Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls are perfect summer food that’s made with fresh crunchy vegetables, soft vermicelli noodles, and cooked shrimp. These homemade rolls are so light and refreshing yet the noodles still give it just enough filling to keep you satisfied. It’s a great healthy option that you can easily make at home using all of your favorite ingredients.
This Vietnamese Spring Roll recipe can be eaten as an appetizer or a full meal. There are many options for the dipping sauces, but for my recipe, I have a quick version of a sweet chili dipping sauce that I often use especially if I’m crunched for time.
What are the Best Spring Rolls Ingredients?
The beauty of this Vietnamese Spring Roll recipe is the versatility of it using a few ingredients you can find mostly at a regular grocery store. With Spring Rolls, you can easily adapt the ingredients for your vegetarian friends. You can easily make vegetable spring rolls! For my recipe, though, I use shrimp with fresh vegetables and lightly seasoned vermicelli noodles to complete my perfect summer rolls.
Options for Spring Roll Fillings:
- Grilled pork, beef, chicken, shrimp
- Roasted chicken, turkey, or ham
- Cooked tofu, tempeh, or seitan
- Sashimi
- Avocado
- Vegetables-carrots, zucchini,
- Fruits-apple, kiwis, pears, peaches, any fruit that you can slice thin and long
- Edible flowers- (make sure they are edibles before eating!) (:
My go-to ingredients for my Vietnamese Spring rolls are in the picture above. Those are cooked thin rice vermicelli noodles, cucumber, carrots, bean sprouts, romaine or butter lettuce, Thai basil, mint, cilantro, and cooked shrimp. These items can be easily substituted or omitted if you do not like them. So play around with what tastes good to you!
My favorite brands of vermicelli noodles are pictured below. I buy them from my local Asian market. Try to pick the thinnest noodles if possible as they are less chewy tasting when used in Spring rolls.
Are Vietnamese Spring Rolls Healthy?
Yes, Spring Rolls are healthy! Most of it. All the fresh vegetables and minimal usage of oil and sugar make Vietnamese a great healthy option for a light and refreshing meal. The Spring Roll wrappers and cooked vermicelli noodles are made from rice flour and have carbs in them, but it has a small amount that keeps you satisfied but is not overly full like a heavy rice dish. You can always omit the noodles and just fill up your rolls with all vegetables and shrimp if desired!
Just be mindful of the delicious dipping sauce, though as those can pack some hidden calories in there.
What is the Difference Between Egg Rolls and Spring Rolls?
Egg rolls and Spring rolls use very similar ingredients, and it’s easy to confuse them if you are unfamiliar with them. The difference between egg rolls and spring rolls is that egg rolls are deep-fried while Spring Rolls are not and can be eaten mostly raw. Think of it this way, “Spring” Rolls equals fresh and light, while “Egg” Rolls need to be cooked before eating. Granted, the protein used in Spring rolls needs cooking too, but it’s usually boiled, steamed, or grilled.
Sweet Dipping Sauce for Summer Rolls
There are many versions of dipping sauces for Spring rolls. Some use peanut sauce, some with fish sauce and lime juice, some with hoisin sauce, and some are eaten plain! The options are many, but my quick go-to sauce is the Sweet dipping sauce pre-made in a glass bottle, but I jazz it up a bit with my twist. I add chopped cilantro, carrots, rice wine vinegar or lime juice, and some water, and I’m set. Here is my favorite brand of sweet chili sauce for my Vietnamese Spring Rolls.
How to Make Spring Rolls from Scratch?
Vietnamese Spring Rolls take a little time to gather ingredients, prep and assemble, but once all those steps are done, you can usually put a few pieces together pretty quickly. You need a flat surface to place all the ingredients nearby to help make the rolls quicker. I normally have two large dinner plates next to each other for my spring rolls. I use one plate to wrap the rolls and one to place the finished ones on. Have a roll of paper towels handy- dampen the towel just enough to cover the finished rolls, so they don’t dry out too quickly while rolling the rest. You’ll also need a large bowl of warm water to dip the spring roll wrappers in to soften the texture for rolling. Have your ingredients on one large platter nearby for quick reach, and you’ll be ready to start!
That's it for how to make Vietnamese Spring Rolls! They are perfect as appetizers for dinner parties, a potluck, or any gatherings at any time of the year. The problem is that they are so good that your guests may not have room for the main course. (:
Let’s grab these ingredients for my Vietnamese Spring Rolls recipe and get ready to have a new favorite appetizer!
Related Thai Summer Recipes You'll Love
- Thai Glass Noodle Salad with shrimp
- Thai Shrimp Cakes
- Son-in-Law-Egg-Recipe
- Nam Tok Beef Waterfall Salad
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PrintVietnamese Spring Rolls Recipe
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
- Diet: Low Fat
Description
Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls are perfect summer food with fresh crunchy vegetables, soft vermicelli noodles, and cooked shrimp. These homemade rolls are so light and refreshing yet the noodles still give it just enough filling to keep you satisfied. It’s a great healthy option that you can easily make at home using all of your favorite ingredients.
