Enjoy the best of both worlds with these Fresh Thai Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce. These salad rolls bring together fresh green beans, carrots, tomatoes, and green papaya, all enhanced by a delicious peanut sauce.
I first had papaya salad when I was visiting Thailand back in 2011. Wow, I can’t believe how quickly the years have gone by. But, before I left for that trip, I had made papaya salad rolls.
Ever since that first bite in Bangkok, I’ve been a lover of papaya salad. I order it almost every time I go out for Thai food, which usually means I then can’t finish my entrée (hello, leftovers!). The times I don’t order Thai papaya salad, I order Thai salad rolls.
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Reasons to Love These Fresh Spring Rolls
- Salad rolls offer a burst of fresh flavors and textures with every bite, making them a refreshing choice.
- These Thai Spring Rolls are packed with vegetables, making them a nutritious option.
- You can fill salad rolls with a wide variety of ingredients to suit any taste.
Recipe Ingredients
- Lime Juice: Adds a bright, acidic note.
- Bird’s Eye Chilies: Provides a spicy kick to this fresh Thai spring roll.
- Vegan Fish Sauce: Imparts a unique umami and salty flavor.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Herbs and Spice Variation: Add fresh herbs like mint or basil for a refreshing aroma, chopped cilantro leaves for a citrusy touch, minced lemongrass for a lemony note, and grated fresh ginger for a spicy kick. For an adventurous twist, a pinch of ground Szechuan pepper adds a unique heat.
- Vegan Fish Sauce Alternative: If Vegan Fish Sauce is not available, mushroom soy sauce or light soy sauce are excellent alternatives. If you’re not vegan, regular fish sauce works too.
How to Make Thai Spring Rolls
Step #1: Place the garlic and the green beans in a large zipper-close bag. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Use a rolling pin or mallet to gently whack the green beans and garlic until the green beans are lightly bruised and the garlic is smashed into small pieces.
Step #2: Add the carrots, tomatoes, papaya, peanuts, lime juice, brown sugar, chilies, and vegan fish sauce to the bag. Reseal and give everything a good toss. Massage with your hands for a few minutes, then transfer the contents of the bag to a fine mesh strainer set over a medium bowl. Press on the salad to extract as much liquid as possible. Reserve the liquid for the sauce.
Step #3: Find a rimmed dish that is large enough to hold your rice paper. Fill it with an inch of room temperature water and set it on the counter. Place a damp tea towel next to this container. Working one rice paper at a time, submerge the rice paper into the water until pliable (mine took about 20 seconds). Do not over-soak. Transfer the soaked rice paper to the damp towel, laying it down in a flat circle.
Step #4: Place one-quarter of the papaya salad on the rice paper, centered left-to-right, but three-quarters of the way down from the top. Fold the exposed bottom quarter of the paper up over the filling, then fold the entire roll over once. Fold in the left and right sides, then continue rolling until sealed.
Step #5: Repeat with the remaining three papers and the rest of the papaya salad.
Step #6: Transfer the reserved marinade to a serving bowl. Add two tablespoons of peanut butter and whisk until smooth. Add additional peanut butter if you prefer a thicker peanut dipping sauce (I used four tablespoons). Serve at once.
Expert Tips
- Green Bean Preparation: Blanch the green beans briefly before adding to the salad. This softens them slightly while retaining their crunch, creating a better texture in the roll.
- Carrot and Papaya Uniformity: Julienne the carrots and green papaya into similar-sized thin strips. You can use this handy Julienne peeler tool for a uniform texture.
- Paper Handling Care: Handle rice paper wrappers gently to prevent tearing. If it’s too stiff, dip it in water again briefly. If too soft, it may tear easily when rolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Consider adding English cucumbers for crunch, bell peppers for sweetness, red cabbage for color, avocado for creaminess, and sprouts or leafy greens like spinach or lettuce for a fresh taste and extra greens.
For extra zest, incorporate garlic clove, ginger, or chili. For a creamier texture, try adding coconut milk. Adjust the consistency with water or more lime juice. This flexibility allows you to create a sauce that perfectly complements your spring rolls.
Storage Info
Store the Salad Rolls in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, where they’ll stay fresh for up to two days. If you have leftover filling, store it separately in the fridge and make fresh rolls when ready to eat.
More Thai Recipes That You’ll Love
Fresh Thai Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce Recipe
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS
Ingredients
- 2 large cloves garlic - peeled
- 12-15 green beans - trimmed and snapped in half
- 2/3 cup julienned carrot - about one carrot
- 8 cherry tomatoes - halved
- 1 1/2 cups julienned green papaya - about one small papaya
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped peanuts
- Juice of one lime
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- 1 to 2 bird’s eye chilies - sliced (optional)
- 1 tablespoon vegan fish sauce
- 2 to 4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 4 rice spring roll wrappers
Instructions
- Place the garlic and the green beans in a large zipper-close bag. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Use a rolling pin or mallet to gently whack the green beans and garlic until the green beans are lightly bruised and the garlic is smashed into small pieces.
- Add the carrots, tomatoes, papaya, peanuts, lime juice, brown sugar, chilies, and vegan fish sauce to the bag. Reseal and give everything a good toss. Massage with your hands for a few minutes, then transfer the contents of the bag to a fine mesh strainer set over a medium bowl. Press on the salad to extract as much liquid as possible. Reserve the liquid for the sauce.
- Find a rimmed dish that is large enough to hold your rice paper. Fill it with an inch of room temperature water and set it on the counter. Place a damp tea towel next to this container. Working one rice paper at a time, submerge the rice paper into the water until pliable (mine took about 20 seconds). Do not over-soak. Transfer the soaked rice paper to the damp towel, laying it down in a flat circle.
- Place one-quarter of the papaya salad on the rice paper, centered left-to-right, but three-quarters of the way down from the top. Fold the exposed bottom quarter of the paper up over the filling, then fold the entire roll over once. Fold in the left and right sides, then continue rolling until sealed.
- Repeat with the remaining three papers and the rest of the papaya salad.
- Transfer the reserved marinade to a serving bowl. Add two tablespoons of peanut butter and whisk until smooth. Add additional peanut butter if you prefer a thicker peanut dipping sauce (I used four tablespoons). Serve at once.
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NOTES
Nutrition
PAPAYA SALAD ROLLS is great! To be honest, I’m not good at cooking but I like them, they give me joy and excitement every time I finish the dishes, which is a great thing. With your recipe, I just need to follow the instructions and the rest is simple. Thanks for sharing
A good substitute for green papaya is green apples. Just add a pinch of sugar.