Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls Recipe
Look no further than these Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls for a super healthy, fresh, and fun appetizer. You will learn a few tricks to easily roll veggies, herbs, boiled shrimp, and vermicelli noodles in delicate rice paper.
Ingredients
Spring Rolls
- ½ bunch cilantro stems removed
- 1 oz. basil sweet or Thai, stems removed
- 1 lb. boiled shrimp 36/40 count, peeled and deveined
- 4 oz. 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 Tbsp. soy sauce Tamari or gluten-free
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar honey or coconut sugar
- 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar or lime juice
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- ½-1 tsp. Sriracha sauce to taste
- 3-6 Tbsp warm water
Instructions
Preparing the Rice Paper:
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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.
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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.
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Remove the paper from the water and place it on a plastic cutting board.
Making Spring Rolls:
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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.
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Fold over the bottom edge of the rice paper that is closest to you to cover up the ingredients.
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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.
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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:
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Add all ingredients, except for the water, to a medium-sized bowl.
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Whisk until well smooth and well combined.
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Slowly add in warm water 1 tablespoon at a time to help thin it out.
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3-6 tablespoons of water should get it to be a good dipping consistency.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Meal Prep and Storage
- How to prep ahead of time: Fresh spring rolls are best when served immediately after making. You can even put your guests to work and teach them how to roll up their own! Chop the fresh vegetables, remove the herb leaves from the stems, boil the shrimp, and make the peanut sauce up to 1 day before preparing. On the day of serving, boil the vermicelli noodles and wrap the ingredients in rice paper.
- How to store: Place fresh spring rolls in an airtight container and store them for up to 1-2 days. After a day, the rice paper will begin to harden on the outside and lose its soft texture.
- How to freeze: Freezing is not recommended.