May 22, 2024 This soft spring rolls are made in the Vietnamese style, served fresh without any cooking once fillings are added to the rice paper wrapper. They’re also often called summer rolls. Dunk them into some yummy peanut sauce and serve them as a pretty appetizer, light and healthy lunch or dinner option.
With a little practice, assembling spring rolls is quick and straightforward. They don’t require cooking (aside from preparing the fillings) and are a convenient option for a quick meal or snack. Rolling spring rolls are fun to make with friends and kids. What’s great about a “build-your-own” setup is that each person adds or omits ingredients. Rice paper wrappers are a great alternative to traditional wheat-based wraps for those with gluten sensitivities. They provide a similar texture without the gluten.
Ingredients
Round up these ingredients. Check out the recipe card for a complete list of what you’ll need.
Spring Rolls
Rice vermicelli noodles: These thin, delicate noodles are the base filling for the spring rolls, providing a light and slightly chewy texture. Rice paper wrappers: Translucent and slightly sticky when hydrated, these wrappers encase the fillings. They make the perfect spring roll wrapper for fresh spring rolls. Cooked shrimp: Adds a protein element with a mild, sweet flavor and firm texture. Choose plump, juicy shrimp. Peach or mango: These add a sweet, juicy contrast to the savory elements. Both fruits go well with the shrimp and herbs.
For Peanut Sauce
A batch of peanut sauce: Here’s my favorite easy peanut sauce recipe.
Optional
Crushed peanuts for garnish: Adds a crunchy texture and extra peanut flavor when sprinkled on top of the peanut sauce or inside the rolls—toast lightly.
Nut-free: If you’re avoiding nuts, substitute the peanut butter in the dipping sauce for tahini or sunflower seed butter. Vegetarian/vegan spring rolls: Use tofu instead of shrimp – choose firm or extra-firm tofu. Marinate and pan-fry the tofu to prepare it. Fruit swaps: If sweet fruit in a spring roll isn’t for you – try creamy avocado. For other sweet fruits, substitute the mango with pineapple or papaya. Extra texture: Use other veggies like carrots, cucumber, green onion, purple cabbage, red bell peppers, snap peas, and baby corn. Basically, anything you’d find in a stir-fry pack. These all add texture and color. Chicken spring rolls: Switch shrimp for poached chicken breast as a lean protein swap. Herb swaps: Try cilantro or basil instead of fresh mint. Rice vermicelli noodles: Use glass noodles or zucchini noodles or just pack the wrappers with lettuce, julienned cabbage and carrots. Rice paper wrappers: Use collard green leaves, cabbage leaves, or nori sheets instead.
Tools to Grab
Round up the following to make your rice paper spring roll recipe:
Pot: To cook the noodles in. Colander: To drain the vermicelli noodles. Shallow dish with warm water: To dip rice paper wrappers. Damp towel: Or paper towel, to keep wrappers moist as you assemble the spring rolls.
Cook the vermicelli noodles
Bring a pot of water to the boil and cook the rice noodles for 2-3 minutes. Next, drain and rinse the noodles with cold water. Set them aside to cool.
Soften the rice paper wrappers
To do this, dip one rice paper wrapper at a time into warm water for 8-10 seconds until it’s just pliable. The wrappers will continue to soften as you work, but the result should still be quite firm to the touch.
Fill and fold the wrappers
Lay the softened wrappers flat. In the center, place shrimp, peach slices, mint leaves, lettuce, and noodles. Fold the bottom edge over the filling, tuck in the sides, and roll tightly. The shrimp and mint leaves should pop out through the wrapper.
Arrange to serve
Arrange the rolls on a serving platter. Space them out to prevent sticking. Repeat with the remaining fresh spring rolls and serve them with peanut sauce. For the best taste and texture, these rolls should be eaten within 24 hours of being stored in a cool place. If you need to prepare the rolls a few hours before, cover them with a damp paper towel or cloth to prevent the wrappers from drying out. This will help maintain their soft texture. For storage up to 24 hours, place the rolls in an airtight container lined with a damp paper towel. Cover the rolls with another damp paper towel before sealing the container. Space them apart so they don’t stick together.
Freezing
These fresh spring rolls are not suitable for freezing.
Serve with a batch of peanut dipping sauce for dunking (of course!). Going with the trending social media recipe theme, serve them alongside my viral Tiktok sushi bake as the perfect partner.
Serve them as a starter at a summer bbq with grilled coconut salmon satay or spiced grilled pork tenderloin with peanut sauce and cucumber salad as the main dish.
Egg rolls, a platter of sushi, and some pot stickers together with these spring rolls make a delicious appetizer spread.
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