Fruit Spring RollsVEGAN MOS

There are two kinds of spring rolls in the world that I know of. Crispy fried ones and soft fresh ones. The cripsy ones are common to Chinese food, while the fresh ones are more often seen in Vietnamese cuise. This recipe is for a soft fresh one. However instead of the typical filling of assorted vegetables, I fill these one with fresh fruit. These fruit spring rolls are a great dessert any time. For an added treat, serve with a bowl of chocolate syrup for dipping. These are very soft, so they can be a little challenging to eat, but they are worth the effort. Unlike when you eat a fruit salad or a fruit plate, with these rolls you get a combination of fruit in every bite. If you have a mandolin, use it to slice the kiwis so you get nice thin slices. If you would rather slice it into strips, you can do that too.

If you’ve never worked with rice paper wrappers, I suggest you practice a little first. One package comes with about 30 in it, so don’t worry about wasting them if they tear. Just grab another and start again. The trick is to not over soak them. You just want to get them just pliable. Rice paper is delicate and only needs a quick dip in warm water to soften. Do not “soak” the rice paper for too long because it will break down too quickly, making the rolling more difficult to roll. TIP: some wood surfaces are very porous and will cause the rice paper to stick terribly. If this is the case with your wood board, try using a plastic cutting board or large ceramic plate.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: NONE
Yield: 4 rolls

Ingredients

4 large dried rice paper spring roll wrappers
2 kiwis, peeled and sliced thin
1/2 mango, sliced into strips
1/2 cup strawberries, diced
1/2 cup pineapple, diced
Shredded coconut
Chocolate Syrup for dipping

Directions

1. Fill a large bowl of warm water, about bath water temperature. Rotate the rice paper in the bowl of water or quickly immerse it in the bowl for about 2 seconds. The rice paper should come out of the water still slightly firm and not fully folding on itself. Don’t worry if the rice paper might feel a little firm because once the rice paper lays on the rolling surface, it will continue to absorb the water on its surface and will become soft and GELATINOUS. Lay wet rice paper on rolling surface.

2. Starting at top 1/3 of rice paper closest to you, lay 3-4 slices of kiwi, slighly overlapping them. I suggest this because it makes a beautiful presentation when all rolled up.