Vietnamese Shrimp Spring Rolls Recipe

Versatile, refreshing and satisfying, Vietnamese Spring rolls are one of my favorite summer recipes.  The combination of fresh crisp vegetables, comforting rice noodles, and fresh brightly flavored herbs all bundled into a cold roll makes this an ideal healthy recipe to keep in the refrigerator for an appetizer.  This recipe is meant to be a guide as to the amount of a certain ingredient you add in the roll, your taste should dictate the ratio.  Also, the ingredients substitute well in this recipe, the key is simply to bundle together a good combination.

Vietnamese Shrimp Spring Rolls Recipe

Traditionally Vietnamese Spring rolls are served with either a fish sauce dressing, hoisin or peanut sauce.  Although these rolls are quite good plain, I added sauce recipes below to serve along side, if you wish.  

• a small handful of dry rice vermicelli
• 10 large cooked shrimp - peeled, deveined and sliced in half cross-wise
• 1 cup cooked chicken meat, shredded in bite-size pieces (optional)
• 3/4 cup carrots, finely julienned or shredded
• 1/2 cup cucumber, preferably Persian or kirby, finely julienned
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, sliced thinly
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, sliced thinly
• 6 tender leaves of butter lettuce or 1 cup of baby lettuce leaves
• 8-10 rice wrappers (8.5 inch diameter)

Method

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Boil rice vermicelli 4 to 5 minutes, or until al dente to tender.  Drain, rinse starch off with cold water, and drain again.
2. Have a large cutting board out. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Take one rice wrapper and dip it into cold water just long enough to get it submerged completely, but don't keep the rice paper in the water too otherwise it will disintegrate into a pasty mess. 
3. Lay wrapper flat on the cutting board, wait roughly 20-30 seconds for the wrapper to soften. In the lower third half of the rice wrapper, stack ingredients in a horizontal row across. First, place 2 shrimp halves, then roughly 1/4 cup of vermicelli, 1-2 tablespoons chicken (if using), roughly 1-2 tablespoons carrots, 1 tablespoon cucumbers, 1/2 teaspoon mint, 1/2 teaspoon cilantro and 1/4  of a butter lettuce leaf torn (with hard stem removed) or 2-3 baby lettuce leaves. Leave roughly 2 inches uncovered on each side. Fold uncovered sides inward, then tightly roll the wrapper, beginning at the end with the lettuce. 
4. Repeat with remaining ingredients.  The rolls dry out fairly quickly, so you'll want to place each roll into a covered storage container as you work.

Serve with one or more of the following sauces.

Fish Sauce Dressing 
This is the traditional sauce that is served with Vietnamese spring rolls

(from Viet World Kitchen, Andrea Nguyen)

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 generous teaspoon Vietnamese chile garlic sauce

Method

Combine fish sauce, lime juice, water, sugar and chile garlic sauce in a small bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar. Serve in a small bowl.

Peanut Sauce

(from All Recipes)

• 1 teaspoon peanut oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
• 2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice

Method

Heat the peanut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in shallots, garlic, ginger, and chile peppers. Cook and stir until the shallot begins to turn golden brown, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and stir in peanut butter, coconut milk, soy sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice until blended. Simmer very gently for 10 minutes, then remove from heat and transfer into a medium bowl.

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