Swiss Chard, Beef, Shrimp and Tofu Summer Rolls

Written by Published on in homemade takeout, recipes, seafood

Ingredients:

Beef:

3/4 pound thinly sliced beef, cut into 3-4 inch strips
1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons oil

Beef Marinade:

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon chili paste
1/2 teaspoon chili sauce (Sriracha or other red hot sauce)

Greens:

1 pound Swiss chard
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/4 cup water

Tofu:

1/2 pound firm or extra firm tofu
salt

Rolls:

12 shrimp, boiled peeled and butterflied (sliced open lengthwise)
6 rice paper wrappers*
1/2 pound rice stick noodles
Thai or Vietnamese basil (optional)

Directions:

First, mix marinade ingredients in a small bowl and marinate beef in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Saute mushrooms in oil over high heat. Add beef and stir fry until beef is cooked and sauce has thickened (about 5 – 10 minutes). Cover and remove from heat. Set aside. While the beef is marinating, you can prepare the tofu by cutting it into 1/2 inch slices. Create a stack of them sprinkling salt on each slice. Wrap the stack of tofu slices in a towel and rest a heavy pan on top of the stack for 15 minutes to remove extra water. Remove tofu from towel and cut lengthwise into thin strips.Then, boil rice stick noodles for 5 minutes and blanch in cold water. Cut noodles into bite-sized pieces. Then the greens, tear the Swiss chard into strips. In a large pot with a cover, boil the water and add chard. Cook about 3-5 minutes until chard is tender. Pour out the water and add soy sauce and vinegar

Fill a wide bowl or pot with warm water. Each rice paper wrapper must be soaked individually. For each roll, soak a wrapper until pliable and soft. Remove the wrapper and spread out on a clean surface. Add a 1/4 cup noodles towards the middle of the wrapper. Add a portion of the greens, a portion of the meat, 2 pieces of tofu, 2 shrimp, and basil (if using). Fold the rice paper from both sides in towards the middle, then lift the end closest to you and roll away from you, grabbing all of the filling, and roll until the spring roll is closed. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve at room temperature.

*Sometimes labeled spring roll wrappers. Not to be confused with refrigerated egg roll wrappers, these are not refrigerated and are round, brittle and translucent.

Yield: 6 rolls

My thoughts:

These are some of my favorite things to order at a Vietnamese restaurant. Not exactly the same thing as spring rolls, which are fried, summer rolls are served at room temperature and are not cooked at all once assembled. Lots of times you see these as an appetizer, but my husband made them for us for dinner. They are complete meal unto themselves although you might need to eat more than one to fill up. They are really light tasting and rather healthy.

13 Comments

  1. Sara
    February 21, 2007 at 9:20 pm

    Rachel, these look great. I love summer rolls more than spring rolls, especially when it’s warm out.

  2. Anh
    February 21, 2007 at 9:20 pm

    Rachel, this is so yummy! I love rice paper rolls with any types of filling. Yours are great combo and very satisfying!

  3. Michael Greenberg
    February 21, 2007 at 9:45 pm

    Looks delicious! What cut of beef are you using?

  4. Anonymous
    February 21, 2007 at 9:51 pm

    Did you say this was Vietnamese? Sounds wonderful!

  5. Rachel
    February 21, 2007 at 10:06 pm

    re: beef
    We used top round but any thin steak would do.

  6. kickpleat
    February 21, 2007 at 10:08 pm

    so funny because this weekend I bought a whole wack of rice spring roll wrappers. i’ve only made rolls before with shredded vegetables and tofu…the beef sounds good! yum.

  7. Anonymous
    February 22, 2007 at 1:06 am

    You amaze me! What a fantastic looking dish.

  8. Susan from Food Blogga
    February 22, 2007 at 12:45 pm

    I make summer rolls all the time–they are so versatile and lighter than fried spring rolls. I just love the addition of Swiss chard–never thought of it. Thanks for the great idea!

  9. Brilynn
    February 22, 2007 at 3:28 pm

    I love rice paper rolls, but I’ve usually only made them with seafood, sounds good with beef!

  10. Alpineberry Mary
    February 22, 2007 at 6:39 pm

    I love summer rolls. I like your combo of ingredients.

  11. lobstersquad
    February 22, 2007 at 7:09 pm

    Hi Rachel
    I´ve tagged you for a meme, I hope you don´t mind.
    lobstersquad.blogspot.com/2007/02/five-things-about-me.html#links

  12. Charles
    February 24, 2007 at 7:42 pm

    Rachel, These look really delicious. Thanks for this recipe.

  13. Anonymous
    May 19, 2007 at 1:45 am

    these summer rolls are my favorite–thanks for the recipe