Spring Roll in a Bowl
The recipe and photography for this post was provided by Carolyn Hodges of The Dinner Shift.
Spring rolls are really simple to make, but they’re not something I want to prepare on a weeknight. Instead, I skip the rice paper wrapper, toss all ingredients into a bowl and use a simple dipping sauce as the dressing. Deconstructed spring rolls! It’s so much simpler and just as delicious.
Spring rolls are traditionally served with a tangy dipping sauce. I’m suggesting Angkor’s Tamarind Dipping Sauce as the dressing to top these bowls. If you’re not familiar with it, tamarind is a tart, sticky fruit commonly used in both sweet and savory dishes throughout South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East and the Caribbean. It’s often used in stir-fries, noodle dishes (like Pad Thai) and curries. Angkor’s is made with both fish sauce and tamarind and is the perfect blend of savory-sweet. Look for it at Heinen’s in the International Foods Aisle.
In addition to being simple, these spring roll bowls are completely adaptable to whatever vegetables and protein you have on hand. I’m opting for crispy cubed tofu in these bowls, but feel free to swap in leftover cooked chicken, cooked shrimp or shelled edamame.
Spring Roll in a Bowl
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 12 oz. extra-firm tofu
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. lime juice
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- 6 oz. package thin rice noodles (Recommend: Asian Gourmet)
- Assorted, thinly sliced vegetables (bell pepper, carrot, cucumber, purple cabbage, green onion)
- Sliced avocado
- Fresh herbs (cilantro, mint and/or basil)
- Lime wedges
- Angkor Tamarind Dipping Sauce
Instructions
- Drain the tofu and wrap in paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to absorb excess moisture. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
- In a wide shallow dish, whisk together 1 tbsp. of the olive oil, soy sauce, lime juice and garlic powder. Add the cubed tofu to the bowl and toss well to combine. Allow to marinate for 15-20 minutes.
- While the tofu marinates, prepare rice noodles according to package directions.
- Heat remaining olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet (cast iron works well) over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add tofu in a single layer, working in batches if necessary. Allow tofu to sear for 2 minutes without moving it. Toss once or twice to brown on most sides, cooking for about 5-6 minutes total.
- To assemble bowls, divide rice noodles into wide, shallow serving bowls. Top with tofu, assorted vegetables, avocado and fresh herbs. Season to taste with fresh lime juice and serve topped with Tamarind Dipping Sauce.
Spring Roll in a Bowl
