Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
One of my all-time favorite appetizers to order from my favorite Vietnamese restaurant (which is ironically called, Vietnam Restaurant!) is their Fresh Spring Rolls.
Not to mention that addictingly good, sweet, spicy, and a little tangy peanut butter dipping sauce.
It has been on my bucket list for a while to attempt this seemingly intimidating recipe at home.
And then a buddy of mine told me that he made his own spring rolls as a first date activity. *Hint, Hint to any of you fellows out there that might be reading this… Awesome. Date. Idea!!*
So, I finally attempted them at home. After a few very UGLY rolls, I finally figured out the method to the madness, which includes a few tricks for assembling the rolls so you don’t tear that delicate rice paper!
What is a spring roll?
Fresh spring rolls—also called summer rolls or Gỏi cuốn in Vietnamese—are light, simple wraps filled with fresh veggies, herbs, noodles, and sometimes shrimp, pork, or chicken. Unlike deep-fried egg rolls, these are served cold in rice paper and paired with peanut sauce, making them a fresh and nutritious appetizer.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Shrimp. Medium-sized shrimp that are about 35-40 count per pound are the best size to use. Also, look for ones that have already been peeled and deveined to save you a bit of time. You can choose to buy already-cooked shrimp or boil raw shrimp at home. You can leave these out if you are vegan or vegetarian.
- Fresh Herbs. A combination of cilantro and basil is used. Thai basil is preferred, but sweet basil will also work great.
- Raw Vegetables. Carrots, cucumber, and cabbage are thinly sliced and julienned. They add brilliant color and an excellent crunch.
- Vermicelli. Very thin rice noodles, called vermicelli, are cooked and then stuffed into the rolls to help bulk them up.
- Rice paper wrappers. These are typically made of rice flour, but you might find wheat flour ones. A larger rice paper that measures 22cm across are used to make these spring rolls. These are typically found in the Asian or Vietnamese section of your grocery store and can also be found online or in Asian markets.
Step-by-step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Prep the veggies.
Fresh veggies add color, crunch, and nutrition to spring rolls. Common fillings include carrots, cucumbers, and red cabbage. Use pre-cut matchstick carrots or julienne your own into ¼-inch thick strips.
For cucumbers, choose English seedless or remove seeds from a regular one, then cut into thin 3-4 inch strips—leave the peel on for extra texture. Red cabbage is a favorite for its vibrant color; slice into thin, ¼-inch wide strips until you have about 2 cups.
Prep the herbs.
After the veggies are prepped, you’ll want to grab ½ bunch of cilantro and about 1 oz. of basil.
Remove the basil and cilantro leaves from their stems.
Pro Tip: You can remove a lot of the cilantro leaves by lightly pulling on the leaves as you run your thumb and pointer finger down the main stem.
Boil the shrimp.
If you chose to buy raw shrimp, then you’ll need to boil them first before using.
Add 1 pound of shrimp to a medium to large-sized pot of boiling water. Cook shrimp for about 2-3 minutes, or until they’re opaque and their tails begin to curl.
Rinse the shrimp under cold, running water in a colander until they are cool to the touch.
Cook the noodles.
Cook vermicelli noodles just before assembling to prevent sticking. Soak 4 oz. noodles in boiled (but removed-from-heat) water for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse under cool water. Toss with a teaspoon of oil if needed to keep them from clumping.
Prepare the rice paper.
Once your fillings are ready, soften the spring roll wrappers just before rolling—one at a time. Fill a shallow dish (like a pie plate) with 1-2 inches of warm water. Dip one rice paper wrapper for 5 seconds—no longer—then place it on a plastic cutting board. It’ll soften as you add your fillings.
Pro Tip: Do NOT try rolling these up on a wooden cutting board. The rice paper will stick to the wood and end up tearing.
Assemble the spring rolls.
Prep your work surface with all ingredients nearby. In the center of the softened wrapper, layer cilantro, basil, 2-3 shrimp, ¼ cup noodles, and a few strips each of cucumber, carrots, and cabbage—just enough to roll easily without overfilling. Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, then fold in the sides like an open envelope.
Pro Tip: If you’re having trouble with the paper sticking to your hands, simply dip the tips of your fingers in the warm water. They should slide right over the rice paper now without sticking!
Finish rolling.
This is a little easier if you hold the paper with both hands. If it crinkles up a little bit, it’s totally okay! Just keep going.
Roll the rice paper and ingredients like a burrito, beginning from the side that is closest to you until it makes a tight spring roll.
Place the finished shrimp and vegetable spring rolls on a large plate in a single layer.
Make the peanut dipping sauce.
The sauce is made with peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, Sriracha, rice vinegar, garlic, and water—easy to find at any store. Whisk everything but the water in a bowl, then add warm water 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches a smooth, dippable consistency. You can also swap in sweet chili or chili garlic sauce if preferred.
FAQs
You can chop veggies, cook shrimp, and make the peanut sauce up to a day in advance. Just boil the noodles and wrap the rolls right before serving for the best texture.
Store them in an airtight container for up to 1-2 days, but note the rice paper will start to harden after a day. Freezing is not recommended.
