dinner/entertaining/recipes

Avocado Chicken Broccoli Rabe Summer Rolls

Posted June 22, 2015 by Stephanie
chicken avocado broccoli rabe summer rolls - www.iamafoodblog.com

chicken avocado broccoli rabe summer rolls - www.iamafoodblog.com

One of the things I love most about summer are the long evenings that stretch out from early afternoon all the way until the sun dips behind the horizon. Here, at the height of summer, the sun sets just after 10 o’clock. Dinner time happens a little later than usual and lasts a lot longer too. We linger at the table, chatting and eating, and taking everything slow and easy, the heavy heat of the day cooling off as we make roll after roll, satiating our hunger and filling our hearts.

chicken avocado broccoli rabe summer rolls - www.iamafoodblog.com

Summer rolls, or salad rolls (as they’re often called), happen to be a perennial favorite around our house. They’re incredibly versatile and the DIY nature of them makes them easy for everyone to customize at the table. The fillings: simply poached chicken breast, thin and crunchy julienned carrots, creamy avocado, quickly crisped broccoli rabe with garlic, and slippery rice vermicelli. Wrap every thing up in a rice paper hug and dip into a creamy almond hoisin sauce for a bite filled with varying textures and flavors combining into a perfect bite.

chicken avocado broccoli rabe summer rolls - www.iamafoodblog.com

The broccoli rabe was definitely the hit in this mix. With its crisp and crunchy stalks and tender leaves, broccoli rabe is one of those vegetables that I never turn my nose down at. Here I simply stir-fried it with garlic, but I also love roasting it, which deepens, sweetens and caramelizes the flavors. Normally I see broccoli rabe with pasta or on pizza (which I love!) but I feel the summer roll really lets it shine. I’m looking forward to many more nights filled with these refreshing little rolls.

chicken avocado broccoli rabe summer rolls - www.iamafoodblog.com

Avocado Chicken Broccoli Rabe Summer Rolls
makes 12 rolls
prep time: 20 minutes
active time: 40 minutes
total time: 1 hour

Rolls

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
  • 12 stalks broccoli rabe
  • salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 2 bundles vermicelli*
  • 1 chicken breast, poached and sliced
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1 carrot, julienned
  • 12 rounds rice paper, or as needed

Almond Butter Dipping Sauce

  • 1/3 cup creamy almond butter
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sriracha
  • hot water to thin

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the garlic, stirring, until just brown, about 1 minute. Transfer garlic to a plate. Add the rabe and cook for 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add a tablespoon of water to the pan, cover and cook until just tender but still crisp, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the pan and top with the sliced garlic.

Cook the vermicelli according to the package. Drain, rinse and cool.

Mix together the ingredients for the almond butter sauce. Taste and adjust if needed.

To assemble:

Take a rice paper wrapper and completely submerge it in a bowl of hot tap water for 10-15 seconds. Place the wrapper on a plate or cutting board – it’ll continue to soften as your assembling your roll. Add fillings as desired: avocado slices, a couple slices of chicken, rabe, carrots, and a bit of vermicelli. Fold the bottom half of the wrapper up over the filling, hold the fold in place, tuck in the sides and roll tightly. Repeat as needed and enjoy immediately with the dipping sauce.

You can serve these rolls whole, but I prefer to cut them into bite size – makes them easier to pop into your mouth!

Notes: Vermicelli typical comes in 65 gram bundles. You’re looking for approximately 2-3 cups cooked vermicelli.

chicken avocado broccoli rabe summer rolls - www.iamafoodblog.com

This post was sponsored by Andy Boy Broccoli Rabe. Check out their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest for more broccoli rabe recipes. Thanks for supporting I am a Food Blog!
chicken avocado broccoli rabe summer rolls - www.iamafoodblog.com

19 Comments

  1. i love doing spring rolls in the summer- they’re so easy and refreshing for dinner. i’ve never done chicken and broccoli rabe in them, but it sounds so good!

  2. Yummy and healthy, double yay! Huzzah for light summa dinnas – thanks for sharing Steph :)

  3. Hannah says:

    Ohhh man… your description of this just makes me want to invite a heap of people over and set up a DIY summer roll table!

  4. These look wonderful and so perfect for summer!

  5. Rachel says:

    These look so delicious and healthy. I definitely need to try the almond dipping sauce, I’ve never heard of it before but it sounds so tasty.

  6. This looks beautiful. What a nice, light and health summer recipe. I can’t wait to try this and broccoli rabe is calling my name right now. Thanks for sharing such a great post!

  7. Tieghan says:

    These look so awesome. Loving the creative use of broccoli rabe! :)

  8. I love how you describe late summer dinners! It’s picture perfect. And these rolls look all the rage :)

  9. Yum!! These look so fresh and light, perfect for the Summertime. Love the almond dipping sauce too… I’m such a fan of any kind of peanut dipping sauce so I can imagine what a nice change almond would make.

    Thanks for sharing Steph :) Beautiful as always

  10. This looks so refreshing and perfect for summer

  11. We used to go to a kind of tacky kind of delightful Chinese buffet in Toronto that used to also serve sushi. We never touched the sushi and probably rightly so because they eventually switched it out for cooked chicken sushi presumably some (too many) people got sick. I imagine these are like those but done right and 50 bajillion times better :D :D :D

  12. Abby says:

    Ooh, these rolls look delicious! I love, love, spring rolls, and absolutely must try these. <3

  13. Eileen says:

    These summer rolls sound so delicious! I love the idea of adding some bitter contrast with the broccoli rabe. Yay!

  14. Anything with avocado this summer, I am on board! I am also really starting to embrace broccoli rabe. Love this!

  15. Meg says:

    OMG Yes, I want to try it! <3 Lovely blog and pictures. Lets visit me :)

  16. you do rolls like no other, my dear friend. broccoli rabe in there too? snap. i’m actually craving vegetables right now, hehe! XO

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