The Best Vietnamese Spring Rolls With Easy Peanut Sauce Recipe

I’m finally sharing my Vietnamese Spring Rolls Recipe, packed with crisp vegetables and your choice of shrimp or pork, plus a quick peanut sauce that shows how the flavors come together.

I love when a Vietnamese Spring Rolls Recipe surprises me. These Best Vietnamese Spring Rolls are light but bold, and the rice paper wrappers crackle just enough while staying tender.

I usually stuff them with cooked large shrimp and a pile of crisp textures, and the whole thing makes me wish summer lasted forever. The Easy Peanut Sauce that comes with them tastes way more complicated than it actually is, sweet, salty, a little spicy.

I swear you’ll bring these to a party and everyone will ask how you did it, even if you kinda winged it.

Ingredients

• Thin chewy rice wraps, mostly carbs, gluten free, low fat
• Light noodles give carbs and energy, not very filling
• Shrimp adds protein and iodine, pork adds richer iron
• Leaves add crunch and fiber and keep rolls fresh
• Cool water rich veggie, crisp texture, low calories
• Sweet crunchy, full of beta carotene vitamin A good for eyes
• Herbs boost flavor, add vitamins, fresh bright taste
• Creamy peanut butter gives protein and healthy fats makes sauce richer
• Hoisin and soy give sweet salty umami, lime adds bright sour
• Crunchy roasted peanuts topping adds texture and extra peanut flavor

Ingredient Quantities

• Rice paper wrappers (bánh tráng), 12 to 16, 8-inch
• Rice vermicelli noodles, 4 oz (115 g), dried
• Cooked large shrimp, peeled and halved, about 12 to 16 (8 oz / 225 g)
• Or cooked pork loin or pork shoulder, thinly sliced, about 8 oz (225 g)
• Butter lettuce or romaine leaves, 8 to 12 leaves
• english cucumber, 1 small (or 1/2 large)
• Carrot, 1 medium
• Bean sprouts, 1 cup
• Fresh mint leaves, 1/2 cup loosely packed
• Fresh cilantro leaves, 1/2 cup loosely packed
• Thai basil leaves, 1/2 cup (optional)
• Scallions (green onions), 2
• Limes, 1 to 2 (for squeezing, optional)
• Creamy peanut butter, 1/2 cup (120 g)
• Hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons
• Soy sauce or tamari, 2 tablespoons
• Rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon
• Fresh lime juice, 1 tablespoon
• Garlic, 1 small clove
• Brown sugar or honey, 1 tablespoon
• Chili garlic sauce or sriracha, 1 teaspoon (optional)
• Warm water, 2 to 4 tablespoons (to thin the sauce)
• Sesame oil, 1 teaspoon (optional)
• Fish sauce, 1 teaspoon (optional, for extra umami)
• Roasted peanuts, chopped, 2 tablespoons (for garnish)

How to Make this

1. Cook the rice vermicelli in boiling water 3 to 4 minutes until just tender, drain and rinse under cold water, toss with a tiny bit of oil so it wont stick and set aside.

2. Prep everything: julienne the cucumber and carrot, rinse and dry the lettuce leaves, bean sprouts, mint, cilantro and Thai basil (if using), thinly slice scallions, halve the cooked shrimp lengthwise or thinly slice the cooked pork, and cut limes into wedges.

3. Make the peanut sauce: in a bowl whisk together 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, 2 tbsp hoisin, 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp fresh lime juice, 1 small minced garlic clove, 1 tbsp brown sugar or honey, and 1 tsp chili garlic sauce or sriracha if you want heat. Stir in 1 to 4 tbsp warm water until the sauce is smooth and your preferred consistency. Stir in 1 tsp sesame oil and 1 tsp fish sauce if you want extra umami, then taste and adjust salt, lime or sugar. Top with chopped roasted peanuts for garnish.

4. Set up an assembly station: a shallow wide bowl of warm water for the rice papers, a clean damp towel on the counter, the fillings within reach and a plate for finished rolls.

5. Soften each rice paper by briefly dipping it into the warm water 4 to 8 seconds; hold it flat and dont soak it until mushy or it will tear. Lay the softened wrapper on the damp towel.

6. Assemble the roll: lay 1 lettuce leaf on the lower third of the wrapper, add a small handful of vermicelli, a few strips of cucumber and carrot, some bean sprouts, a few leaves of mint, cilantro and basil, a little scallion, and 2 shrimp halves (flat side down) or slices of pork on top. Squeeze a little lime over the fillings if you like. Dont overfill or the wrapper will split.

7. Roll it up: fold the bottom edge over the fillings, fold both sides in snugly, then roll away from you tightly to seal. If the edge wont stick, dab a little water to seal. Keep finished rolls under a damp towel so they dont dry out.

8. Serve with the peanut sauce in a bowl sprinkled with chopped roasted peanuts, extra herbs and lime wedges. Cut rolls in half if you want, and enjoy.

Equipment Needed

1. Large pot for boiling the rice vermicelli (3 to 4 minutes)
2. Fine mesh strainer or colander to drain and rinse the noodles
3. Shallow wide bowl for warm water to soften the rice papers
4. Clean damp kitchen towel to lay the softened wrappers on
5. Cutting board and a good chef knife for veggies, herbs and meat
6. Mixing bowl and a whisk or fork to make the peanut sauce
7. Measuring cups and spoons for the sauce ingredients
8. Plates or a tray for finished rolls plus a small serving bowl and spoon for the peanut sauce, and a pair of tongs or chopsticks to handle fillings

Youll be set with these.

FAQ

The Best Vietnamese Spring Rolls With Easy Peanut Sauce Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Rice paper wrappers: use large butter lettuce or romaine leaves for a fresh, low carb wrap, or lightly blanched collard or Swiss chard leaves if you want something sturdier, bean curd (tofu) sheets also work but you gotta quickly pan soften them.
• Shrimp or pork: swap for firm tofu (press and pan fry or bake), shredded rotisserie chicken for a fast swap, or marinated tempeh if you want more chew and flavor.
• Rice vermicelli noodles: sub with thin soba or udon for a different texture, or skip noodles and use spiralized cucumber/zucchini for a low carb crunch.
• Creamy peanut butter: use almond butter, tahini, or sunflower seed butter for peanut free option, and thin with warm water or a splash of soy/rice vinegar so the sauce stays dippable.

Pro Tips

1) Warm water and timing matter, dont soak the rice paper until mushy. Dip it just long enough so it bends, 3 to 8 seconds depending on your water temp. If one sticks to the bowl or gets gummy, lay it flat on the damp towel and work quick, and if it rips you can patch with a little piece of another softened wrapper.

2) Make the peanut sauce super smooth by blending it or whisking with very warm water, not cold. Heat it for 10 seconds in the microwave if it feels stiff, add lime or fish sauce a bit at a time till it sings, and save some chopped peanuts for texture at the end. Sauce keeps fine in the fridge for a few days so make ahead to save time.

3) Use the lettuce as a structural barrier inside the roll so juicy fillings wont sog the paper, and place shrimp halves cut side down on top so they show when you slice the roll. Dont overfill, if you cram it the wrapper will split, and for fragile rolls do a double-wrap by overlapping a second softened paper for extra strength.

4) Set up an assembly line and keep finished rolls under a damp towel so they dont dry out, and keep your fillings at room temp when rolling so the wrapper wont tighten or tear. For parties, arrange fillings in the order you add them to the wrapper, people move faster that way and you wont have a big pile of messy half-done rolls.