I love Vietnamese Spring Rolls. They’re fun to make and can be prepared in advance, making them a great party food. Their transparent wrapper makes for a wonderful presentation, highlighting the vibrant colors of the filling. They’re also a healthy alternative to fried spring rolls and dumplings. Having a crisp, cool spring roll paired with two delicious sauces leads to a satisfying appetizer.
I have decided that it would be fun to do a Featured Ingredient Series, where I highlight a specific ingredient in a meal. This way I can introduce new ingredients to your kitchen.
Featured Ingredient: Spring Roll Wrappers
Spring roll wrappers, also known as rice paper, are super-thin wrappers made from rice flour, water, and salt. They are sold dry and must be rehydrated before use. They have a raised cross-like pattern on their surface, which is a result of being dried on bamboo mats.
You can buy spring roll wrappers at you local Asian market. When making spring rolls, make sure to soak them one at a time (usually 20-30 seconds). Don’t oversoak them or they will become too soft and unusable.
Spring roll wrappers have a slightly chewy texture and are translucent, making for a colorful presentation. They can also be a good choice for people on gluten-free diets. Just make sure to check the ingredient list–some contain wheat flour, while others do not.
Spring roll wrappers can be used for a wide variety of fillings. Be inventive and use your imagination.
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Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Print recipe
| Serves | Makes 8 Spring Rolls |
| Region | Vietnamese |
| From magazine | Slightly Adapted, Everyday Food, July 2010 |
Ingredients
- 1 package (4 oz) vermicelli rice noodles
- 8 ½ in (22 cm) spring roll wrappers (rice paper)
- ½ pound medium shrimp (peeled, deveined, cooked, then halved lengthwise)
- ½ cup mint leaves (fresh)
- 1½ cups carrots (cut into matchsticks)
- 1 bunch chives
- ½ cup natural creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup warm water
- ⅛ cup lime juice (1 lime)
- 1 tablespoon tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon tablespoon sugar
- ¼ chopped roasted peanuts (optional)
- ½ cup hoisin
- 1 tablespoon chili sauce (such as sambal oelek)
- 2 teaspoons teaspoon rice vinegar
- ¼ cup water
Directions
| Vietnamese Spring Rolls | |
| Step 1 | |
| Pour boiling water over vermicelli rice noodles and soak 15 minutes. Drain and rinse. | |
| Step 2 | |
| Fill a rimmed baking sheet with cool water. Working with one 8 ½ inch spring-roll wrapper at a time, soak until pliable, 20 seconds. Transfer to a flat surface and smooth. | |
| Step 3 | |
| Place a layer of shrimp (bright side down), followed by mint leaves, carrots and chives, on bottom third of wrapper, leaving a 1 ½ inch border. Top with a portion of noodles and another layer of fillings. | |
| Step 4 | |
| Fold bottom of wrapper tightly over fillings. | |
| Step 5 | |
| Roll over once, tuck in sides, and finish rolling. Transfer roll to a serving plate. Repeat to make 8 spring rolls. Serve immediately with dipping sauces, or refrigerate, up to 2 hours. | |
| Peanut Sauce | |
| Step 6 | |
| In a medium bowl or food processor, whisk together peanut butter and water until smooth. Whisk in lime juice, soy sauce, and sugar. Sprinkle peanuts over sauce just before serving. | |
| Spicy Hoisin Sauce | |
| Step 7 | |
| In a small bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, chili sauce, vinegar, and water until smooth. | |
the hoisin sauce is Delicious and the spring rolls are very appealing to the eye. This recipe is a great thing to make with kids because the will have fun stuffing the spring rolls. Great Job.
I love hoisin!! It is one of my favorite sauces of all time and I totally agree that kids would have fun with this recipe. Thank you for your compliments; it means a lot.
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We made these last week. Everyone enjoyed creating their own combination of ingredients. Great recipe!
That’s wonderful! I’m so glad you guys liked them.