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Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

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Recreate your favorite Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Gỏi Cuốn) at home with this simple, easy to follow recipe.

This light and refreshing appetizer or side dish is made with shrimp, pork, fresh vegetables and herbs wrapped in spring roll wrappers and served with a simple, tangy peanut dipping sauce.

If you love Asian food as much as we do, then you must check out these recipes too! Everyone’s favorite Crab Rangoons, easy Egg Roll in a Bowl, and Crispy Pork Wontons!

Spring rolls laying on a wooden board with a diagonal cut half laying on top and a small bowl of peanut sauce in the background.

The term “summer rolls” or “salad rolls” is sometimes used interchangeably with spring rolls in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. They are not fried; instead, they are assembled with fresh ingredients and served cold or at room temperature with hoisin or peanut dipping sauce.

Fried spring rolls wrapped in a thin pastry wrapper made from wheat flour, which is then fried in oil until crispy and golden brown.

What you’ll need

Most ingredients can be found at your local grocery store, Asian grocery stores, or on Amazon. Contains sponsored/affiliate links

Homemade Spring Rolls

  • Rice paper sheets – 8.5-inches in diameter
  • Cooked and deveined shrimp split in half – large or medium
  • Fresh mint leaves
  • Romaine lettuce or any soft lettuce – thinly sliced or whole pieces that are about 5-inches long.
  • Thin rice vermicelli noodles cooked and drained
  • Bean sprouts
  • Fresh cilantro leaves
  • Large carrot peeled and julienned
  • Green onions – green parts only (sliced into thin strips)
  • Cooked pork sliced thin

Homemade Peanut Sauce

  • Natural peanut butter
  • Water
  • Hoisin sauce
  • Fresh lime juice
  • Soy sauce
  • Sugar
  • Chili paste
  • Fresh garlic pressed or finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Check out the printable recipe card below for the complete recipe and detailed instructions.

Several spring rolls laying on a wooden board with a cut roll resting on top.

How to make fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Start by getting all of your ingredients chopped, shredded and ready to roll.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls ingredients on a cutting board.

I cooked a pork chop and sliced it as thinly as possible. Then I boiled the shrimp in the noodle water after I removed the cooked noodles. Lay them on their sides and slice in half.

Fill a large bowl about half way full with warm water. Place one rice wrapper in the water and soak until softened and pliable, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Rice paper wrappers soaking in a large bowl of water.

Gently remove the sheet of rice paper wrapper and place on a flat work surface.

Soaked wrapper laying on a cutting board.

Place 3 mint springs and 3 shrimp halves on the top half of the wet rice paper wrapper.

Three shrimp and three mint leaves laying on the wrapper.

Next place shredded lettuce, bean sprouts, rice noodles, cilantro leaves, green onions, and 2 slices of pork on top of shrimp on the bottom of the wrapper.

Shredded lettuce, bean sprouts, rice noodles, cilantro leaves, green onions, and 2 slices of pork on top of shrimp.

Carefully roll the wrapper up over the filling, tucking in the sides around the filling as you roll.

Wrapper rolled over the ingredients.

Be careful not to overfill your rolls or they can burst. Set your finished spring roll aside and continue with remaining rolls.

To make the Peanut Sauce

Place all ingredients (except for the sesame oil) into a saucepan over medium-low heat.

Peanut butter, garlic, and remaining sauce ingredients in a saucepan.

Whisk to combine and heat until smooth and just beginning to simmer. Allow to cool slightly and serve your Vietnamese Spring Rolls with the Peanut Sauce.

A small bowl filled with Vietnamese peanut sauce with chopped peanuts sprinkled on top and surrounded by fresh spring rolls.

The peanut sauce that is served at Pho, the Vietnamese restaurant here in Cedar Rapids, is much thinner and tastes more like a spicy teriyaki sauce with chopped peanuts.

I went the other direction and made a thick sauce with peanut butter and less of a kick. This sauce was so good, that I ended up dipping crackers into it when I ran out of spring rolls!

Filling options

Spring rolls can be filled with a variety of ingredients, including cooked shrimp, boiled pork, shredded chicken, tofu, rice vermicelli noodles, lettuce, cucumber, carrots, mushroom, cabbage, bean sprouts, and fresh herbs like mint, cilantro, and Thai basil. Customize the fillings based on your own preferences.

How do I prevent the rice paper wrapper from tearing?

To prevent wrappers from tearing during assembly, make sure not to over-soak the wrappers in water, as they can become too soft and delicate. You want them to still be firm. Handle them gently when wrapping the fillings, and avoid overstuffing them.

Storage

Spring rolls can be made ahead of time, but it’s best to keep them in an airtight container with a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying out.

