive oil until smooth.
- Gather peaches, julienned vegetables, jalapeño pesto and rice paper wraps in one place. Cover the bottom of a large wide bowl (or baking dish) with two inches of warm water.
- Soak one rice paper round in the water until just barely flexible (but not soggy or sticky). Remove from water and place a streak of jalapeño pesto in the middle of the paper, starting and ending one inch from the edge. Add two pieces of grilled peaches, then fill to your preference with several pieces of carrots, cucumber, onion, pepper and cabbage. Do not overfill spring rolls.
- Fold sides of rice paper over filling. Starting on one end, roll rice paper over vegetables. Place spring roll, seam side down, on a serving platter.
- Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Are you a spring-roll fanatic, too? What’s your favorite healthy spring roll filling? —Susan