Help me with menu planning, please
August 23, 2024 12:40 PM Subscribe
We like to do "spring roll party" meals sometimes—you get all the fixings for spring rolls and array them in a bunch of bowls and then everyone constructs their own—but I need ideas for what to serve with it. Details inside.
So we have spring roll wrappers + all sorts of fillings and sauces. Think shrimp, tofu, peanut sauce, soy sauce, raw carrot, bell pepper, scallion, avocado, cabbage, etc. Everybody combines whatever they want and wraps up their own spring rolls.
My question is...what else? We're having some folks over so it needs to feel a bit festive and so I don't want to do just the spring rolls. What could I have on the side, please? One member of the group is a vegan so I would like it to be vegan or vegan adjacent (which would mean maybe it's vegan + there's something on the side that's non-vegan that people could add in if they want). Bonus points if it's not super hard to cook because I'm not a genius chef.
So we have spring roll wrappers + all sorts of fillings and sauces. Think shrimp, tofu, peanut sauce, soy sauce, raw carrot, bell pepper, scallion, avocado, cabbage, etc. Everybody combines whatever they want and wraps up their own spring rolls.
My question is...what else? We're having some folks over so it needs to feel a bit festive and so I don't want to do just the spring rolls. What could I have on the side, please? One member of the group is a vegan so I would like it to be vegan or vegan adjacent (which would mean maybe it's vegan + there's something on the side that's non-vegan that people could add in if they want). Bonus points if it's not super hard to cook because I'm not a genius chef.
Best answer: Maybe some miso soup, roasted chickpeas, steamed broccoli with a simple soy-ginger sauce.
Rice for bowls is a nice idea.
(You may already have it on your list but fresh mint for spring rolls!)
If you have Trader Joe's, their sweet chili sauce is really good with spring rolls.
posted by Glinn at 1:19 PM on August 23 [1 favorite]
Rice for bowls is a nice idea.
(You may already have it on your list but fresh mint for spring rolls!)
If you have Trader Joe's, their sweet chili sauce is really good with spring rolls.
posted by Glinn at 1:19 PM on August 23 [1 favorite]
Coconut rice seems like it would go well with spring rolls and is also vegan and pretty calorie dense - my husband is one of those people that loves fun meals like "make your own spring roll" but can't get nearly enough calories to sate his hunger on spring rolls alone, and coconut rice is filling enough as a side to make it a real meal for him. You could also have cut up mango chunks on top or to stir in on the side to make it extra festive/special.
posted by iminurmefi at 1:32 PM on August 23 [5 favorites]
posted by iminurmefi at 1:32 PM on August 23 [5 favorites]
Oh also, a big pot of rice noodles with some sort of peanut sauce could absolutely be made ahead and would be great with spring rolls, since many of the things you could put in spring rolls are great as toppings for rice noodles too. Melissa Clark has a great one (Vietnamese rice noodles with daikon radishes and cucumbers) in her "Dinner: Changing the Game" cookbook that I've made and liked. Not vegan if you use fish sauce but I'm guessing there are probably lots of similar recipes out on the internet that don't use fish sauce.
posted by iminurmefi at 1:38 PM on August 23 [2 favorites]
posted by iminurmefi at 1:38 PM on August 23 [2 favorites]
I've always had spring rolls with rice noodles in them, so I had kind of assumed that would be there, but yeah, enough for someone to make a Vietnamese noodle salad would be a good way to mix it up.
Fried rice would be a nice add on if you thought just adding jasmine wasn't party enough.
Another way to make it seem like a little more is if some of the proteins you were serving were also available as a skewer, like a chicken satay or grilled shrimp kabob. Would pair well with the sauces you have going on too.
Depending on your crowd, a few examples of what they could do to make a dish could be super helpful. Some people freeze up and even though they may have eaten a thing, couldn't figure out how to put one together.
posted by advicepig at 1:50 PM on August 23 [1 favorite]
Fried rice would be a nice add on if you thought just adding jasmine wasn't party enough.
Another way to make it seem like a little more is if some of the proteins you were serving were also available as a skewer, like a chicken satay or grilled shrimp kabob. Would pair well with the sauces you have going on too.
