Asparagus, Chard & Soba Summer Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Updated Jun 03, 2026
Gah, I always get stressed when more than a few days go by without posting – I don’t like to lose momentum. Not only is blogging a good exercise in self-discipline and all that, it’s my only real creative outlet right now, and I like to make it a priority.
I wish I had exciting stories about what I’ve been up to in the last ten days, but if I may be honest… I’ve just been so tired.
We recently got notice that we needed to leave our apartment because the owner wants to move in. It’s never fun to be uprooted, but we had an exceptionally hard time finding a new place to live. We looked at dozens of places, and nothing felt right – any unit that allowed dogs was either insanely expensive (even by Vancouver standards) or dark, small and in the middle of nowhere, usually with an abundance of stairs (strollers with babies in them are not stair-friendly).
It got to the point that we were packing to leave, and had nowhere to go…
Thankfully we found something last week, and I’m actually excited about our next chapter. But I’m tired. Mentally, from being unsettled over the housing situation, and physically, because my 11-month-old has been in a cold –> teething –> cold cycle for the past 6 weeks which means he thinks 1 a.m., 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. are all excellent times for snuggles.
I just was about to apologize for complaining and make a joke about my first world problems… but truth is, things aren’t always easy, especially as a new mom, and yes, I’m abundantly grateful that my “problems” are minuscule by the world’s standards, but they’re still challenges and I don’t think we should always put on our “Facebook facade” of everything-is-easy-and-perfect-in-my-life because then, how can we possibly relate to and support one another? Amiright?
Well, that got heavier than I intended for a Summer Rolls post. Whoops.
Ok, SUMMER ROLLS. They’re one of my favourite foods. All the textures, all the flavours. The peanut sauce, oh lordy, the peanut sauce. If there were a food I could swim in, this would be it.
I did a healthy, springtime spin on the typical vietnamese summer roll with the addition of asparagus, swiss chard and soba noodles. So yummy!
It takes a fair bit of time to wrap up all the rolls, so my advice is to throw a little dinner party and put all the ingredients on the table, asking guests to roll their own. Or even just with your own family – like taco night! It’s more fun, and you get to linger longer over the meal.
Rice paper wrappers might seem finicky at first, but you’ll get the hang of it after a couple. If you’re struggling with stickiness or tearing, just wet your fingers to keep the wrappers pliable and fight the urge to overstuff them.
You will likely have leftover peanut sauce – it is DELICIOUS on grilled lime-marinated chicken skewers, in a pita with shredded carrots, cucumber, sprouts, etc., tossed with cold noodles for a salad… possibilities are endless.
Asparagus, Chard & Soba Summer Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
For the summer rolls
- 12 asparagus stalks tough ends trimmed
- 6 large chard leaves stems removed and roughly torn
- 36 medium shrimp peeled, deveined, tails removed
- 6 oz soba noodles
- 12 small rice paper wrappers
- ¼ cup mint leaves packed
For the peanut sauce
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 1 ½ tbsp sambal oelek Asian chili paste, or red chili flakes
- hot water as needed to thin
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. Drop the asparagus into the boiling water and cook 3 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender; transfer to the ice bath with tongs. Add the chard and cook 1 minute, then transfer to the ice bath. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 2 minutes; transfer to the ice bath with a slotted spoon. Finally, add the soba noodles and cook 6 minutes, until tender; transfer to a colander and run cold water over until it runs clear. Drain fully.
- Remove all the ingredients from the ice bath and set up a rolling station by spreading out a clean, dampened tea towel. Fill a baking dish 2 inches deep with hot tap water.
- Working one at a time, place a rice paper in the hot water until soft, about 1 minute. Transfer to the damp towel and arrange one asparagus stalk, some chard, 3 shrimp, a small handful of noodles (about 2 tbsp) and a couple of mint leaves inside. Roll it up, tucking in the sides as best you can. Repeat with the remaining wrappers.
- Make the peanut sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients in a large glass measuring cup and microwave 1–2 minutes, until you can whisk it smooth. Add hot water a tablespoon at a time to thin to your desired consistency. Serve warm or at room temperature. It keeps 1 week in the fridge — rewarm and thin with more hot water as needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I can’t seem to get rice paper at supermarket. What else can I use?
Hi Elizabeth! Rice paper can be tricky to track down. The closest swap is to use large leafy greens as the wrapper instead — butter lettuce leaves, romaine, or an extra-large chard leaf with the stem shaved flat all work well for an “unrolled” lettuce-wrap version. You could also serve everything deconstructed in butter-lettuce cups with the peanut sauce for dipping. I haven’t tested this exact swap, but the flavours will still be wonderful. Hope you love it!
– Jenn
What to use if cannot get chard.
Hi Elizabeth! Any tender leafy green will work. Baby spinach is the easiest swap and doesn’t need blanching since it wilts on its own. Butter lettuce, baby kale (massaged with a little oil first), or a small handful of fresh basil and cilantro leaves are all lovely too. Let me know how they turn out!
– Jenn