Spring Rolls with Spicy Apricot-Ginger Sauce
Skip the shrimp and peanut sauce, and enjoy my top allergy-friendly take on spring rolls, a traditional favorite in South Asian cooking. I love a simple mix of fillings, and the edible rice wrappers are a delicious delivery system of whatever crunchy vegetables you have on hand, including julienned cucumber, bean sprouts, purple cabbage or light leafy greens.
Makes: 12-16 springs rolls
Free of: gluten and all top allergens
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut horizontally into 1/4-inch thick slices
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp salt, divided
- 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp ginger powder, divided
- 1 tbsp grapeseed or olive oil
- 1/2 cup apricot preserves
- 1/4 cup light or full-fat canned coconut milk (See Recipe Note)
- 4 tsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper
- 4 oz cellophane or rice vermicelli (mai fun) noodles
- 12-16 round rice paper wrappers
- 3-4 oz microgreens or baby spinach leaves
- 1 medium red bell pepper or carrot, julienned
- Fresh mint and/or Thai basil leaves
Recipe Tips
A Note on Coconut Coconut is technically a fruit. While most allergists do not consider it a tree nut, if you are nut allergic, ask your doctor if coconut is safe for you.
Instructions
- Place chicken, orange juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder in a medium bowl and stir to evenly coat. Let sit 15 minutes.
- Add oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced chicken and sauté until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Cook noodles according to package directions.
- For the Sauce, in a small bowl, whisk preserves, coconut milk, vinegar, red pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon ginger powder to combine. Set aside.
- Fill a pie dish with very warm water. Soak a rice paper wrapper in the water about 10 seconds. It will be more pliable, but still a bit firm. Place it on a plastic mat or cutting board and let sit 30-60 seconds.
- Place a small handful of cooked noodles on bottom third of wrapper. Top with some greens, bell pepper or carrot slices, a few herb leaves and cooked chicken.
- Gently pull up rice paper under filling and like a burrito, roll wrapper over filling, fold both wrapper sides in and continue rolling. Set seam side down on serving plate.
- Repeat steps 5-7 until filling ingredients are used up. Serve spring rolls with small bowls of apricot-ginger sauce.
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