Depending on your crowd, a few examples of what they could do to make a dish could be super helpful. Some people freeze up and even though they may have eaten a thing, couldn't figure out how to put one together.
posted by advicepig at 1:50 PM on August 23 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Spring roll accompaniments at PlatingsandPairings (recipes range from easy-peasy to more challenging)
posted by Iris Gambol at 2:24 PM on August 23
posted by Iris Gambol at 2:24 PM on August 23
Absolutely make Sticky Rice with Mango for dessert.
posted by mezzanayne at 3:20 PM on August 23 [5 favorites]
posted by mezzanayne at 3:20 PM on August 23 [5 favorites]
+ vermicelli/rice noodles, definitely. I love a vermicelli bowl with lots of herbs and pickles and salad and sauce and peanuts with shrimp or tofu. Spring rolls that need a little extra chonk benefit from vermicelli too, since it can help hold things together nicely.
The Vietnamese place near me does a great appetizer of grilled eggplant. It’s just simple slices of larger or halves of smaller eggplants, grilled with a bit of char, but then it is heaped with a lot of crunchy toppings, kind of the way people do silken tofu sometimes. There’s peanuts, scallions, sesame oil, lime, chopped mint, crispy shallots, something brown I suspect is a bit of hoisin sauce or sweet soy, and something else I think might be dried crushed shrimp? It’s so good, served room temperature or a little warm. You could do something similar, with grilled eggplant and let it sit with some sauce on it to soak up (I’m thinking sweet soy, lime, and sesame oil, plus chili crisp or similar if the vegan friend digs spicy) and then a bunch of crunchy toppings people can use for either the spring rolls or the eggplant, or noodle bowls.
Love the idea above of Thai iced tea, I concur that sweetened coconut milk is a great substitution/style. Hibiscus tea is another super refreshing option that I think goes great with all your flavors, and isn’t creamy or caffeinated. If you can find sugar cane juice, that is a wonderful way to sweeten things.
posted by Mizu at 3:25 PM on August 23 [4 favorites]
The Vietnamese place near me does a great appetizer of grilled eggplant. It’s just simple slices of larger or halves of smaller eggplants, grilled with a bit of char, but then it is heaped with a lot of crunchy toppings, kind of the way people do silken tofu sometimes. There’s peanuts, scallions, sesame oil, lime, chopped mint, crispy shallots, something brown I suspect is a bit of hoisin sauce or sweet soy, and something else I think might be dried crushed shrimp? It’s so good, served room temperature or a little warm. You could do something similar, with grilled eggplant and let it sit with some sauce on it to soak up (I’m thinking sweet soy, lime, and sesame oil, plus chili crisp or similar if the vegan friend digs spicy) and then a bunch of crunchy toppings people can use for either the spring rolls or the eggplant, or noodle bowls.
Love the idea above of Thai iced tea, I concur that sweetened coconut milk is a great substitution/style. Hibiscus tea is another super refreshing option that I think goes great with all your flavors, and isn’t creamy or caffeinated. If you can find sugar cane juice, that is a wonderful way to sweeten things.
posted by Mizu at 3:25 PM on August 23 [4 favorites]
Fried slices of marinaded tempeh would add some nice protein notes to what is otherwise heavy on carbs and veggies, and would be attractive to vegans. Other proteins would be tofu, shrimp, satay-seasoned chicken, bits of white fish (which are excellent sauce delivery systems).
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 5:34 PM on August 23
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 5:34 PM on August 23
I do this party too with summer rolls and usually serve miso and/or steamed edamame in shell.
posted by atomicstone at 6:33 PM on August 23
posted by atomicstone at 6:33 PM on August 23
You could serve sushi and include a range of fish and vegetarian options. I’d order a party platter.
posted by shock muppet at 9:35 PM on August 23
posted by shock muppet at 9:35 PM on August 23
Are these deep-fried spring rolls or salad rolls with the moistened rice-wrappers?
posted by porpoise at 12:21 AM on August 24 [1 favorite]
posted by porpoise at 12:21 AM on August 24 [1 favorite]
What a nice idea. Summer rolls are my treat for myself when I feel I need some joy on a weekday, but I go to the local Vietnamese to get them. Now I'm thinking I should copy you for my upcoming birthday.
