Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Dipping Sauce

In a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients except water. Whisk to combine well. Add enough of the water to thin to desired consistency. Cover and chill until ready to use.

Cook rice vermicelli noodles according to package instructions, just to al dente. Drain and rinse well with cold water. Sprinkle with enough Asian sesame oil to loosen and prevent sticking. Set aside.

Fill a large, wide bowl with hot water. Working one at a time, gently submerge a rice wrapper into the water just until it becomes soft and pliable (depending on the temp of your water, it can vary from a few seconds to about 30 seconds.)

Gently lift the wrapper, place on a flat working surface, and start filling: lay down 3 pieces of shrimp, followed by a small handful of carrots, cucumber, bean sprouts, and lettuce (be sure to leave about 1-inch margins around edges of wrapper.) Add a few mint leaves, cilantro, and Thai basil leaves into the filling.

Gently tuck/fold in the sides and roll as gently yet tightly as you can, taking care to keep filling from moving toward the edges. Press the finished edges together gently to seal. Keep wrapped spring rolls covered with a damp cloth while you finish wrapping the remaining rolls.

Serve immediately with dipping sauce.