Spring Rolls, sometimes called fresh summer rolls, are usually filled with a variety of fresh veggies, like cabbage, carrots, and cucumbers, vermicelli noodles, and often an added protein, like chicken, shrimp, or pork. These ingredients are rolled in a thin rice wrapper.
If your spring rolls are sticky, you might have let the rice paper sheets sit in the water too long. However, these are naturally sticky after being made, so be careful how you store them.
What to Serve with it?
This shrimp spring roll recipe is delicious with a variety of Asian-inspired dishes.
For some added flavor, try this Vietnamese Fish Dipping Sauce.
This Asian Cucumber Salad is a perfect side. Or, opt for these Sesame Noodles.
For a main dish, try this Teriyaki Salmon, Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry, Instant Pot Orange Chicken, or even General Tso’s Chicken.
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Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls Recipe
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Ingredients
Spring Rolls
- ½ bunch cilantro stems removed
- 1 ounce basil sweet or Thai, stems removed
- 1 pound boiled shrimp 36/40 count, peeled and deveined
- 4 ounces Vermicelli rice noodles cooked
- 2 cups matchstick carrots
- 1 large cucumber seeds removed, cut into 3-inch long ¼-inch strips
- 2 cups cabbage cut into 3-inch long slices
- 12 rice papers gluten-free
Peanut Dipping Sauce
- ½ cup peanut butter smooth
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce Tamari or gluten-free
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar honey or coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or lime juice
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- ½-1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce to taste
- 3-6 tablespoons warm water
Instructions
Preparing the Rice Paper:
- Fill a large shallow pan or dish with 1-2 inches of warm water. You’ll want the dish to be large enough to fit a piece of rice paper into it with a little wiggle room around the sides.
- Dip one piece of rice paper into the warm water and let soak for 5 seconds. And not a second longer! The paper will still fill a bit firm when you pull it out but it will continue to soften while you add your filling ingredients.12 rice papers
- Remove the paper from the water and place it on a plastic cutting board.
Making Spring Rolls:
- Add a tablespoon of cilantro, a few basil leaves, 2-3 shrimp, ¼ cup vermicelli noodles, 2-3 strips of cucumber, 1-2 Tbsp. carrots, and 1-2 tbsp. shredded cabbage to the middle of the rice paper. Place just enough of these ingredients into the roll without overfilling it. If you have too many ingredients you'll have a difficult time rolling it up.½ bunch cilantro, 1 ounce basil, 1 pound boiled shrimp, 4 ounces Vermicelli rice noodles, 2 cups matchstick carrots, 1 large cucumber, 2 cups cabbage
- Fold over the bottom edge of the rice paper that is closest to you to cover up the ingredients.
- Fold the right side of the paper over. And then fold the left side over. It should look like an opened envelope at this point. This is a little easier if you hold the paper with both hands. If it crinkles up a little bit, it's totally okay! Just keep going.
- Roll the rice paper and ingredients like a burrito beginning from the side that is closest to you until it makes a tight spring roll. Repeat with the remaining filling ingredients and rice paper until you have 12 spring rolls.
Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce:
- Add all ingredients, except for the water, to a medium-sized bowl.½ cup peanut butter, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 clove garlic crushed
- Whisk until well smooth and well combined.½-1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
- Slowly add in warm water 1 tablespoon at a time to help thin it out. 3-6 tablespoons of water should get it to be a good dipping consistency.3-6 tablespoons warm water
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Video
Notes
- Shrimp: Fresh, boiled shrimp is best.
- Herbs: Fresh cilantro and basil are key!
- Sauce: Creamy peanut butter gives the best consistency. Add enough water to your tastes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Finger Food Appetizer Ideas
Spring Rolls are perfect for an easy finger food, just like these other recipes.
Such delicious peanut dressing! I added a little lime and red hot pepper flakes for my own taste. This will definitely be my go to dressing going forward!
Thank you for posting a quite detailed article about the origin and how to make Gỏi cuốn (fresh spring roll or summer roll). However, I need to correct the information that Vietnamese people eat Gỏi cuốn (fresh spring roll or summer roll) all year round and Vietnamese people did not create Gỏi cuốn for any special occasion in the spring
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Will these spring rolls be ffreezable if I want to do them ahead of time?
I would not recommend freezing these. In fact, even if you refrigerate them for more than a day the rice paper ends up hardening up.
my family loved it and super easy!!
Hooray! So happy to hear you enjoyed this light and fresh recipe, Brittany! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
How long can these be made ahead, any thoughts? Looking to do these for my wedding, but day-of prep might be tough with everything else. Looks delicious, thanks for posting!
Hi JJ! These honestly will not be quite as good if made in advance as they are the day-of. The rice paper tends to get a little hard after refrigeration and the vegetables will not be quite as crisp. Maybe 24 hours in advance, tops? Would love to know if you try prepping them ahead of time and how it goes for you!
I have found that wrapping leftover spring rolls in Saranwrap is the best way to keep them fresh. In a container air gets in and dry spots appear pretty quickly. The plastic wrap keeps them for a couple of days.
Always better fresh but a few leftover will keep pretty well this way.
These look just like my favorite restaurant’s spring roll! Can’t wait to try them!
Can’t wait to hear what you think, Jess!!