8 Colorful Ways to Fill a Summer Roll

Summer rolls are required warm-weather eats, as they are a vehicle for the rainbow of summer produce that August delivers. Skip the standard shrimp and lettuce filling for a spectrum of colorful fruit and vegetable fillings. Here are 10 of our favorite fresh takes, from red ripe strawberries to beautiful blackberries.

Summer rolls require a little bit of practice to master, but the principles are simple. Slice and dice some vegetables (or fruits), cook a simple protein — shrimp, chicken, and tofu are ideal — and wrap the filling inside fresh lettuce or herbs to hold things together. Wrap the whole bundle in softened rice paper rounds and serve with a sweet or savory dip.

Once you have those basics down, let’s color outside the lines, shall we?

Layer thinly sliced strawberries with baby spinach and feta cheese. Serve with poppy seed dressing for the summer-roll version of classic strawberry salad.

Thinly slice ripe tomatoes and layer them with cooked bacon and butter lettuce and serve with a creamy herbed dressing. You can also add whole cherry tomatoes inside the lettuce bundle for more tomato pop.

This is a stunning use of canned mandarin oranges. Use shredded red and green cabbage in addition to the traditional rice noodles and dip in a savory soy, sesame, and ginger dressing.

Ripe summer peaches deserve a more savory spotlight. Pair them in a summer roll with basil and leftover grilled shrimp wrapped with Bibb lettuce. Serve with tangy barbecue sauce for dipping.

Slice golden beets paper-thin on a mandoline and pair them with seared tofu and chopped cashews, rolled inside the lettuce bundle. Serve with a classic peanut sauce for dipping.

Here’s a double yellow combination: thinly sliced yellow squash and julienned yellow peppers. Keep the rest of the filling on the classic side with rice noodles, and butter lettuce, but serve with a hearty cashew sauce.

The combination of kiwi and avocado is intriguing, so keep the other fillings simple. A bigger bundle of rice noodles and some fresh herbs will let this fruity combination shine. Try dipping these in a yogurt sauce.

Fill these blackberry and mango summer rolls with mint and plain rice noodles and they can easily double as dessert. A drizzle of honey on these will sweeten them and eliminate the need for dip.

What is your favorite way to fill a summer roll?