If you’re making them for a party or event, you can assemble them a few hours in advance and store them in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Tools used

Recipe inspiration

Way back in December I had major surgery and was pretty much unable to move for the first week. Thankfully my friend Sandy would show up with food, and check on me to make sure I was still breathing. I have a history of pharmaceutical allergies, and we were trying out a new pain killer….Dilaudid, a hard core narcotic.

On the 4th day post surgery, Sandy showed up with Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce from a restaurant on the other side of town, and I was hooked. I had never tried them before that night, and now I actually crave them. Who knew? On the 8th day post surgery, Sandy picked me up and we went to the restaurant for more spring rolls.

Driving 20 minutes each direction to pick up an order is kind of ridiculous, so I knew that I would need to learn how to make my own. They may not look as pretty as the restaurant version, but they are just as delicious!

Lots of protein and veggies wrapped into delicious little rolls. What could be better for you than that?

More delicious shrimp recipes

Check out all of our appetizer recipes in the archives!

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to see it!
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Enjoy!!

Spring rolls laying on a wooden board with a diagonal cut half laying on top and a small bowl of peanut sauce in the background.

Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Vietnamese Spring Rolls with shrimp, pork, and fresh vegetables served with tangy Peanut Sauce!
5 from 1 vote
Print Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Asian
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12 Rolls
Calories: 174kcal
Author: Lisa Johnson

Ingredients

For the Spring Rolls

  • 12 spring rolls wrappers
  • 18 cooked shrimp split in half
  • 36 fresh mint leaves
  • 4 ounces thin rice noodles cooked and drained
  • 4 ounces romaine lettuce thinly sliced
  • 0.5 package bean sprouts
  • 0.5 bunch fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 large carrot peeled and julliened
  • 3 green onions green parts only – sliced into thin strips
  • 4 ounces cooked pork sliced thin

For the Peanut Sauce

  • .25 cup natural peanut butter
  • 0.5 cup water
  • 3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon chili paste
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic pressed or finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions

  • Fill a large bowl about half way full with warm water. Place one rice wrapper in the water and soak until softened and pliable, about 3 to 5 minutes. You want it to still be firm, not too soft.
  • Gently remove the sheet of rice paper wrapper and place on a flat work surface.
  • Place 3 mint springs and 3 shrimp halves on the top half of the wet rice paper wrapper.
  • Next place shredded lettuce, bean sprouts, rice noodles, cilantro leaves, green onions, and 2 slices of pork on top of shrimp on the bottom of the wrapper.
  • Carefully roll the wrapper up over the filling, tucking in the sides around the filling as you roll. Continue rolling while squeezing the filling in tight.
  • Be careful not to overfill your rolls or they can burst. Set your finished spring roll aside and continue with remaining rolls.

To make the Peanut Sauce:

  • Place all ingredients (except for the sesame oil) into a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat whisking to combine until smooth and just beginning to simmer.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the sesame oil. Allow to cool slightly and serve

Notes

  • For a spicier sauce, increase the amount of chile paste that you add.
  • Spring rolls can be made ahead of time, but it’s best to keep them in an airtight container with a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying out. If you’re making them for a party or event, you can assemble them a few hours in advance and store them in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
  • Customize the fillings based on your own preferences.

Nutrition

Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 313mg | Potassium: 190mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2016IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg

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12 Comments

  1. I have been craving spring rolls for weeks now and I have been too lazy to make them! Ha! I should have just stopped by your house! 🙂 Pinned and scheduled a FB share!

  2. I love these! I don’t know where I first found them but I have always loved them and then I travelled to Vietnam and learnt about the peanut dipping sauce!
    Such a good combination!
    Stef

  3. Beautiful!! To be featured as most viewed this week at Treasure Box Tuesday!! We get started this coming Monday evening at 8:00 p.m. Central time! Thank you for linking up with us, Lisa! 🙂

  4. Hello beautiful! This looks so amazing. Pinned and tweeted. I hope to see you on Monday at 7pm because we love to party with you! Happy Memorial Day! Lou Lou Girls

  5. I started reading this post, and said to myself, “Is she talking about Dilaudid?” Crazy medication – my mom was on it for a short time a few months ago after a major surgery. She was so so loopy, but pain free. Anyways, this recipe looks fabulous and I can’t wait to try it (sans shrimp 🙁 darn shellfish allergies!) I featured your post this week at #FoodieFriDIY – thank you so much for participating!

  6. I love spring rolls. I’ve just learn how to make them and they taste delectable. I haven’t made a peanut sauce yet, so that’s definitely something to try making soon.

  7. Hi, the recipe worked and I thought the photos are good. It was my first time and I am happy with the result. My guests too and I had to make them again just the next day. Thanks for your work and sharing!
    I have replaced in some of the rolls the shrimp with chicken and I did not use the pork in any of the rolls. I also added Vietnamese Mint for added flavour. I did not warmup the sauce the second time round and found just whisking the sauce ingredients gave a better result. Thanks again for the encouragement to try something new!

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