Assembling fresh spring rolls takes a little practice, but is straightforward:

1. Prepare Peanut Sauce:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the creamy peanut butter, reduced sodium soy sauce, fresh lime juice, brown sugar, chili garlic sauce, and freshly grated ginger until smooth.
• Whisk in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce reaches your desired dipping consistency (it should be pourable but still coat the back of a spoon). Set aside.

2. Set Up Rolling Station:

• Fill a large shallow dish (like a pie plate) with warm water.
• Arrange all your prepped filling ingredients (lettuce, herbs, carrots, cabbage, bell pepper, cucumber, avocado) within easy reach of your clean work surface (a large cutting board or damp towel works well).

3. Wet the Wrapper:

• Working with one rice paper wrapper at a time, fully submerge it in the warm water for about 10-15 seconds, just until it becomes pliable and soft, but not overly floppy or fragile. Don’t soak it too long!
• Carefully lift the softened wrapper out of the water, letting excess water drip off, and lay it flat on your work surface.

4. Layer the Fillings:

• Place a piece of green leaf lettuce horizontally across the lower third of the wrapper (closest to you), leaving about an inch border on the bottom and sides.
• Layer a generous amount of fresh basil, mint, and cilantro leaves on top of the lettuce.
• Arrange a small bundle of the carrots, cabbage, bell pepper, and cucumber matchsticks over the herbs.
• Place a few slices of avocado on top of the vegetables.
• Lightly season the fillings with a pinch of salt and pepper. Don’t overfill the wrapper.

5. Roll Tightly:

• Fold Bottom Up: Carefully lift the bottom edge of the rice paper wrapper (closest to you) up and tightly over the filling.
• Fold Sides In: Fold the left and right sides of the wrapper snugly inward over the filling, like closing an envelope.
• Roll Up: Continue rolling the wrapper tightly away from you, from bottom to top, until you have a neat, compact cylinder and the top edge is sealed. Roll snugly but gently to avoid tearing.

6. Repeat and Store Briefly:

• Place the finished roll on a plate or platter and cover immediately with a damp paper towel to prevent it from drying out while you make the remaining rolls.
• Repeat the wetting, filling, and rolling process with the remaining wrappers and filling ingredients.

7. Serve:

• Serve the fresh Vegetable Spring Rolls immediately with the prepared peanut sauce for dipping.

Practice makes perfect with the rolling technique