Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce (Printable)
Fresh rice paper rolls filled with vegetables and herbs, served 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, and halved lengthwise (or substitute with cooked chicken or tofu)
04 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
05 - 1 small cucumber, julienned (seeds removed)
06 - 8 leaves butter lettuce or romaine, torn to fit
07 - 1 handful fresh mint leaves
08 - 1 handful fresh cilantro
09 - 1 handful fresh Thai basil (optional)
→ Peanut Dipping Sauce
10 - 3 tbsp peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
11 - 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
12 - 1 tbsp soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
13 - 1 tbsp lime juice
14 - 1 tsp sriracha or chili sauce (optional)
15 - 3-4 tbsp warm water (to thin)
# Directions:
01 - Soak the rice vermicelli noodles in hot water for 5-7 minutes until soft. Drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water; set aside to drain completely.
02 - Julienne the carrot and cucumber, removing seeds from the cucumber. Tear lettuce leaves into appropriate sizes. Arrange shrimp (or chosen protein), lettuce, herbs, carrots, cucumber, and noodles on your work surface for easy assembly.
03 - Fill a large shallow bowl with warm water. Dip one rice paper wrapper into the water for 5-8 seconds, just until slightly soft but still pliable. Lay it flat on a damp kitchen towel or clean cutting board.
04 - Place a small amount of lettuce, noodles, carrot, cucumber, and herbs on the lower third of the wrapper. Top with 2-3 shrimp halves, placing them cut side up for presentation through the translucent wrapper.
05 - Fold the bottom of the wrapper over the filling, then fold in both sides. Roll tightly but gently away from you to seal the roll completely. The wrapper will stick to itself.
06 - Repeat the soaking and rolling process with the remaining ingredients to make 8 rolls total. Place finished rolls on a plate, ensuring they don't touch each other.
07 - In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, sriracha (if using), and warm water until smooth and creamy. Add more water if needed to achieve desired consistency.
08 - Serve the spring rolls fresh with peanut dipping sauce on the side. If preparing ahead, cover rolls with a damp cloth and serve within 2 hours to prevent drying.
# Cooking Tips:
01 -
- You get that satisfying crunch without any deep frying or heaviness
- The sauce-to-roll ratio is entirely under your control, unlike restaurant portions
02 -
- Rice paper continues softening after you remove it from water, so err on the side of under-soaking
- Work on a damp towel to prevent sticking, and dont stack completed rolls directly on top of each other
03 -
- Room temperature ingredients roll more easily than cold ones straight from the refrigerator
- Double the sauce recipe because you'll want extra for drizzling over everything