Fresh Spring Rolls
Updated
Updated
Restaurant-quality Vietnamese Spring Rolls easily made at home! I’ve combined fresh vegetables, herbs, and plump shrimp for a flavor-packed roll with bright, refreshing flavors. These are so delicious, healthy, and pretty! Follow the video and step-by-step instructions on how to properly build and roll them—it’s easier than you might think.
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Easy Fresh Spring Rolls Recipe
These fresh Vietnamese spring rolls are a feast for the eyes and taste buds, and something I crave all spring and summer long when I want food that is fresh, crisp, and light.
According to my dear Vietnamese friend, Lin, fresh spring rolls, summer rolls, salad rolls, and Vietnamese spring rolls are all the same thing. They’re of Vietnamese origin and usually consist of fresh vegetables, herbs, rice noodles, and shrimp, wrapped in translucent rice paper and served cold with a dipping sauce. Not to be confused with Chinese spring rolls or egg rolls, which use a different type of wrapper and are deep-fried.
Lightly flavored, accented by fresh herbs, with a satisfying crunch from raw vegetables, I like to pair these spring rolls with a dipping sauce like sweet chili, peanut, or hoisin. I’ve included my favorite fillings, but these rolls are easily adaptable to your own tastes and what you have on hand.
Fresh Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 15 medium shrimp, (21-25 count), in shell, thawed if frozen
- 10 (8½ inch) round rice paper wrappers, have extra in case they tear
- 5 green leaf lettuce leaves, thick stem ends removed, torn in half, butter lettuce also works
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 20 fresh mint leaves
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
- 1 small red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, cut into long matchsticks
- ½ English cucumber, seeded and cut into long matchsticks
- 1 medium avocado, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- sweet chili sauce, for dipping
- peanut sauce, for dipping
Peanut Sauce (optional)
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 4 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp chili garlic sauce, or more to taste
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
- 2-3 tbsp water, whisked to desired consistency
Instructions
- Prepare the Shrimp: Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan or small pot. Add shrimp and cook for 1½ to 2 minutes until they are pink and opaque. Drain and cool in the refrigerator. Once cool, peel off the shells. Lay shrimp flat on a cutting board; gently press down with one hand and use the other hand to slice the shrimp in half, horizontally (knife parallel to the board). Repeat with the remaining shrimp. Set aside. (You can buy pre-cooked shrimp and thaw them to save a step, but they won't be as fresh or as vibrant in color.)
- Fill a pie plate or large shallow bowl with cool water. Working one at a time, immerse rice paper in the water for 10-15 seconds, gently shake off any excess liquid and transfer to a damp dish towel or damp cutting board. (The rice paper may still seem stiff, however, it will become pliable as you build each roll. Don’t soak longer than 15 seconds because it will be harder to work with.)
- Lay one piece of lettuce over the bottom third of the rice paper. On top of the lettuce, place basil, mint, and cilantro. Top with carrots, cabbage, bell pepper, cucumber, and avocado; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Tightly roll up the paper halfway into a cylinder over the filling.
- Lay 3 shrimp halves, cut side up, along the crease.
- Fold in the sides like an envelope/burrito and keep rolling the paper into a tight cylinder to seal. (Be careful not to tear the rice paper.)
- Transfer to a plate, seam side down, cover with damp paper towels. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
- Serve immediately with sweet chili sauce and peanut sauce for dipping, if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make Spring Rolls Step by Step
Gather your ingredients and set up a clean work station: Brush some water over a cutting board or lay a clean, damp (lint-free) towel down on the work surface.
Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan or small pot. Add the shrimp and cook for 1½ to 2 minutes until they are pink and opaque. Drain and cool in the refrigerator.
Once the shrimp have cooled, peel off the shells. Lay each shrimp flat on a cutting board; gently press down with one hand and use the other hand to slice the shrimp in half, horizontally.
Dip the rice paper in water: Fill a pie plate or large shallow bowl with cool water. Working one at a time, immerse the rice paper in the water for 10-15 seconds, gently shake off any excess liquid as you lift it out of the water. It may seem stiff; however, it will become pliable as you build each roll. Don’t soak the rice paper for too long, or it will be harder to work with and can tear.
Add the filling: Take one piece of lettuce and lay it over one third of the rice paper.
Place basil, mint, and cilantro over the lettuce. Top with carrots, cabbage, bell pepper, cucumber, and avocado; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Add shrimp and roll up: Roll the rice paper halfway into a cylinder, covering the lettuce and veggies. Lay 3 shrimp halves, cut side up, along the crease.
Fold the sides like an envelope/burrito and keep rolling the paper into a tight cylinder to seal. Roll gently to not tear the rice paper.) It’s okay if the rice paper is sticky; this will seal everything together.
Serve: Serve with the dipping sauce and enjoy.
What to Serve With Fresh Springs Rolls
I like to serve these little gems as an impressive appetizer, or a light lunch, or dinner, along with a steaming hot bowl of chicken vegetable miso soup, hearty moo shu pork, and a side of easy fried rice for a well-rounded Asian-inspired meal.
How to Store
For optimal texture and appearance, fresh spring rolls are best eaten right away. If I’m not serving them for a couple of hours, I’ll place them on plates (not paper plates), then cover with plastic wrap or a lightly damp towel and leave them out at room temperature so they stay soft. Refrigeration tends to harden the rolls, making them prone to tearing and difficult to chew.
If you absolutely can’t serve them the same day, they should be wrapped individually in plastic wrap, which does help keep them from drying out and sticking to one another, so don’t skip it. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight.
Other Asian Inspired Recipes
- Turon (Banana Spring Rolls)
- Egg Rolls (air fryer)
- Yum Yum Sauce
- Filipino pancit (Stir fried noodles)
- Lumpia (Fried Filipino Spring Rolls)
I’ll do a recipe like this again the next time I make these. Delicious
I love this recipe ! Best peanut sauce
Tonight’s addition to dinner. So easy to make and absolutely delicious
I like to use a sheet of parchment under the rice wrapper while rolling it because it tends to stick to the board. Lifting it by the parchment makes it less likely to tear.
These are wonderful! I opted to just buy pre-cooked shrimp and defrost. Didn’t change anything else. Thank you for the visual instruction – so helpful. Served with the peanut sauce and they were gone in a flash. Next time I will double the recipe.