The past few weeks, I kept coming across images of these Vietnamese Spring Rolls and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I found several recipes and figured out what I needed to put them together. So here we go…
Shopping for the specialty spring roll ingredients
I wasn’t sure where to start but chose the largest of the wrappers for the spring rolls to make rolling easier. Then I grabbed some glass noodles also known as cellophane noodles, vermicelli or bean thread noodles. The mung bean version is very high in plant-based protein and is also gluten-free.
Fresh vegetables to fill these spring rolls to the brim.
You can use all raw vegetables when you make these but I choose to parboil the carrots and the asparagus for a couple of minutes to soften them slightly. The next step is to simply cut all of the vegetables in thin strips approximately the same size. And finally, pop the shrimp into the water from the vegetables and you’re ready to do the fun part–rolling them up in the rice paper!
The last piece of this spring roll puzzle was the dipping sauce which is a crucial element, because the vegetables are not seasoned. I made two dipping sauces– a peanut sauce and a sesame soy sauce and both were fantastic!
Vietnamese Spring Rolls
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 large rolls 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
It’s like a fresh salad that you can eat with your hands.
Ingredients
Rolls
- 6 spring roll wrappers
- 4 ounces glass noodles
- 6 small pieces of butter lettuce
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 x 4-inch strips
- 1/2 cucumber cut into 1/4 x 4-inch strips
- 1/2 red bell pepper cut into 1/4-inch strips
- 6 asparagus
- 1 avocado
- 18 raw shrimp
Peanut Sauce
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Siracha
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Sesame Soy Sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons of garlic chili paste
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
Instructions
Prepping:
- Cut all vegetables into thin strips of similar size.
- Soak noodles in a large bowl of cold water for 30 minutes.
- Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan, then add the carrots and asparagus. Cook carrots for 2 minutes and asparagus for 3-4 minutes. Remove from water and rinse under cold water.
Putting it all together:
- Place water into a shallow pie tin or wide bowl – wide enough to place the wrap into flat.
- Follow instructions on package but the wraps I used soaked for approximately 30 seconds.
- Remove from water and place onto a damp smooth kitchen towel and blot the water.
- Place a piece of lettuce on the bottom third of the wrapper, leaving 1-inch of wrapper at the bottom then place a couple carrots, cucumbers, bell pepper, 1 asparagus and 2 small pieces of avocado in a small pile on the lettuce then lay 3 shrimp at the top of the pile of vegetables.
Folding:
- Fold up bottom of wrapper on top of veggies then fold in the 2 sides and continue to gently roll to the top. Place finished roll on a plate.
Sauces:
Sesame Soy Sauce
- Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, sprinkle thinly sliced scallions and red pepper on top.
Peanut Sauce
-
- Mix all ingredients in a food processor or mix together in a bowl.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Healthy
- Method: Cut and chop
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
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