Some lunches just make you happy to open the lid. This shrimp spring roll bento is fresh, colorful, and needs no reheating, so it's perfect for school, the office, or a post-gym refuel. The rice paper roll goes in the big compartment, with crunchy cucumber sticks and juicy orange wedges in the two smaller ones. Everything stays neat and separate, just the way lunch should be.
Makes: 2 lunch boxes
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 3 minutes
Ingredients
For the spring rolls
- 2 rice paper sheets (8.5" / 22 cm)
- 6 cooked shrimp, peeled and halved lengthwise
- 1 oz (30 g) rice vermicelli noodles
- ½ ripe avocado, sliced
- ¼ cup purple cabbage, finely shredded
- 2 butter lettuce leaves
- 6 fresh mint or basil leaves
For the sides
- 1 mini cucumber, cut into sticks
- 1 orange, cut into wedges
For the dipping sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1 tsp honey
Instructions
- Cook the noodles. Cook the rice vermicelli according to the package, about 3 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain well.
- Prep the fillings. Slice the avocado, shred the cabbage, cut the cucumber into sticks and the orange into wedges. Halve the shrimp lengthwise so they lie flat.
- Soften the rice paper. Dip one sheet in warm water for about 10 seconds, until just soft, then lay it flat on a damp cutting board.
- Fill. Place the shrimp halves pink side down in the center. Layer a lettuce leaf, a few herbs, noodles, cabbage and avocado on top.
- Roll. Fold in the sides, then roll up tightly like a burrito. Repeat with the second sheet.
- Mix the dip. Whisk the soy sauce, lime juice and honey together.
- Pack your bento. Place a spring roll in the large compartment of each bento, cucumber sticks in one small compartment and orange wedges in the other. Close the lid and refrigerate until lunch.
Tips
- Make ahead: Roll them in the morning, or the night before if wrapped tightly, so the rice paper stays soft.
- Keep it bright: Squeeze a little lime juice on the avocado to stop it from browning.
- More protein: Add extra shrimp or a few cubes of tofu for a post-workout lunch.
- For little hands: Cut each roll in half so it's easy to hold.
- Pack the dip separately: Use a small leak-proof container so the sauce doesn't soak the roll.