Jekka’s Summer Herb Rolls are a delicious snack, starter or canape where herbs are the star. Ideal for the summer and a healthy way to use herbs. Uses salad herbs, fresh herbs and herb flowers to make a delicious summer roll.
Add a selection of fresh herb leaves and herb flowers to make your own beautiful, herb mosaic rice window. This can be pre-made or made at the table which is enjoyable experience for adults and children alike.
A star on our How to Use Herb Master Class and private family & friends discovery days.
This recipe goes along with the herbs in Jekka's Summer Culinary Collection Herb Box.
Ingredients:
Summer Rolls
- 2 large carrots, julienned.
- 1 small cucumber, julienned.
- ½ an avocado, cut into slices.
- Small bunch of Thai Basil (Ocimum basilicum 'Horapha Nanum'), Dill (Anethum graveolens), Spearmint (Mentha Spicata) or Parsley (Petroselinum crispum 'French'), depending on availability, finely chopped.
- ½ cup mixed salad herb leaves including Wild Rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia), French Sorrel (Rumex scutatus) and Mizuna (Brassica rapa var. japonica), depending on availability, roughly chopped.
- 30g beansprouts.
- A few herb flowers for your herb mosaic rice window, such as flowers of Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum), Chicory (Cichorium intybus), Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), Oregano (Origanum vulgare) and Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) as well as herb leaves of Parsley (Petroselinum crispum 'French'), Tree Spinach (Chenopodium giganteum) and Celery Leaf (Apium graveolens).
- 12 sheets of Rice Paper wrappers.
Pickled Shallots
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- Kosher salt
- 120 ml white wine vinegar (or your herb vinegar)
- 350 ml water
- 6 shallots or 1 red onion
Edamame Dip
- 2 jalapeño chillies
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 shallot
- 250 g edamame beans
- 40 ml vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
Spicy Pepper Dip
- 1 sweet red pepper
- 3 padron peppers
- ½ onion
- 40 ml vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
Mushroom Dipping Sauce
- ½ tsp mushroom seasoning
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp tamari (Japanese version of soy sauce containing no wheat)
- Rice wine vinegar and water (to taste)
- 1 tsp fine salt
Peanut Dipping Sauce
- 2 tbsp Hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 tsp tamari
- 3 tbsp water
Steps:
- For the pickled shallots, toast the peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise and coriander seeds in a dry frying pan on a medium heat until fragrant. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, 350ml of water and 120ml of vinegar, and bring to the boil.
- Peel and finely slice the shallots into rings and place in a heatproof bowl. Using a sieve, strain the pickling liquid over the sliced shallots, then leave to cool and let the flavours mingle. If at the end of the meal you have any leftover, place the shallots and their pickling liquid in a jar a put in the fridge for adding to salads and toasties.
- For the edamame dip, prick the jalapeños with a sharp knife and place them directly over a gas hob, turning with tongs until blistered all over. Leave to cool a little before scraping off the black stuff with a knife, then halve and deseed.
- Peel the garlic and shallot, roughly slice the shallot and place in a food processor with the edamame, chillies, 40ml of oil and 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Blitz until super-smooth, adding a splash of water to loosen, if needed. Have a taste and adjust with more vinegar, sea salt and black pepper. Scrape into a bowl, cover and set aside.
- For the Mushroom Dipping Sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl with vinegar and water to taste and 1 teaspoon of fine salt. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- For the Peanut Dipping Sauce, combine all the ingredients into a bowl.
- For the Summer Rolls, prepare all the vegetables and herbs, set to one side.
- Fill a large bowl with water in which to soften the rice paper. Don’t soak the papers, it is best to work one at a time they take about 10-30 seconds each (check the packet for times).
- Soak one rice paper, place a small bed of decorative herb leaves and flowers in the middle of the softened rice paper, and then top with small amounts of every other ingredient. Although tempting, try not to over-fill the rolls as it will make it hard to roll up
- Roll rice paper roll up, egg-roll style. (Bottom up, sides in, and tightly roll to close).
Serve with the sauces and the dips. Eat and enjoy!
If you love the sounds of this recipe and herb-based cooking check out our Master Classes and other Herb-based recipes.
If you wish to grow your own herbs, Jekka's Grow At Home Herb Kit is the perfect start for the home gardener containing seeds, Jekka's peat-free seed compost and biodegradable pots.