These refreshing and tasty summer rolls are easier to make than you think! Noodles, shrimp, turkey, and lettuce, all rolled up in a rice wrapper and ready for dipping into a tasty peanut sauce!
Prepare all these ingredients and set aside until ready to make the rolls
Slice shrimp in half.
Slice cucumber into long strips.
Wash and dry lettuce leaves, making sure to remove mid-section core running up the middle so that you are just left with the soft leaves.
Cook the dry rice noodles according to package directions. Rinse with cold water and drain well.
Peanut Sauce
Combine all the peanut sauce ingredients and whisk together until well blended.
Making the rolls
Fill a skillet or pie plate or dish with about ½" of room temperature water.
Submerge a dry rice wrapper into the water for about 20-30 seconds.
Gently place the rice sheet on a slightly wet working surface.
Place a slice of turkey on the edge closest to you, and 4 shrimp halves about ¾ of the way up, making sure the cut-side of the shrimp is facing up.
Lay a lettuce leaf on top of the shrimp, tearing the leaf as necessary to make it fit. Using wet hands, arrange some noodles on the turkey slice. Place cucumber strips next to the noodles.
Starting from the edge closest to you, gently start to roll the wrapper over the noodles and cucumber, tucking in the edge as you roll.
Fold the side edges of the wrapper over the filling.
Continue rolling from the bottom up, tucking the shrimp and lettuce in snuggly as you finish rolling completely to the top edge.
Notes
Rice wrappers for these summer rolls can be found in your local Asian supermarket or Asian food aisle. They are dry, translucent, round wafers, about 8-9" in diameter.
The noodles are dry vermicelli noodles. I like to use a medium noodle (about spaghetti thickness), but the thinner rice vermicelli noodles will also work.
Do not worry if the cooked noodles start sticking together and are hard to separate when you're handling them. Just make sure your fingers are wet and the noodles should separate easily. If necessary, give the noodles a quick rinse under cold water again to loosen. Just be sure they are not sopping wet when you add them to the roll.
Feel free to play with the fillings for these summer rolls. They can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the shrimp and turkey and can be subbed with julienned carrots, bell peppers, etc.
If you like fresh herbs, add those in before rolling them up.