Southern Salad Rolls

Name: Southern Salad Rolls
Yield: makes 16 rolls, to serve 6 to 8
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon salt; 24 small shrimp, peeled; 1 boneless, thick pork loin chop or 1/3 pound boneless pork shoulder; 1/3 pound small dried round rice noodles, cooked in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes, drained, and flushed with cold water; 1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated; 12 to 16 sprigs cilantro; 12 to 16 sprigs mint; 32 to 48 Chinese chives (about 1/2 small bunch), optional; 16 rice paper rounds, 8½" in diameter; 1½ cups Spicy Hoisin-Garlic Sauce

December 14, 2011

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Photo by Chelsea Kyle

Sometimes listed on restaurant menus as fresh spring rolls or summer rolls, salad rolls, along with pho, have come to embody Vietnamese food to many non-Vietnamese. They typically combine the elements of a classic Vietnamese goi (salad) but wrapped in rice paper. Southern Vietnamese cooks usually slip a few aromatic Chinese chives into the mix. The chives, dark green, flat blades with a mild garlic flavor, are sold in Asian markets and are also easily grown from seeds. If they are unavailable, omit them and the rolls will still be tasty. Part of the genius of Vietnamese cooking is in how simple ingredients can be crafted into something that is both flavorful and attractive. These rolls reflect that talent.

Recipe notes

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