Shrimp Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

• 13 to 15 large rice paper wrappers
• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
• 2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and sliced into 1/4-inch strips
• 2 Persian cucumbers, sliced into matchsticks
• Fresh basil leaves
• Fresh mint leaves
• 1 pound 31/40-count cooked shrimp
• Sweet chili sauce, optional for extra flavor
• 1/2 cup creamy unsalted peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Juice from 1/2 lime
• 5 tablespoons filtered water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Set up your work area first. Pour lukewarm water into a broad, shallow bowl, such as a pasta bowl. Moisten a cutting board with a light film of water so the rice paper is less likely to cling to it.
2. Put the prepared fillings in bowls within easy reach. Coat a serving platter very lightly with sesame oil or a neutral-flavored oil, then set it beside your work surface; that thin layer helps the finished rolls release cleanly. Dip 1 rice paper wrapper into the water, turning it so it gets wet all over, about 20 to 40 seconds. It should begin to soften and bend easily. If it splits or falls apart, it spent too long in the water, so toss it and begin again with a new wrapper. Lay the softened wrapper on the damp board. Near the lower edge, about 1 inch up, make a horizontal row with carrots, cucumbers, peppers, and a small handful of basil and mint. Set 3 shrimp pieces in a row about 1 1/2 inches above the vegetables.
3. If you want a little extra flavor inside the roll, add a small drizzle of peanut sauce or sweet chili sauce over the filling now.
4. To roll, bring the lower edge of the rice paper up and over the vegetables, then roll it forward toward the shrimp.
5. When the roll reaches the shrimp, pause and tuck the left and right edges inward toward the middle. Finish rolling to the top so everything is enclosed.
6. Move the completed spring roll to the prepared platter. Continue the same process with the rest of the wrappers and filling.
7. For the peanut dipping sauce, stir the peanut butter, tamari, rice vinegar, honey, lime juice, water, and salt together until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning as you like, then spoon the sauce into a small bowl and set it on the platter with the spring rolls.
8. Serve the spring rolls the day you make them for the best texture. If they need to wait, drape the platter with a lightly damp cloth and refrigerate until serving.