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.

Related Posts
Vietnamese Rice Noodles with Peanut-Lime Chicken and Herbs
Pomelo Salad with Shrimp and Chicken
Grilled Shrimp Tofu and Pineapple Salad


51 comments:

  1. I love these delightful spring rolls with peanut sauce!

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  2. These look yummy, I have never taste them, but I am pretty sure the taste GREAT. I also like the fact that it has cilantro.

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  3. I love that you made these -I really want to try soon!

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  4. Christine, these are works of art. They could be on a magazine cover they are so gorgeous.
    Sam

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  5. Hey Christine, this guide is so nice. I love spring rolls. Now if only I could find some rice paper around here!

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  6. Oh my...how I love spring rolls! So good!...mmm! Have a wonderful day Christine!

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  7. What gorgeous bundles of flavor - these are beautiful, Christine! I'm going to have to give these a try.

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  8. Your spring rolls look terrific and sound so refreshing with cucumber, mint, and cilantro!

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  9. I've always wanted to make spring rolls. I love the way the ingredients peek out from underneath the rice wrappers.

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  10. I'm sure you knew I'd be hooked as soon as I saw peanut sauce! These are going on the summer menu. Imminently.

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  11. These look great, I love that you can see the shrimp through the wrapping.

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  12. These look divine! I am loving all the color and ingredients that went towards making such refreshing rolls. Enjoy!

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  13. oooh, these look so pretty! Just perfect. When I have tried my hand at these, they come out ... rather deformed, to put it mildly. And you are right - it's best to make a lot, these are hard to stop eating once you start.

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  14. Love the spring rolls!!! I have always preferred these fresh ones to the deep fried ones! :) perfect for the weather too...

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  15. I love fresh spring rolls like these. I use avocado instead of the shrimp, just because I don't eat shrimp. They do look nice with it though! Perfect for summer days!

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  16. These are so delicious, easy to make and light! Love them. I love your photo, you make them look so appetizing! I just want to have some right now.

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  17. I love spring rolls and these look absolutely beauty Christine! xx gloria

    Love the picture!

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  18. Your spring rolls really do sing spring on a plate- they are drop-dead gorgeous. My entire family is coveting them!

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  19. wow,look fabulous!terrific colors!

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  20. What a lovely meal that makes.

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  21. Oh my goodness, I love Spring Rolls! I've never had them with Shrimp in them, but I bet it's wonderful.

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  22. I too love summer rolls like these beautiful fresh ones! Getting so hungry right now (especially since I'm at the airport overlooking a beautiful summer's day without these rolls!) =)

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  23. I'd have to agree with you about versatile they are. All-Clad - I'm drooling!

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  24. Oh these look delish! Thanks for sharing:)

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  25. I'm bookmarking this recipe right now. These sound delightful for a hot summer day. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

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  26. Oh those look fantastically cool and refreshing Christine! Yowser!

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  27. These are one of my favourite summer dishes, and yours look gorgeous!

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  28. Ah... cool, refreshing, flavorful . It has been SO hot here this weekend -- I have almost forgotten it's june in the last week or two -- that I don't want to do anything that involves turning on the stove.

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  29. Oh my, I love Vietnamese shrimp rolls. These look so tasty and amazing. Thanks so much for sharig and reminding us that they're the perfect snack for summer.

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  30. THAT is exactly what I'm craving for now. And please get me gallons of sauce!

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  31. These are so fresh, healthy and delicious looking! Such a great snack to have on hand!

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  32. A perfect summer recipe. So much better than deep fried!

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  33. Good looking rice paper rolls! I can see how fresh the prawns are!.

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  34. Many thanks for this lovely recipe. I love spring rolls, especially with peanut sauce. These will be on my menu often this summer.

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  35. Absolutely gorgeous - they're on my list to make and now seeing yours makes me want to make them sooN!

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  36. I really enjoy spring rolls!! I'm using this recipe for sure :D

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  37. These are a favorite of mine too but I've never dove in & made them myself

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  38. These are about one of my favorite things to eat in all of the world! So refreshing on a hot day!

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  39. Yum yum! I made a version of these a week ago - they were gone way too fast! I love these during the summer - such fresh, cool, refreshing flavors!

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  40. Ahhhh!!! Looks delicious!

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  41. My mom loved having interactive dinners and we had Vietnamese spring rolls often in the summer! We always used a Japanese store brought peanut sauce but I will have to try this one and share with my mom!

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  42. These are our favorites. We served them at our last Sunken City Supper Club event, and were a big hit.

    Your photos are awesome. You definitely take the recipe to the next level Christine!
    LL

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  43. I love these rolls! I can eat about a dozen of those :) I am drooling here!

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  44. Your rolls are some of the prettiest I've seen--so generously filled and colorful. Your recipe is very similar to mine; sometimes I put in julienned strips of papaya or jicama, dipped in a little rice wine vinegar marinade.

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  45. Such a great go-to recipe for the hot weather. The peanut sauce looks delectable! ;-)

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  46. Love vietnamese food! And fresh spring rolls.

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  47. So light and bright, perfect for the hot weather.
    Mimi

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  48. This is great I can not believe I found it on Pinterest. I have enjoyed these for years!!!

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