Ingredients
For the Spring Rolls
- 1 packet of vermicelli noodles
- 1 Tbsp salt
- ½ tsp fish sauce
- ½ tsp lime juice
- 1 lb cooked shrimp
- 1 Tbsp salt
- ½ tsp fish sauce
- ½ tsp lime juice
- 10-15 large spring roll wrappers
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 2 cucumbers (Persian, pickling, or English cucumbers are best)
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- 15-20 sprigs of cilantro (leave long, 3-4 inches)
- 20-30 leaves of fresh mint leaves
- 20-30 leaves of Thai basil
- 2 cups romaine lettuce (chopped in salad bite-size pieces)
For the Dipping Sauce
- 1 cup of sweet chili sauce
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar or lime juice
- 2 Tbsp minced cilantro
- 2 Tbsp carrots, diced
Instructions
- Make the Dipping Sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve with spring rolls.
- Cook the Noodles. Cook the noodles as instructed on the package. One step I add to this is to add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water to help season the noodles just a tiny bit. After draining, place noodles in a bowl and season with 1 ½ teaspoon fish sauce and ½ teaspoon lime juice. Let sit to cool until ready to wrap the spring rolls.
- Cook the Shrimp. Cook the Shrimp, let cool and slice the shrimp in half pieces. Season the shrimp with ½ teaspoon fish sauce and lime juice, and set aside until ready to wrap the spring rolls.
- Prep the Vegetables and FillingsWash, cut all vegetables into long matchstick-size pieces around 3-4 inches each,h and set them aside in separate piles next to each other.
- Place all ingredients on one large platter within reach.
- Fill up a large bowl with warm water, not boiling water. Dip the wrapper in the warm bowl of water for 10-15 seconds to open the packet of spring roll wrappers and work with one piece at a time. Make sure to submerge all of the wrappers in water. Note: Be sure to not let the wrapper stay too long in the water as it will get too soft and mushy and will be hard to work with. Stay on the al dente side as the wet wrappers will continue to soften after removing from the water.
- Add a small number of noodles (around the size of a small egg) and place them on the top of the wrapper closest to you. Roll the noodles into a small rectangular shape.
- Add the cucumber slices to either side of the noodles (to keep the noodles in place). Then add 2-3 pieces of the lettuce, bean sprouts, carrots, cilantro, mint, and whatever else you may like to add. Make sure to not overfill the rolls as they can break if too much is added.
- Roll the spring roll wrappers to cover the filling. Use your fingers from both hands to firmly hold the fillings in and roll the wrappers one more round. Fold in both edges, add 4 pieces of shrimp, firmly finish wrapping up the rest of the wrapper, and you should have your first spring roll wrapper done! Place your wrapped roll on the second platter and a damp paper towel over it to keep it from drying. Repeat the rest of the wrappers until done.
- After you finish wrapping the Spring Rolls, I like to cut mine in half with sharp kitchen scissors before serving. Place the cut rolls around the dipping sauce and pour a small amount of the sauce into each half and enjoy it fresh!
Notes
- Don’t be discouraged if the first few wrappers look immature-ish. It takes practice, and after a few rolls, you should feel comfortable wrapping them. You may rip some wrappers, and that’s ok. Just get a new one and start fresh. There are usually 25 wrappers in one packet. You will get a hold of the wrapping in no time at all.
- Spring Rolls are best eaten fresh. You can refrigerate and eat them for the next meal but I don’t recommend eating them as leftovers the next day at all. So roll your wrappers accordingly. They are amazing as party finger food. It’s a sure way to impress your guests if you bring a full platter or homemade fresh spring rolls to share!
- If using pre-cooked frozen shrimp, steam it for a few minutes until soft. Then let cool and slice the shrimp in half lengthwise.
- If using raw shrimp, boil a pot of water with 1 tablespoon of salt, with enough water to cover the shrimp. Add the raw shrimp and cook for 3-5 minutes. Turn off the heat and drain the water in a colander, let cool and slice the shrimp in half lengthwise.
- If shrimp has shells, peel the shells first before cooking. Then boil a pot of water with 1Tbsp of salt, with enough water to cover the shrimp, add the raw shrimp and cook for 3-5 minutes. Turn off the heat and drain the water in a colander. Let cool and slice the shrimp in half lengthwise.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
Keywords: Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Summer Rolls, Shrimp Spring Rolls, Vietnamese Spring Rolls Recipe, spring rolls
Summer doesn’t seem complete if these shrimp summer rolls aren’t made to enjoy with your friends and family. So get going with rounding up all your favorite vegetables, and let’s make some delicious rolls before the summer is over. Enjoy your delicious Shrimp Summer RollsLet me know how they turned out by leaving comments and a review below!
Amy
I love making these spring rolls! Not only because they’re so yummy, but it also reminds of when you taught me to make them years ago. Food for the body and soul!
★★★★★