If you don’t like to cook and enjoy putting your kids to work, this one’s for you.

We made these veggie shrimp rolls last night and they were not only delicious, but we all actually enjoyed them! They were so light and refreshing, and the best part is that they do not require any active time over a stove.

Just chop up some favorite fruits and veggies into matchstick sizes, defrost some frozen, cooked shrimp, and get to work. (And by ‘get to work,’ I mean, put your kids to work.)

At dinner, Ciro claimed he wanted one, then took the entire wrapper apart because he didn’t like it, all the while demanding that he wanted two more rolls from the plate. Because these are his last few weeks of being a three-year-old, and he ain’t going out like a chump.

But he wound up eating it deconstructed, and having another one. All-in-all, all four of us loved it and had seconds – a rare feat in itself!

Now, for the recipe!

INGREDIENTS

For the dipping sauce:

• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 oz. anchovies, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
• 1 garlic clove, minced

For the rolls:

• 8 Vietnamese spring roll rice wrappers (I use these)
• mangos, sliced into matchstick-size (about 1 mango)
• carrots, sliced into matchstick-size (about 2 carrots)
• 1 cup raw spinach
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 lb. shrimp (defrosted, precooked)

1. Make your dipping sauce. In a small bowl, mix together the rice vinegar, anchovies, lime juice, salt, honey, coconut aminos, and garlic. Whisk and set aside.
2. Add hot water to a shallow bowl. Submerge 1 rice wrapper for about 15 seconds (or until it becomes soft), then place on a cutting board and smooth until flat. Repeat with a second wrapper and place it on top of the first.
3. Add a few spinach leaves, a bit of mint, and about 4-5 pieces each of the mango and carrot sticks. Top with 2 pieces of shrimp. Fold the bottom of the wrapper over the fillings, then fold in the sides, and roll up until the wrapper is sealed.
4. Serve with dipping sauce. Voila!

Recipe Notes:

You can get creative with the fillings: add cucumber, avocado, fresh bell peppers…you can also get creative with the herbs and use basil or cilantro instead of mint.

If you have fish sauce and prefer to use that, you can skip the anchovies and coconut aminos. I didn’t have any on hand so I improvised, but it tasted delish, and I would make it again this way next time! The sauce will be a little chunky unless you puree it. We didn’t mind the chunk 🙂

As you seal up your roll, stuff may fall out. Your kid might sneeze on the roll in the process. It’s all good: just tuck it back in and make sure you give him the one he sneezed on.

You can chop the shrimp up into smaller bits if you prefer. We were hungry so we just assembled these quickly.

If you want to make this a more hearty meal, serve it with a size of sautéed mushrooms. You can also serve it with quinoa, or a baked sweet potato.