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Fall Harvest Spring Roll Appetizer Recipe
Surprise and delight your guests with the unexpected: fall harvest fruit in a savory spring roll. These make ahead appetizers pack a lot of flavor into each bite and won't leave fingers greasy. An appetizer that simplifies planning and clean up? A real win in my entertaining repertoire. While guests arrive, I almost always have a platter of spring rolls at the ready. Guests can enjoy a light bite and get to know one another and I don't have to rush to get the first course onto the table. I take the spring rolls out of the refrigerator at the same time I remove the La Crema Monterey Pinot Gris, twenty minutes before guests are scheduled to appear. With its notes of asian pear, spice, and ripe apricot, the La Crema Monterey Pinot Gris pairs perfectly with fall harvest fruits like apples and pluots. There's only two secrets to crafting a beautiful platter of spring rolls. The first secret is to place wax paper between layers so that the spring rolls don't stick to each other. And the second secret is to remember that the ingredient you place on top of your vermicelli noodles and apples will be the top of your spring roll.
Essential Ingredients for Fall Harvest Fresh Spring Rolls
Combining the crisp textures of autumn fruit with savory, marinated mushrooms creates an appetizer that is both light and incredibly satisfying. Most of these items can be found at your local farmer's market or grocery store during the peak of the harvest season.
- Rice Paper Wrappers: These delicate, translucent sheets provide the perfect non-greasy vessel for your harvest fillings.
- Fuji and Granny Smith Apples: Using a mix of sweet Fuji and tart Granny Smith apples creates a complex flavor profile and a satisfying crunch.
- Pluots or Plums: These add a soft texture and a burst of juicy sweetness that pairs beautifully with the savory elements.
- Crimini Mushrooms: Marinated in soy sauce and balsamic vinegar, these provide an earthy, "umami" depth to the roll.
- Rice Vermicelli Noodles: These thin noodles act as a light filler that soaks up the juices from the fruit and mushrooms.
- Fresh Lime Juice: A quick toss in lime juice keeps your julienned apples from browning while adding a bright, citrusy lift.
- Balsamic Vinegar and Soy Sauce: This unconventional pairing creates a rich, tangy marinade that bridges the gap between Asian and Western flavors.
- Cayenne Peppers (Optional): If you like a little heat, a small amount of minced cayenne adds a lovely pop of color and a spicy kick.
How to Prepare and Assemble Your Spring Rolls
The secret to a perfect spring roll is all in the preparation. Because these are fresh and not fried, you want to make sure your ingredients are chilled or at room temperature before you start rolling. This process is surprisingly therapeutic once you get into a rhythm, and it is a great task to handle a day in advance so you can stay stress free when your guests arrive.
- Marinate the Mushrooms: Start by tossing your sliced crimini mushrooms with soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, oil, and garlic powder. Let them sit in the refrigerator for at least twenty minutes, though overnight is even better for deep flavor.
- Prep the Vermicelli: Boil your rice noodles for eight minutes, then let them soak for another three minutes with the heat off. Strain and rinse them with cold water, then let them air dry for an hour. This step is crucial because it prevents the rolls from becoming soggy.
- Sauté the Filling: Cook your onions and garlic in a pan until soft, then add the marinated mushrooms. Once the mushrooms have released their moisture, add the pluots and optional cayenne. Sauté just until the fruit is soft, then set the mixture aside to cool completely.
- Soften the Rice Paper: Fill a shallow dish with water and dip a sheet of rice paper for about five to ten seconds. You want it to be pliable but not so soft that it tears. Lay it flat on a clean, non-stick surface.
- Layer and Roll: Place your vermicelli and julienned apples about a fourth of the way down the paper. Add your sautéed onion and pluot mixture on top. Fold the top over the filling, tuck in the sides, and then add your mushroom slices before finishing the roll. This ensures the mushrooms are visible through the translucent paper for a beautiful presentation.
Fall Harvest Pluot, Apple and Mushroom Spring Roll Recipe
- Author: Eden Hensley
- Prep time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Cook time: 15 mins
- Serves: 12-16
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound of Crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 Tablespoons Soy sauce
- 3 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons Vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- Sea salt to taste
- Black pepper, freshly ground to taste
- 1 package of rice vermicelli noodles
- 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
- 1 medium Onion, sliced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 3 plums or Pluots, sliced
- 2 limes squeezed for their juice to keep apples from turning brown
- 1 Fuji apple, julienned
- 1 Granny smith apple, julienned
- 2 packages small spring roll wrappers or rice paper
- 4 to 6 cayenne peppers, seeded and diced for garnish
Instructions
- Boil a medium pot of water.
- In the meantime, toss sliced mushrooms into a plastic storage bag. Close the top of the bag and shake to coat. Put in the refrigerator and leave to marinate overnight (if running short on time, be sure to marinate mushrooms at least twenty minutes).
