Light, fresh, crunchy—yes please 🥬✨
Here’s a classic Vietnamese fresh spring roll (Gỏi cuốn) you can make at home.
Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls
Ingredients
- Rice paper wrappers
- Rice vermicelli noodles (bún), cooked & cooled
- Cooked shrimp (halved lengthwise) or tofu for veg
- Lettuce (butter or romaine)
- Fresh herbs: mint, cilantro, Thai basil (mint is non-negotiable IMO 😄)
- Cucumber or carrot, thinly sliced
How to roll
- Prep everything first – rolls go fast once you start.
- Soften rice paper
Dip one sheet in warm water for ~5 seconds. Lay flat on a damp surface. - Layer (bottom third of wrapper):
Lettuce → noodles → herbs → veg → shrimp/tofu. - Roll it up
Fold bottom over filling, tuck tight, fold sides in, then roll all the way up. - Repeat and cover finished rolls with a damp towel so they don’t dry out.
Peanut Dipping Sauce (the real star)
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- Splash of warm water
- Optional: chili garlic sauce or crushed peanuts
Warm, stir, taste, adjust. Done.
Tips
- Don’t overfill—tight rolls = pretty rolls
- If rice paper tears, double-wrap (very normal!)
- Best eaten fresh, but you can wrap them tightly and chill for a few hours
Want fried spring rolls (chả giò) instead, or a fully vegetarian version with flavor swaps?
