Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls

Rice lies at the center of Vietnamese cuisine. The crop is abundantly grown throughout Vietnam, with paddies especially concentrated around the Red River Delta in the north and the Mekong River Delta in the south.

Even the shape of the country has been described as a bamboo pole with a basket of rice hung at each end.

Indeed, rice is so abundant that it is made into an array of other products, including rice wine, rice vinegar, rice cakes, rice paper (banh trang), and various types of rice noodles.

Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls, or goi cuon—also known as summer rolls—are a classic Vietnamese appetizer that makes clever use of rice in several forms. The dish is made with lots of healthy vegetables, herbs, rice noodles, and protein all wrapped up in a translucent sheet of rice paper—like a portable salad roll.

My husband and I adore Vietnamese spring rolls, and are sure to order them whenever we have the chance to dine in a Vietnamese restaurant. After years of wanting to try making them at home, gathering mental notes but never putting them into practice, I finally stopped procrastinating.

The result is this recipe, in which we wrap a refreshing bundle of crisp lettuce, mint leaves, cilantro, bean sprouts, rice vermicelli, and shrimp in sheets of rice paper, softened until springy and translucent. A peanut butter-hoisin dipping sauce serves as the perfect companion.

These healthy rolls are so light and refreshing—no matter how many you eat, you won’t feel weighed down at all.

Recipe

Makes: 16 rolls
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 20 minutes

For the shrimp:
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Pinch of salt

For the dipping sauce:
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon sambal chili paste

For the fresh spring rolls:
6 ounces rice vermicelli, soaked in water for 10 minutes
16 rice paper wrappers (banh trang)
1/2 head lettuce
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1 cup cilantro

Instructions

1. Cook the shrimp

• In a small pot, bring water to a boil. Add the salt and shrimp.
• Cook over high heat until the shrimp turn pink, about 2 minutes.
• Remove shrimp from the pot and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.
• Reserve 1 cup of the shrimp cooking water for the dipping sauce.
• Slice each shrimp in half lengthwise and set aside.

2. Make the dipping sauce

• In a pan over low heat, add the cooking oil and minced garlic. Stir-fry until aromatic, about 1 minute.
• Add the peanut butter, hoisin sauce, and sambal chili paste. Stir-fry for 1 minute to combine.
• Pour in the reserved shrimp cooking water. Stir continuously until smooth and well combined.
• Transfer to a serving dish and set aside.

3. Cook the rice vermicelli

• In a small pot, bring water to a boil.
• Add the pre-soaked rice vermicelli and cook over high heat until al dente, about 4 minutes. (Since the noodles were soaked, cooking time is halved.)
• Rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Drain well and snip into shorter pieces using kitchen shears. Set aside.

4. Assemble the rolls

• Prepare a large plate or shallow dish of warm water for softening the rice paper.
• Dip one rice paper sheet into the water until soft and elastic, about 20 seconds. Lay it flat on a clean surface and smooth it out with your palm.
• In the center of the wrapper, add a small amount of lettuce, mint, cilantro, bean sprouts, and rice vermicelli in a horizontal line.
• Above this layer, place 3 shrimp halves, cut side up.
• Fold the sides of the rice paper inward. Then fold the bottom up over the filling and roll tightly, tucking as you go. Be careful not to tear the wrapper.
• Repeat with the remaining wrappers and fillings.

5. Serve

• Arrange the spring rolls on a plate and serve with the prepared dipping sauce.

Tips & notes

• Rice paper: Don’t over-soak—it should feel soft and pliable but not mushy.
• Shrimp slicing: Cutting the shrimp in half lengthwise gives each roll a clean, colorful look with the shrimp on display.
• Assembly: Keep your ingredients prepped and arranged before assembling to streamline the process.
• Rolling tip: Roll tightly enough to hold the shape but gently to avoid tearing the delicate wrapper.
• Dipping sauce: Add more sambal if you want extra heat, or thin it with water if it becomes too thick as it cools.
• Serving suggestion: These are best eaten fresh, but if needed, you can store them under a damp paper towel and plastic wrap for a couple of hours.