- When the water boils, put the package of rice vermicelli noodles into the water for eight minutes to rehydrate. Turn off the heat and let the noodles soak in the pot for an additional three minutes. Strain and rinse with cold water. Let air dry for at least an hour before beginning to assemble your spring rolls.
- Warm a large saute pan or wok over medium heat. When heated, add a Tablespoon of vegetable oil.
- When the oil is hot, starts to shimmer, add the onions.
- Add the garlic when the onions just begin to soften.
- When you can smell the garlic, add your mushrooms. Be careful not pour the marinade into the hot pan. Reserve the marinade for dipping.
- When the mushrooms have let go most of their moisture, add your pluots and optional cayenne pepper.
- Saute pluot, mushroom, and onion mixture until pluots are soft to the touch. Remove from the heat and set aside. Let cool to room temperature.
- Get your work space ready to put together your spring rolls. Arrange ingredients in the order in which you’ll put them into your roll. Pour water into a pan or baking dish that is large enough to hold your rice paper.
- Place your sheet of rice paper into the water. Let it sit for about five to ten seconds or until soft. Make sure the paper is softening evenly.
- When soft, gently lift your paper and shake off the excess water.
- Lay your paper down on a non-stick surface.
- Assemble your roll. For one roll, you’ll need: For one roll: 1 sheet rice paper; 2 ounces vermicelli noodles, cooked; 2 slices Fuji apple; 2 slices Granny Smith apple; 2 slices sauteed pluot (or plum);
- slice sauteed onion; a pinch of Cayenne pepper, minced (optional); and 2 to 4 slices mushroom depending on size.
- Place the vermicelli and apple about a fourth of the way down from the top of the rice paper. If you are preparing your spring rolls so that some have cayenne peppers and others don’t, place two slices of pluot and cayenne pepper on top of the apple. When you prepare the spring rolls that don’t have the peppers, place two to four slices of mushroom on top of the apple.
- Fold the top of the paper down so that the filling is covered. Press the edges of the paper to the left and right of the vermicelli together so that filling doesn’t fall apart.
- Fold the sides of the paper in towards the middle.
- Place either two to four slices of mushroom on your roll if you’ve already placed your pluots, or place two slices of pluots if you already placed your mushrooms.
- Finish rolling it up.
- Place on platter and set aside. Be sure to place wax paper in between layers of spring rolls to ensure they don’t stick together.
- Spring rolls can be made up to a day ahead and stored in air-tight containers in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve them.
Tips for Storing and Serving Your Spring Rolls
One of the best things about this appetizer is that it actually benefits from being made ahead of time. Because the rice paper is delicate and can be prone to sticking or drying out, a few simple storage tricks will keep them looking and tasting fresh until your guests arrive.
If you are stacking your spring rolls on a platter or in a container, always place a sheet of wax paper between the layers. This creates a barrier that prevents the rice paper from tearing when you go to lift them. You should also be mindful of hydration since rice paper can become tough or rubbery if it stays in the refrigerator for too long without moisture. To prevent this, place a slightly damp paper towel over the top layer of rolls before sealing them in an airtight container.
Exposure to air is the enemy of a fresh spring roll, so using a container with a very tight seal is essential to ensure the apples stay crisp and the wrappers remain soft. When you are ready to serve, take the rolls out of the refrigerator about twenty minutes before your guests arrive. This allows the flavors of the pluots and marinated mushrooms to wake up and brings them to the perfect temperature. If your rolls are a bit large or heavily stuffed, try cutting them in half diagonally to make them easier to manage while your guests are socializing.
Pairing Fall Harvest Spring Rolls with Wine
When you are working with a recipe that blends the earthiness of sautéed mushrooms with the sweetness of fresh pluots and apples, you need a wine that can bridge those two worlds. The La Crema Monterey Pinot Gris is specifically suited for this task. Because it is grown in a cool climate, it maintains a crisp acidity that prevents the fruit in the spring rolls from feeling too sugary. The wine’s notes of Asian pear and spice highlight the garlic in the marinade, while the stone fruit undertones of apricot pull out the juiciness of the plums. It is a refreshing pairing that respects the delicate texture of the rice paper wrappers.
While this recipe is a great excuse to open a bottle of Pinot Gris, the diverse flavors of the fall harvest mean you can experiment with the rest of La Crema's portfolio depending on your personal taste. La Crema is dedicated to producing expressive, cool-climate wines from some of the best coastal vineyards in California and Oregon. If you decide to add more lime juice or fresh herbs to your spring rolls, the zesty profile of our Sauvignon Blanc provides a bright contrast. For those who prefer a red, our Pinot Noir is renowned for its silky tannins and red fruit notes, making it a successful partner for the savory mushrooms.
