Summer rolls are the perfect light meal for hot days. These ones with sweet mango and fresh basil are my fave!
Last weekend I managed to coax my best friend to go on a hike with me. It’s a special day when our resident princess agrees to wander into the forest and chase waterfalls on her day off. She will only ever agree, without much reluctance, if the trail is easy and not too steep nor long. One of the perks of doing a relatively flat trail is that I’m not low-key gasping for air and can hold a conversation. Somehow the topic of making summer rolls at home came up as we weaved our way through the forest. Everyone seems to love summer rolls, so of course they made it onto our Vegan Picnic Menu!
Even though I do love hiking and have been hiking throughout my life, I haven’t actually done that many trails around my home. I even surprise myself and wonder why it takes me so long to hike a particular trail. I live in the forest where bears, raccoons, and deer are my neighbours, and my backyard is brimming with hidden trails and paths. But my family is so routinely that we gravitate to the same few trails each time we go on a hike. I did some research (bless the internet) and settled on a shaded trail to a lesser-known waterfall in a nearby neighbourhood. It turned out to be the perfect ‘forest walk’ for a very hot Saturday.
It has been a while since our group of 4 has gotten together for a day trip, or any outing for that matter. A leisurely hike is one of my favourite ways to fit in some quality time with friends and get my mind off of day-to-day responsibilities. We spent the morning chatting about life, joking around, and enjoying each other’s company. Quite a bit of spider web whacking had to be done too because we appeared to be the first and only people on the trail at the time. It wasn’t until we reached the waterfall that we encountered a handful of other hikers. I love peaceful trails!
As we sat on a log watching the water trickle off the rocky cliff, we munched on a variety of fishy crackers and interesting snacks (cricket protein bars and ultra-crunchy rice crackers to name a few) while discussing what to have for lunch. Because let’s be honest, one of the best parts of the hike is when you return to the car and go get real food. Although we ultimately settled on pasta (#carbup) we agreed that making summer rolls would be our next get together. We also agreed that renting a boat before the summer ends would be epic. I don’t know when we became so fancy and luxurious but who could turn down a yacht day? I’ve spent the past 2 months indoors (because of work), only enjoying the cloudless blue skies from the other side of the window. I will seize any chance to get outdoors, jump in a lake, and revive my tan.
When we get together to make summer rolls tomorrow evening, I will certainly be bringing ingredients to make these mango basil summer rolls! I cannot take full credit for this idea as I first learned it from Kimmy. Quickly for those that might not know who Kimmy is, she was the chef I interned with last summer in Hawaii. She is the mastermind behind these crowd-pleasing homemade crackers and also the purple sweet potato salad on this same picnic menu. Summer rolls are tasty, but when you add juicy ripe mango and fresh herbs, it becomes onolicious! I chose sweet basil because that is what my mother is currently growing on our windowsill, but Thai basil or even mint would be equally delicious.
These mango basil summer rolls are paired with a spicy almond butter sauce because mango + almond butter are some of my favourite toast toppings. My friends requested peanut sauce for our dinner party so I will make that for them too; you can find my go-to peanut sauce here. Eating summer rolls is really an excuse to eat copious amounts of nut butter sauce. Why else would I willingly eat a ton of raw vegetables (ya’ll should know we love our roasted veg)? Don’t even try and deny it.
If you want to make friends, make summer rolls with them. Invite them to a picnic with summer rolls, and you’re on your way to making best friends.
- SAUCE
- 3 tbsp natural almond butter
- 2 tsp sriracha (or a similar hot sauce)
- 2 tsp soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tsp maple syrup (or another liquid sweetener)
- Water to thin, as needed
- ROLLS
- 8 large rice paper wraps
- 1 large mango, thinly sliced
- About 16 to 20 fresh basil leaves (you'll need 2 to 3 per roll)
- 1 carrot, julienned
- ½ cucumber, julienned
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced
- About 1 cup thinly shaved red cabbage
- 8 green leaf lettuce leaves
- SAUCE: Mix all sauce ingredients together until smooth. Add water 1 tsp at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
- ROLLS: Pour hot water into a pie pan (or a similarly sized large and shallow dish). Have a wooden cutting board ready and all the fillings nearby.
- Submerge one rice paper wrap into the hot water until it starts to get bendy but still has integrity, about 8 to 10 seconds. The paper will still look a bit stiff but don't worry, it'll continue soaking up water! Lay it flat on your cutting board.
- Fill the centre third of the wrap with chopped vegetables. I like to lay down a row of basil and mango first then top with a pinch each of carrot, cucumber, avocado, cabbage, and lettuce. Fold the wrap up lightly like a burrito. Repeat with remaining wraps until you run out of filling.
- Serve immediately or cover with a damp tea towel until ready to eat. Best eaten the day of.
I just found your site and these look delicious! I LOVE summer rolls! 🙂 Thanks for sharing this.