These #1Easy Vietnamese Shrimp Spring Rolls are delightful to behold and amazing to eat. When matched with a cool dip of Peanut Butter Sauce, well, they are simply delicious! In Vietnam, spring rolls are similar to what sandwiches are in the West—popular as stand-alone lunches or as dinner appetizers. These culinary beauties are filled with large cooked Shrimp, fresh Lettuce, whole Basil and Mint leaves, cold Rice Noodles, and many choices of vegetables, primarily Cucumbers and Carrots.
Your eyes will be as delighted as your stomach! Because of the see-through Rice Paper wrapping, the fresh ingredients are openly displayed. This see-before-taste experience heightens the flavors of this fresh, healthy, and stunning dish.
They are so much fun to make and a very pleasing to serve. It is their beauty, the “handwork,” and artful colors that never fail to impress. Okay, right, for those who have never created this dish, the rice paper takes a few attempts to master. But most of the problems come from either not having all the ingredients ready for assembly or from trying to over-pack the “sandwich.” Less is so much more in this case. Follow the examples in my video and you will quickly learn to make the most beautiful #1Easy Spring Rolls. Then you can eat them using forks, chopsticks, or your fingers.
You might also like my fresh, delicious and healthy Tasty Shrimp, Mango and Walnut Salad.
SHRIMP AND VEGETABLES
Recipes vary greatly according to tastes and what is in the house at the time! In this recipe, I use medium-large cooked Shrimp cut in half lengthwise. For the vegetables, I am using a blend of small (baby) Green and Red Oak Lettuce. These soft Leaves are colorful, add a variety of tastes, and are completely easy to roll because they help to prevent the rice paper from puncture and tearing by hard stems. I also use Cucumbers and Carrots that are cut into thin strips, or even julienned.
HERBS
For this—and most recipes I admit—my favorite choices are large and completely fresh Basil Leaves and Mint Leaves. Their colors and flavors are so pleasing against the pink shrimp, orange carrots, and light green cucumbers.
PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE
I like to use crunchy Peanut Butter which provides a small crisp texture that I prefer. Of course, you can use smooth Peanut Butter. It is important to use Hoisin Sauce, Lime Juice (or White Vinegar). If you are in a spicier mood, add Sriracha Chili Sauce, or almost any chili paste according to your taste.
INGREDIENTS:
These #1Easy Vietnamese Shrimp Spring Rolls are a perfect treat. You can match it with a small bowl of lobster soup (as in picture) and add in a nice glass of white wine for a wonderfully satisfying delight! You will quickly and completely fall in love with them. And you will be asked to make them again and again!
MORE VEGETARIAN RECIPES:
Easy and Healthy Tofu Broccoli Stir Fry
Korean-style Vegetable Pancakes
Thai Salmon Glass Noodle Salad
#1Easy Vietnamese Shrimp Spring Rolls
Ingredients
Spring Rolls
- 6 sheets medium round Rice Papers (22 cm)
- 9 large cooked Shrimp (cooked with Shells on then peeled) sliced in half
- 60 g / 2 oz dried Rice Noodles
- Red and Green Oak Lettuce Leaves (the “Baby” leaves are preferable)
- Half a Cucumber, cut into thin strips (6-8 cm long)
- 1 small Carrot, cut into very thin strips or julienned (6-8 cm long)
- AIOLI Sauce
- 18 large Fresh Basil Leaves
- 18 large Fresh Mint Leaves
Peanut Dipping Sauce
- 2 tbsp crunchy Peanut Butter (or smooth)
- 2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp Lime Juice (or White Vinegar)
- 1 tsp Sriracha Chili Sauce
- 1/3 cup / 80 ml Sweet Whole Milk
Instructions
- In a saucepan on medium-high heat, bring the water to boil. Add the Shrimp (with shells on) and cook for 5-6 minutes on medium heat. When nicely pink, quickly put the Shrimp in cold water to stop the cooking. When cool, remove the shells and slice the shrimp in half lengthwise (watch the video). Set aside.
- In the same saucepan on high heat, bring the water to boil and add in the Rice Noodles. Reduce heat to medium for about 5 minutes or until noodles are softened. Rinse the noodles in cold water and drain. Use a knife or kitchen scissors to cut them in smaller pieces. Set aside.
- Cut the Cucumber and Carrots into thin strips that are about 6-8 cm long. Set aside.
- Prepare the Peanut Dipping Sauce. In a large bowl, combine crunchy Peanut Butter, Hoisin Sauce, minced Garlic Cloves, Lime Juice, Milk, and Sriracha Chili Sauce. Use a fork to help mix all the ingredients until smooth. Set aside.
- Fill a large bowl or pan with room temperature water. Use a bowl or pan that is large enough to fit the whole rice paper.
- Prepare your countertop or a large cutting board by spreading some water on the surface to keep it wet. Take one piece of Rice Paper and dip it into the bowl/pan of water on both sides for a few seconds. Then place the rice paper on the cutting board.
- On the bottom third of the rice paper, place two green baby Oak Lettuce leaves in a line, topped by two red Oak Lettuce leaves. Put a small little-finger size of Rice Noodles in a line atop the Lettuce. Run some AIOLI Sauce along the top of the noodles.
- In the middle third of the rice paper, place 2 or 3 Cucumber strips along with 2 or 3 Carrot strips.
- On the upper third of the rice paper, make of row of 3 Shrimp halves with the pink side down. Place 2 or 3 Mint Leaves and Basil Leaves bright side down in between the Shrimp. You will have three lines of ingredients on the paper.
- Rolling! Start by folding the left and right edges of the rice paper to form straight sides. Then, from the bottom, pull the paper up slowly to cover the Lettuce and Noodles.
- Roll again to bring in the Cucumber and Carrots. Be gentle but firm!
- Roll again to fold in the Shrimp, Mint and Basil Leaves. Roll half a turn to see the pretty side up. You did it!
- Repeat the procedure for all the Spring Rolls. (For clearer instruction, watch the video. A picture is worth a thousand words in this case!).
- Serve with the Peanut Dipping Sauce.
Video
Notes
- To see exactly how I fold the Spring Rolls, please watch the clear video instruction.
- Never overload the rice paper with too many ingredients. Less is more!
- If you think one piece of rice paper is too easy to break, you can use two rice papers per roll. Rice paper comes in varying thicknesses, but all of them work just fine.
- For the peanut dipping sauce, you can substitute Lime Juice with White Vinegar.
- Making a gorgeous Vietnamese Shrimp Spring Roll takes some practice, but this #1Easy method I show will speed you along to expert level.
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