Shrimp and Veggie Summer Rolls

These Shrimp and Veggie Summer Rolls are so fresh and light, and are the perfect appetizer or light dinner. 

Besides shrimp, these summer rolls also include shredded cabbage, carrots, cilantro, Persian cucumbers, and chives.

These are so incredibly easy to make. Just don't tell your guests, because they are also elegant and delicious. All you need are freshly cooked shrimp, fresh vegetables, rice paper wrappers, and a good dipping sauce.

I found this recipe from the blog, My Hobbie Lobbie by Trisha, my Secret Recipe Club assignment for the this month. Trisha left her successful corporate career to bake and craft full time. Along with these summer rolls, I'd highly recommend checking out the Chinese Sticky Pork Belly, and the Cajun Chicken Wrap.

On Trisha's blog, these are called Healthy Spring Rolls, to distinguish them from the deep fried variety. I decided to call them summer rolls, because... well... it's summer! Trisha recommends using whatever you have on hand and improvise to fill the rolls, so I followed her lead. She calls these "shrimp cocktail in a wrapper."

Trisha made her own dipping sauce, but I took the easy way out and used two store bought sauces. I dipped mine in my new favorite spicy condiment, gochujang, a Korean sweet and spicy sauce. Mr. Kitchen, who prefers a milder sauce, dipped his in Not Ketchup Cherry Chipotle Sauce, created by food blogger Erika of In Erika's Kitchen.

What is Secret Recipe Club? We are a group of bloggers who have joined together to share each others' amazing recipes. Each month, one member is assigned to another member from their group secretly (hence the name). That member selects a recipe (or more) to make, photograph, and then create a blog post. Everyone in the group posts on the same Monday together and gets to see who had their blog and what recipe(s) they chose. It's a lot of fun.

Even way better, over the last couple of months I've had a chance to meet three of my SRC virtual friends "In Real Life!" I was beyond happy to get to know them! Yes, Virginia, you can make friend on the Internet!

After the recipe, check out the rest of the Secret Recipe Club reveal day recipes. I wonder who had me!

Shrimp and Veggie Summer Rolls

Adapted from My Hobbie Lobbie

Makes 8 rolls, 16 servings for appetizers when cut in half

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups shredded green cabbage or iceberg lettuce

1/2 cup shredded carrots

2 to 3 teaspoons rice vinegar

16 to 20 medium to large cooked and peeled shrimp, cut in half, lengthwise

Salt and pepper to taste

8 rice paper wrappers

32 whole large cilantro leaves

One small whole Persian cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced or julienned

Handful of chives

Dipping sauce. I used gochujang and Not Ketchup Cherry Chipotle Sauce

Instructions

1. Toss the cabbage and carrots with the rice vinegar.
2. Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and pepper. 
3. Fill a pie plate with warm water. Working with one rice paper wrapper at a time, place the paper in the water and turn it over a few time for about 20 to 30 seconds, until it is damp but still slightly stiff. It will continue to soften as you fill it. 
4. Place the wet rice paper on a clean flat surface. I used my granite countertop. A plastic cutting board would also work. 
5. Line up a single layer of about four cilantro leaves on the end of the wrapper closest to you. Place a cucumber slice (or a few pieced of julienned cucumber) on top of the cilantro. Top with some of the cabbage (or lettuce)/carrot mixture. Top with a few strands of chives. Fold the end tightly over the vegetable mixture and then line up four to five shrimp halves up against the fold. Fold the sides of the rice paper inward over the ends, as if you were making a burrito. Continue rolling tightly. Set aside on a plate and continue assembling the rolls. Alternatively, you could use the open end method I used with these spring rolls. 
6. Do not stack the finished rolls right away or they will stick together. They are best served immediately, but can be made about 2 to 3 hours in advance, loosely covered, and refrigerated. 
7. Slice the rolls in half and serve with your favorite dipping sauce, such as plum sauce, hoisin sauce, Not Ketchup, or gochujang.