I’m feeling chatty today.
Let’s talk about something a bit annoying. I’ll start.
Coming home from vacation is the worst. The moment you leave that sun-soaked bubble of relaxation and return to regular life feels like a cruel joke. I wish someone would rename “vacation” to something less misleading—like “A Brief Glimpse of Ideal Life That Ends Too Soon.”
I tried to stay on the beach. I buried myself in the sand, but crabs started pinching, the sun irritated my eyes, my swimsuit collected a ton of sand, and everything became uncomfortable. Then, of course, I got hungry.
Funny how the crabs walking along the shore don’t taste anything like the steamed ones that have been bathed in butter.
Back to reality: Monday, ugh.
Guess what I didn’t eat much of on vacation? Vegetables. My vegetable intake felt non-existent—like negative twenty-seven servings.
Before I left I made these spring roll things—similar to lettuce wraps but using rice paper. I like rice paper for the way it holds everything together. Sometimes I prefer lettuce wraps, too, but I only consider a wrap a full meal if there’s a loaf of bread before and a slice of cheesecake after. Half-kidding.
If you remember the crispy shrimp tacos I shared earlier, I loved them so much we’ve made them dozens of times. These spring rolls borrow that same crunchy shrimp idea, but wrapped in rice paper with mango, cucumber, avocado and herbs for a lighter feel. They’re satisfying on their own, and since they’re full of fresh veggies, you can absolutely enjoy extra chips and guacamole alongside them—my little secret.
Crispy Shrimp Spring Rolls
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Ingredients
Crispy Shrimp Spring Rolls
- 1 pound raw, deveined shrimp
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 mango, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
- 1 bunch of bibb lettuce or rainbow chard leaves
- 2 seedless cucumbers, peeled and chopped
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
- 1 bunch of cilantro
- 12 rice paper wrappers (optional)
Cilantro Dipping Sauce
- adapted from Epicurious
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 2/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
Crispy Shrimp Spring Rolls
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In a bowl, mix the flour with salt and pepper. Dredge each shrimp in the flour to coat lightly. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When hot, cook the shrimp 2–3 minutes per side until lightly golden. Remove and drain on paper towels.
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Prepare the mango, cucumbers and avocado and arrange them for assembly. Wash and dry the lettuce or chard, tearing leaves to size if needed. You can simply fill the leaves with shrimp and vegetables and serve, or use rice paper wrappers. If using wrappers, fill a 9 x 13 pan with water and dip each wrapper for a second, then lay on a paper towel to soften. If the wrapper is circular, fold the left and right sides in slightly. Layer lettuce, shrimp, avocado, mango and cucumber, then roll until the wrapper seals.
Cilantro Dipping Sauce
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Combine cilantro, garlic, vinegar, sweet chili sauce and lime juice in a blender or food processor. Puree, then slowly stream in the olive oil while blending. Serve immediately with the rolls.
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Also — I’m seriously considering buying a sandbox.