Anyways, what I usually do when I am in a situation like yours is look to see what Serious Eats has to say. In this case, they didn't disappoint, but all the recipes are non-vegan.
The Serious Eats article made me think that pho would be an excellent addition to your party, but I had to look elsewhere for a vegan recipe, which for me was easy, because my daughter worked as a chef at a Vietnamese restaurant. I mean, I'll just ask her to make it. But I can't translate her recipe into a home version, instead Bon Appétit has one that looks really good.
posted by mumimor at 2:15 AM on August 24 [1 favorite]
Anyways, what I usually do when I am in a situation like yours is look to see what Serious Eats has to say. In this case, they didn't disappoint, but all the recipes are non-vegan.
The Serious Eats article made me think that pho would be an excellent addition to your party, but I had to look elsewhere for a vegan recipe, which for me was easy, because my daughter worked as a chef at a Vietnamese restaurant. I mean, I'll just ask her to make it. But I can't translate her recipe into a home version, instead Bon Appétit has one that looks really good.
posted by mumimor at 2:15 AM on August 24 [1 favorite]
You'll have vermicelli. Some people prefer sweet chili sauce, some like peanut sauce with spring rolls; make lots of extra vermicelli and peanut sauce, one of my favorite meals. Make a cucumber salad, some cucumbers will go in spring rolls. I love rice with kimchi, so make rice and people can add things. Crispy tofu is a great protein to add.
Quick Pickled shredded carrots and slced red onion are a great addition to rice and noodles.
posted by theora55 at 8:36 AM on August 24
Quick Pickled shredded carrots and slced red onion are a great addition to rice and noodles.
posted by theora55 at 8:36 AM on August 24
Fast & easy vegan dip/sauce:
Combine equal volumes miso and peanut butter. Stir in rice wine vinegar by spoonful until the mixture is soft enough to dip.
Good dipping partners (preferably bias-cut): carrots, celery, apples, daikon radishes, zucchini (courgette), cucumbers
posted by Jesse the K at 2:33 PM on August 24
Combine equal volumes miso and peanut butter. Stir in rice wine vinegar by spoonful until the mixture is soft enough to dip.
Good dipping partners (preferably bias-cut): carrots, celery, apples, daikon radishes, zucchini (courgette), cucumbers
posted by Jesse the K at 2:33 PM on August 24
If you do the spring rolls right, you probably won't have space on the table for other things and people will get really full from it. The vermicelli noodles are really filling as well. The major thing I would make sure is to have a variety of dipping sauces and drinks, and I like to have multiple types of protein options like fried tofu, shrimp, and pork belly for starters, all the way to bbq pork, nem nuong, surimi crab and fried tempura because it was what I had in my freezer at the time.
I would suggest looking into other Vietnamese dishes that use similar components and assembles it into noodle bowls, like bun thit nuong and bun cha, which are two very different styles of cold noodle dishes.
posted by yueliang at 5:08 PM on August 24
I would suggest looking into other Vietnamese dishes that use similar components and assembles it into noodle bowls, like bun thit nuong and bun cha, which are two very different styles of cold noodle dishes.
posted by yueliang at 5:08 PM on August 24
There is also chè for multiple dessert options, they are very delicious. I like avocado smoothies and tri-color desserts.
posted by yueliang at 5:14 PM on August 24
posted by yueliang at 5:14 PM on August 24
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Rice: just jasmine rice, or you could get the purple rice for novelty's sake; if someone gets tired of spring rolls they can make a rice bowl
Fridge pickles or cucumber salad in a vinaigrette: these work as an ingredient for spring rolls but also as a side dish
Shrimp chips (not vegan) or poppadums (usually vegan): fun to watch or do; this doubles as an activity AND a side dish
Dessert: fruit salad in a hollowed-out melon or pineapple is low effort, high reward. Agar almond desserts set up like Jell-O but are vegan and pair well with fruit cocktail or fruit salad.
posted by blnkfrnk at 1:07 PM on August 23 [5 favorites]