Before the cooking begins, I would suggest preparing the vegetables to make sure they’re ready to be added to the skillet when needed. The garlic cloves need to be minced. Grate up the carrot. Usually, Thai basil is sold still connected to its sprigs. Pull off the basil leaves until you’ve filled a cup. The leaves do not need to be cut. Slice the chives. For the red cabbage, first, I divided it into quarters and then thinly sliced it. I also pulled out the stem of the cabbage and any other tough piece I came across. Measure out the bean sprouts and set them aside.
In a large skillet, brown the ground sausage. Once cooked through, drain the oil from the meat and leave the meat in the skillet. Add the garlic cloves and the carrot—Cook for about two more minutes. Add the chives and the Thai basil. Cook for about another minute. Turn off the heat.
Add the red cabbage and bean sprouts to the skillet and toss them together.
Place the sugar and the rice vinegar into a small bowl and mix together until dissolved. Pour the mixture over the filling mixture in the skillet. Toss ingredients again.
Follow the rice paper instructions on how to wrap. The rice paper I bought needed to be dipped in warm water for about 5 seconds before it became pliable, and then I wrapped the ingredients in the rice paper like you would wrap a burrito. Rice paper has a really bizarre texture, very unlike a tortilla.
Notes
It took me about 8 wraps before I figured out how much filling to use so it wouldn’t gush out the sides. So if it doesn’t come easily the first couple of times, you’re not alone! This recipe makes about 24 spring rolls. Serve with chili or peanut sauce.