Asparagus, Chard & Soba Summer Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Fresh rice-paper rolls packed with blanched asparagus, chard, shrimp, soba noodles and mint, served with a warm, spicy peanut dipping sauce. Light but satisfying.
Servings: 12 rolls
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
One pot, four blanches: Cook the asparagus, chard, shrimp, then noodles in the same boiling water, shocking each in the ice bath to lock in colour and texture.
Soften wrappers one at a time: Rice paper goes from stiff to sticky fast, so work with one at a time on the damp towel.
Don't overfill: A modest amount of filling rolls tighter and won't tear the wrapper.
Make-ahead sauce: The peanut sauce keeps a week; rewarm and loosen with hot water before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 350mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 800IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg