The bì cuốn chay is a blend of bì chay, thick rice vermicelli noodles, baby cucumber sticks, Vietnamese mint and Thai basil wrapped in a bánh tráng (rice paper disk). It is served with a simple soy sauce-based dipping sauce called nước chấm, nước mắm (fish sauce) or a peanut sauce (recipe follows in the tip section).
We had some bì chay yesterday. I served it with bún (thick rice vermicelli noodles). When served together, it is called Bún chay. In many ways, the dish is basically a deconstructed spring roll. That made deciding what to do with the leftovers really easy. Without much effort, you’ll get two meals out of the same dish. And did I mention that it is absolutely delicious?
If you crave the fried version for your main course, check out the recipe here.
1. Info for Bi Cuon Chay (Vietnamese Vegetarian Spring Rolls)
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Total Time: 55 min
- Servings: 6
- Calories: 86 kcal
2. Ingredients for Bi Cuon Chay (Vietnamese Vegetarian Spring Rolls)
- 2 to 2-½ cups bì chay (check the recipe from yesterday
- 12 bánh tráng disks (rice paper, see tips)
- 2 baby cucumbers
- 5 ounces thick rice vermicelli noodles, (1/2 package), cooked
- 1 cup Vietnamese mint, stemmed
- 1 cup Thai basil, stemmed
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 4 red Thai chili peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 cup nước chấm
- 2 cups peanut sauce
- 6 iceberg lettuce leaves, for garnish
3. Directions:
- Cut the cucumber into 2-3 inch matchsticks (depending on the size of your spring rolls).
- Wash the bean sprouts and drain through a salad spinner. Repeat the same procedure with the mint and basil. Remove as much liquid as possible.
- Fill a saucepan with water. Bring the water to a boil. Let cool a bit. Quickly dip the rice papers, one at a time into the warm water and place on a clean flat surface. Wait about 1 or 2 minutes. The rice paper should be soft but not too wet. I usually dip 4 rice papers at a time, then start wrapping.
- Place 2 leaves of mint and basil, 3-4 cucumber “matchsticks”, the same amount of bean sprouts in the center, about 1-1/2 inches from the bottom edge .
- Carefully fold each side flap and roll away from you. If the rice paper is moistened properly, it should easily stick and roll. Tuck all the mixture into the wrapper, forming a cigar. Continue until all the bì chay is used.
- Cut the spring rolls in half in a bias. Place 4 halves per iceberg lettuce leaf. Serve with nước chấm or peanut dipping sauc