Rainbow Spring Roll Bowls Shrimp or Chicken and Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined or 1 lb chicken, diced into 1-inch cubes
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint or basil
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and julienned
• 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
• 1 large avocado, sliced
• 1/3 english cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 cup very thinly sliced red cabbage
• 8 – 10 oz. medium thick white or brown rice noodles
• 1/2 cup creamy low-sodium peanut butter
• 2 tsp finely peeled and minced fresh ginger
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce, or regular
• 2 tsp sriracha
• 1 1/2 Tbsp packed light-brown sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp fish sauce, optional
• 4 – 6 Tbsp hot water

Directions

1. Whisk the peanut sauce ingredients together in a mixing bowl, adding just enough hot water to loosen it into a pourable sauce. Set it aside while you make the rest.
2. Warm 1 Tbsp olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp, sprinkle lightly with salt, and cook until done, about 1 1/2 – 2 minutes on each side. If you are using chicken instead, cook it over medium-high heat for about 7 minutes, turning it once midway through, until the center reaches 165.
3. While the protein cooks, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Once all the other ingredients are prepped, cook the noodles according to the package directions so they do not have time to glue themselves together. Drain them, then rinse.
4. Divide the noodles between 4 plates. Scatter the cilantro, mint, and green onions over the top.
5. Add the bell pepper, carrot, avocado, cucumber, cabbage, and shrimp to the bowls.
6. Spoon the peanut sauce over each serving.
7. Medium rice noodles work better here than wide ones, so use those for the bowls. You want the noodles finished right at the end so they stay loose instead of turning sticky.