Springtime rolls with miso-kale pesto

If spring had a flavour, it would be these brightly herbaceous ‘spring’ rolls. The asparagus, mangetout, lettuce and abundant herbs provide a fresh, crisp mouthful, perfect for a fun roll-it-yourself midweek dinner for the family.

30 MINUTES | MAKES 12 ROLLS | EASY |

asparagus spears 12, woody ends removed

mangetout 85g, trimmed mung bean vermicelli or rice vermicelli 100g, soaked in water for 15 minutes

toasted sesame oil a drizzle

rice paper spring roll wrappers 12 x 20cm

Romaine lettuce 12 leaves

avocado 1, cut into thin wedges

mint a handful of leaves

coriander a handful of leaves basil or Vietnamese mint a handful of leaves MISO-KALE PESTO

kale 100g, leaves only

basil 12g

garlic 2 cloves, roughly chopped sunflower or pumpkin seeds 45g, toasted

white miso paste 1 tbsp

extra-virgin olive oil 185ml

lemon ½, zested and juiced

1 For the pesto, bring a pan of well-salted water to the boil. Blanch the kale for 30-60 seconds or until just wilted and bright green. Remove from the water with tongs (keep the water for the other veg), drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again, then squeeze out any excess water. Roughly chop the kale and put in a food processor or blender. Add the basil, garlic and seeds, and whizz to a paste. Add the miso, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil, lemon juice and 2 tbsp water, blending until combined. Stir in the lemon zest and season, then set aside.

2 If your asparagus spears are long, snap in half so they are about 10cm in length. Bring the pan of water back to the boil, and cook the asparagus and mangetout for 1 minute until they are bright green. Remove from the water with tongs (again keeping the water for the vermicelli) and drain, before immediately refreshing under cold running water until completely cold. Add the vermicelli to the water and cook for 1-2 minutes or until transparent. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drizzle a little sesame oil over the vermicelli and season, then set aside.

3 To assemble the rolls, take a deep plate that is slightly larger than the wrappers and pour in some lukewarm water. Working with one wrapper at a time, dunk into the water and allow to soften for 30-60 seconds – don’t let it get too soft or it will break when rolling. When softened, lay it out flat on a chopping board and assemble your filling. Starting at the edge of the rice paper closest to you (leaving enough room to begin the rolling process), layer a piece of lettuce, followed by a small handful of vermicelli, asparagus, mangetout, avocado and herbs. To roll, pull the edge closest to you over the filling – pull it tight to keep everything in place. Fold over once, then fold in the sides and continue to roll until you have a tightly bound roll. Continue with the remaining wrappers and filling.

To serve, cut the rolls in half and serve with the miso-kale pesto for dipping.

PER ROLL 268 kcals | fat 20.2G saturates 3G | carbs 17.7G | sugars 1G fibre 1.9G | protein 3G | salt 0.4G