Fresh Vietnamese spring rolls are loaded with fresh herb flavour. Dip them in a salty, spicy, creamy peanut sauce and you have a match made in heaven.

Once you get the hang of making these you will want to make them again and again. They are seriously addictive.

Vietnamese spring rolls – fresh or fried?

This is a tough one. Fried are good. Really good. Crispy. Salty. Perfect for dipping into that wonderful nuoc cham sauce you see at every Vietnamese or Thai restaurant.

But they are real work. Deep frying is messy. And you can’t eat very many of them. They are pretty rich.

Vietnamese spring rolls with creamy peanut sauce. Fresh. Bright. Delicious. - 1

Fresh spring rolls are completely different. Clean tastes. Bright. Chewy not crunchy. Mint. Cilantro. Lettuce. And a crazy delicious peanut dipping sauce. They taste like summer.

Which is why they are actually called summer rolls. Or goi cuon in Vietnamese. Spring rolls are fried. Fresh rolls are summer rolls. There’s a bit of useless trivia you can trot out when you serve them.

I like both. It’s hard to choose. But if I had to I’d probably pick fresh. I love the texture. And I love peanut sauce.

Dipping a Vietnamese spring roll into peanut sauce. - 2 Dipping a Vietnamese spring roll into peanut sauce. - 3 Overhead view of Vietnamese spring rolls on a platter and plate. - 4

Vietnamese spring rolls with peanut sauce

Ingredients

vietnamese spring rolls

  • 12 rice paper sheets (8 1/2 inch diameter) - plus a few extra for practice
  • 3 oz rice vermicelli
  • 1/2 lb shrimp - 31-40 count - you need 18 shrimp total
  • leaf or boston lettuce - 12 small or 6 large leaves torn in half plus a few more for practice
  • mint
  • cilantro
  • julienned carrot and cucumber

peanut dippings sauce

  • 1/2 cup peanut butter - smooth
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp sriracha
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup water

Instructions

Make the peanut sauce

  • Combine all the ingredients in a small sauce pan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool. Yes, it’s that easy. Which is good because rolling spring rolls is a little more of a challenge.

Cook your shrimp

  • Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add a 1/2 tsp of salt. Drop your cold, thawed shrimp into the pot. Cover. Remove from heat. Let stand exactly 6 minutes.
  • While they stand prepare an ice bath. In a large bowl combine ice and water.
  • After 6 minutes drain the shrimp and plunge into cold water to stop them from continuing to cook.
  • Cut each shrimp in half lengthwise. Set aside.

Make the spring rolls

  • Do not overstuff your spring rolls. Just don’t do it. It will make you crazy. You don’t want them too thin but overstuffed is just a mess waiting to happen.
  • Place the rice vermicelli in a large bowl. Pour hot tap water overtop to completely submerge.
  • Let stand around 10 minutes or so. Check. You want them a little chewy but not hard. They are probably good to go at this point. If they aren’t let them soak another minute or two. Drain and rinse under cold water.
  • Prep your ingredients. Stem the mint leaves and cilantro. Have your lettuce and shrimp at hand. If you are using carrots or cucumbers keep them close as well.
  • Fill a large bowl with warm(almost hot) tap water. Not as hot as it goes but pretty warm.
  • You are making little rice paper burritos. Think about it like that. You want to be able to fold the ends over and then roll them up. Just like a burrito. You have to move fast. Make a couple practice rolls before you start adding the shrimp.
  • Put a lettuce leaf flat on a cutting board. Put a little rice vermicelli on top. Now add a few sprigs of cilantro (be generous) and roll it into a little lettuce cigar. You want it about 4-5 inches long. Set it to the side of the cutting board.
  • Top with julienned carrot and cucumber.
  • Dip a rice paper sheet in the warm water for about 2-3 seconds. It will still be firm but that’s OK. Lay it flat on a cutting board. Place a couple mint leaves about a 1/3 of the way down from the side furthest away from you. Arrange the shrimp around the mint. Make sure the cut side is up.
  • Place the lettuce cigar in the bottom third . Carefully peel up one side (your left or right) and fold it over the filling. Repeat on the other side.
  • Peel up the side closest to you. Place it overtop the lettuce wrap. Now roll the whole thing away you. Be careful. The rice paper sheet will be very soft by this point. You want to start fairly tight and then relax as you roll over the shrimp.
  • Do this without the shrimp a couple times. It will come. Just be patient and deliberate. Once you hit your rhythm start making them with shrimp.
  • Serve the rice rolls with the peanut sauce to dip or drizzle.

Notes

Nutrition

Saag aloo is a classic vegetarian dish. They serve it at just about every Indian restaurant around. Why not make it at home?

It’s not hard at all. If you are used to cooking in the Indian restaurant style that’s all over this blog it should be snap for you. If you are new to Indian restaurant style jump in. Once you get the hang of it you can make anything.

Saag aloo doesn’t have to be made with spinach

I know it seems that everyone makes it with spinach. I’m no different. I’ve used spinach in this saag aloo.

But saag refers to a number of leafy greens. It can mean spinach, or collard greens or mustard greens. Fresh methi leaves count too.

The word for spinach in Hindi is palak. So this dish is technically palak aloo. But I’m calling it saag aloo. And saying you can use whatever leafy green you want. Mustard greens is next for me. Can’t wait to try that.

Saag aloo is a delicious vegetarian spinach and potato curry. - 5 Saag aloo in a bowl surrounded by green chilies and parathas. - 6 Saag aloo in a bowl surrounded by green chilies and parathas. - 7