Summer Rolls with Baked Tofu and Sweet-and-Savory Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• •2 ounces dried bean thread noodles (cellophane noodles)
• •1 small carrot
• •1 whole Kirby cucumber
• •1 small fresh jalapeño
• •¼ cup rice vinegar
• •¼ teaspoon sugar
• •1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• •16 pieces rice-paper rounds
• •4 leaves romaine leaves
• •10 ounces packaged baked tofu
• •1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• •½ cup mixed herbs
• •⅓ cup hoisin sauce
• •2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
• •2 tablespoons water

Cooking Instructions

1. 1.

   Soak noodles in a medium bowl of boiling-hot water 10 minutes.

   10 min

2. 2.

   Meanwhile, blanch carrot in boiling water until softened, about 45 seconds. Drain. Rinse under cold water to stop cooking, then transfer to a small bowl along with cucumber, jalapeño, vinegar, sugar, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Let stand 5 minutes. Reserve 2 tablespoons liquid and drain pickled vegetables.

   7 min

3. 3.

   Drain noodles and rinse under cold water, then drain and pat dry. Toss noodles with remaining 3/4 teaspoon lime juice and snip with kitchen shears 5 or 6 times.

   5 min

4. 4.

   Fill a shallow pan or pie plate with warm water. Soak 2 rice-paper rounds until they begin to soften, about 30 seconds, then let excess water drip off and stack soaked rounds on a work surface so that they overlap by all but 1 inch on either side. Put 2 pieces of romaine on bottom third of round. Top with one eighth of noodles (about 2 tablespoons), tofu (4 sticks), bean sprouts (about 2 tablespoons), herbs (3 tablespoons), and pickled vegetables (3 tablespoons). Roll up tightly around filling, folding in sides. Make 7 more rolls in same manner.

   20 min

5. 5.

   Stir together hoisin sauce, peanut butter, water, and reserved 2 tablespoons pickling liquid. Serve rolls with dipping sauce.

   3 min