Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Printable Version)
Crisp vegetables and herbs in delicate rice paper with savory peanut sauce
# What You’ll Need:
→ Spring Roll Components
01 - 8 rice paper wrappers (8.5 inch diameter)
02 - 3.5 oz rice vermicelli noodles
03 - 7 oz cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, halved lengthwise
04 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
05 - 1 small cucumber, julienned, seeds removed
06 - 8 butter lettuce or romaine leaves, torn to fit
07 - 1 handful fresh mint leaves
08 - 1 handful fresh cilantro
09 - 1 handful fresh Thai basil
→ Peanut Dipping Sauce
10 - 3 tbsp peanut butter
11 - 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
12 - 1 tbsp soy sauce
13 - 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
14 - 1 tsp sriracha or chili sauce
15 - 3-4 tbsp warm water
# Directions:
01 - Soak rice vermicelli noodles in hot water for 5-7 minutes until tender. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside in a colander to drain excess moisture.
02 - Julienne the carrot and cucumber, removing cucumber seeds. Tear lettuce leaves into wrapper-sized pieces. Arrange all ingredients on a clean work surface: shrimp (cut side up), lettuce, herbs, carrots, cucumber, and drained noodles.
03 - Fill a large shallow bowl with warm water. Submerge one rice paper wrapper completely for 5-8 seconds until pliable but not mushy. Lay flat on a damp kitchen towel or cutting board, smoothing out any wrinkles.
04 - Layer small amounts of lettuce, noodles, carrot, cucumber, and herbs on the lower third of the wrapper. Place 2-3 shrimp halves cut side up. Fold the bottom edge over filling, fold in both sides, then roll tightly away from you to seal.
05 - Repeat the soaking and rolling process with remaining ingredients to create 8 spring rolls. Place finished rolls on a plate, covering with a slightly damp paper towel to prevent drying.
06 - Whisk peanut butter, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, and sriracha in a small bowl. Gradually add warm water, 1 tbsp at a time, until reaching desired consistency. The sauce should be smooth and creamy.
07 - Serve spring rolls immediately with peanut dipping sauce on the side. For best presentation, slice rolls in half diagonally to reveal the colorful filling inside.
# Top Tips:
01 -
- You get that satisfying crunch without any deep frying, making them impossibly light and refreshing
- They're endlessly customizable once you master the basic technique, so you can use whatever's hiding in your crisper drawer
02 -
- Rice paper keeps softening after you remove it from the water, so under soak rather than over soak
- A damp workspace is your friend, dry surfaces will make the wrapper stick and tear
03 -
- Place shrimp cut side up so their pretty pink curves show through the translucent wrapper
- Double your sauce batch, it keeps in the fridge for weeks and is fantastic on noodles or grilled meats