THE WASHINGTON POST – Every time I eat a spring roll I swoon over the savoury filling, wishing I could make a whole meal of it. But there is only so much you can pack into one of those wrappers, so I decided to un-stuff it, turning the filling into this bountiful bowl and the wrappers into a crispy topper.
There are countless possibilities for spring roll stuffing – here I went with sauté of shredded Napa cabbage and carrot, cooked until just tender with plump shrimp and bits of meat. It’s a satisfying, vegetable-forward combo, and the interplay of shellfish with a little meat is always a win as far as I am concerned.
That said, there is plenty of room to make it your own: You could skip the beef all together or use turkey; sub in marinated tofu for the shrimp; and swap in regular green cabbage and thinly sliced bell pepper for the vegetables, for example. Seasoned with fresh ginger, garlic, scallion and soy sauce, along with hints of sesame oil, rice vinegar and crushed red pepper flakes, the result serves up like a cross between a warm, fragrant slaw and a colourful stir-fry.
Crisped wrappers crushed on top add a shattering crunch and drive home the spring roll vibe.
To make those you simply brush wonton wrappers with a little oil, sprinkle them with salt and bake until they’re crisp and browned. (You can use spring roll wrappers instead, but wonton wrappers are more commonly found in regular grocery stores.)
They take all of eight minutes to cook, so the whole meal is an easy weeknight endeavour, but you can also make the wonton crisps a couple of days ahead and have them on hand for extra convenience. Crushed on top of the heaping bowl of sesame- and ginger- scented “filling,” it’s a meal that certainly made my spring roll wishes come true.
SHRIMP SPRING ROLL BOWLS
Total time: 30 minutes
Four servings
This recipe turns the savoury filling and crispy crunch of a spring roll into a bountiful meal in a bowl. The warm, slaw-like saute of shredded napa cabbage and carrot, cooked until just tender, with plump shrimp, is fragrant with sesame and ginger. There’s plenty of room to make it your own: You could use turkey bacon; sub in marinated tofu for the shrimp; and swap in regular green cabbage and thinly sliced bell pepper for the vegetables, for example.
Topped with crushed crispy, baked wonton wrappers, it’s a vegetable-forward, protein-rich meal with enticing spring roll vibes.
Note: To expedite the recipe, prep some of your ingredients below while the wonton wrappers are toasting.
Make ahead: The wonton chips can be baked and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.
Where to buy: Wonton wrappers can be found at well-stocked supermarkets or Asian markets.
INGREDIENTS
– Eight square wonton wrappers (1.5 ounces total)
– Three tablespoons neutral oil, such as avocado or canola, divided
– One pinch of fine salt
– Three scallions, thinly sliced (half cup)
– One tablespoon grated fresh ginger
– Three cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
– One pound medium shrimp, cleaned, deveined and tails removed (26 to 30 count)
– Six cups (one pound) sliced napa cabbage
– One medium carrot, coarsely grated (one-third cup)
– One tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
– One teaspoon toasted sesame oil
– One teaspoon rice vinegar
– One-eighth teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more as needed
– Quarter cup fresh cilantro leaves
DIRECTIONS
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees.
Place the wonton wrappers on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Brush both sides of each wrapper with oil, using one tablespoon of the neutral oil, then season with the salt. Toast for about eight minutes, or until crisp and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely in the baking sheet, then crush into large pieces with your hands.
In a very large non-stick skillet (14 inches or wider) over medium-high heat, heat the remaining two tablespoons of the neutral oil until shimmering. Add the meat, if using, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, two to three minutes. Add the scallions, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until they turn pink and are just cooked through, about five minutes. Add the cabbage and carrot and cook until the cabbage is slightly wilted but remains crisp, one to two minutes. Stir in the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and crushed red pepper flakes. Remove from the heat and toss in the cilantro.
Divide among four bowls, top with the crispy wonton pieces and serve. – Ellie Krieger
