Summer Rolls with Tropical Sweet Chili Garlic Sauce are the perfect finger food for your next cookout. Serve them as an appetizer or replace the traditional bowl of salad for a cool, crunchy side dish.
Fresh vegetables star in these quick and easy Summer Rolls but its the Tropical Sweet Chili Garlic Sauce that will make you come back for more. It is got just the right balance of sweet and salty and of course plenty of umami too! You are definitely going to double dip!
#CookoutWeek continues with one of my favorite dishes! I simply cannot eat enough summer rolls! Maybe it’s the fresh, crunchy salad fixings or that it’s finger food. Or possibly it’s the delectable sauces that come with them that make summer rolls irresistible . Whatever the reason, summer rolls always hit the spot.
There is no right recipe either because you can put whatever you like in them. I like mine with shrimp, but you can just as easily use chicken, tofu or no protein at all. You can also use your favorite veggies, so the Summer Roll recipe below is just a guide.
That’s why this dish is perfect for cookouts. It’s so easy to make a variety of summer rolls at once. So if your crowd includes vegetarians and vegans, you’re covered.
Now let’s get saucy! Some recipes use a peanut sauce but I prefer a sweet and sour approach. So, I created this Tropical Sweet Chili Garlic Sauce to make those fresh veggies pop! Yes, it has a somewhat long list of ingredients including a flavored vinegar, but it only takes 5 minutes to make! You’ll be drinking Hibiscus Shandies in no time.
I’d love to hear your favorite summer roll combinations. Comment below or connect with me via social media. I love to chat food!
Summer Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
Tropical Sweet Chili Garlic Sauce
- 4 teaspoons garlic minced
- 4 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ cup warm water
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 4 teaspoons tropical vinegar (I used a white balsamic flavored with orange, mango and passion fruit)
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
Summer Rolls
- 12 rice paper wrappers
- 12 steamed or grilled shrimp , sliced in half
- 1 english cucumber , thinly sliced into rounds
- 1 red bell pepper , julienned
- 12 leaves lettuce , about 4-5 inches in length
- 2 cups purple cabbage , sliced thin
- 36 leaves mint
- ¼ cup cashews , chopped
Instructions
Tropical Sweet Chili Garlic Sauce
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a medium microwave safe bowl.
- Whisk to combine then microwave in 30 second intervals until sauce thickens and becomes translucent. (Make sure to whisk between intervals)
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
Summer Rolls
- Place warm water in a cookie sheet and dip one rice paper wrapper in the water.
- Transfer wrapper to a cutting board and smooth out.
- Place two shrimp halves in the center and top with cabbage, red peppers and cashews.
- Near the bottom place the cucumber, mint leaves and lettuce.
- Fold the right side of the rice paper over.
- Fold up the bottom over the lettuce and roll once.
- Fold the left side over and roll towards the top.
- Serve with prepared sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
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Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm says
I have never made summer rolls. I have always made egg rolls but these sound so much healthier and you are not standing over hot oil in the heat of summer. Can’t wait to try them.
Vintage Kitty says
Wendy,
I agree, standing over a vat of deep frying egg rolls isn’t nearly as appealing in the summer heat. The lightness and freshness of the summer rolls really make this a hot weather staple for me.
Kimberly says
Oh my goodness … these look and sound amazing! I’m a huge fan of summer rolls so I’ll definitely be trying your version!
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Kimberly! Nothing says summer to me like summer rolls. I hope these are a home run for you when you try them!
Allison says
Oh man, these look so good! I never had the patience for spring-roll wrapping haha! I always end up just chopping up everything and eating it out of a bowl with a spoon :-p
Vintage Kitty says
Allison,
Thanks for the compliment. I empathize with the trouble rolling spring/summer rolls. Really its a matter of practice. When I first tried to make summer rolls, I kept trying to put too much in each roll. Once I scaled back how much I was putting into each, it got much easier. Though just making the sauce and filling and making it a salad would be tasty too!
Abbe@This is How I Cook says
I love summer rolls and this sauce sounds great! Can’t wait to try your version!
Vintage Kitty says
Abbe,
Making the sauce was a delicious series of experiments to get it just right. Hope you like it as much as I do.