Vietnamese Spring Roll or Gỏi Cuốn is a refreshing appetizer made up of shrimp, pork, thin rice vermicelli noodles, and an assortment of vegetables and Vietnamese herbs rolled in rice paper. Sometimes, it’s referred to as summer rolls.
They are served at room temperature with a side of peanut
dipping sauce or alternatively, Vietnamese fish sauce dipping sauce. They are a popular appetizer in Vietnamese cuisine, and they can also be enjoyed as a main course.
There are many Vietnamese restaurants around me that have spring rolls on the menu. However, I’m not a fan of restaurant spring rolls. They are usually filled with way too much noodles and bean sprouts.
They also come with a sad amount of diluted peanut sauce. I like my peanut sauce thick with lots of peanut flavor. There isn’t too much to the dish so the peanut sauce is important, and watery restaurant peanut sauce isn’t going to cut it.
Once you make this dish at home, you’d realize that it doesn’t take too much time to prepare, tastes delicious, and costs much less.
The great thing about this dish is that there’s very little cooking. Most of the time is spent washing and prepping the vegetables. In fact, this is the first dish I made when I moved out on my own with very little knowledge of Vietnamese cooking. If you can boil water, you can make this.
What You Will Need
Rice paper wrappers: These are the thin, translucent wrappers that Vietnamese spring rolls are made with.
They are dry and brittle when you buy them, but they become pliable when lightly wet. You can find them in the dried noodle aisle of most Asian grocery stores.
They come in squares and rounds, but I prefer the round rice paper wrappers. Round spring roll wrappers have less overlap on the ends of the spring rolls. Too much rice paper overlap can be gummy and chewy.
Thin dried rice vermicelli noodles: These are a type of rice noodle that is cooked until soft. You should be able to find them in the same aisle as the rice paper wrappers in most Asian grocery stores.
Large shrimp (size 21-25): Purchase large shrimp that have been peeled and deveined to save time. Boil them until they just turn color (opaque). Avoid overcooking as they will shrink too much and become rubbery.
You can also purchase cooked shrimp to save even more time.
Slice the shrimp in half down the spine so that they lay flat and thin for easy rolling.
Pork shoulder and pork belly: Pork belly is the more traditional cut, but you can use pork shoulder for a leaner version. Simply boil it on its own, or with smashed ginger and sliced shallots for a bit more fragrant, then slice thin.
Lettuce: A refreshing addition to Vietnamese spring rolls that everyone loves.
Optional vegetables and herbs: There are many different vegetables and herbs that can be added to Vietnamese spring rolls. These include but not limited to mint, perilla, sorrel, cilantro, garlic chives, bean sprouts and cucumbers.
Peanut dipping sauce: Peanut dipping sauce is a traditional accompaniment to Vietnamese spring rolls. Here is my homemade sauce recipe.
How to Wrap Fresh Spring Rolls
Step 1: Wet the rice paper.
Dip a rice paper wrapper in the warm water until all surfaces are wet. Quickly remove from water and lay the wrapper on a clean flat surface or large plate.
After a few seconds, the rice paper will become pliable and clear.
Step 2: Add Fillings
Add noodles, vegetables, and your favorite Vietnamese herbs (minus the garlic chives; that is added later) towards the bottom middle of the rice paper.
Step 3: Add protein.
Add pork belly and shrimp. Shrimp is placed towards the top of the rice paper so that it can be seen through the rice paper when rolled. This is for presentation-purpose only and optional.
Step 4: Folding
Fold in both sides, making sure the ends are straight.
Step 5: Add Garlic Chive (optional)
If you are using garlic chive, now is the time to add it across the center.
Step 6: Roll the spring roll.
Starting from the bottom, roll the wrapper up tightly. Continue rolling until the spring roll is sealed.
Repeat with the remaining rice paper wrappers and fillings.
Serve the spring rolls with peanut dipping sauce.
Related Posts
If you enjoy this recipe, you might also enjoy the following:
- Vietnamese savory mini pancakes (Banh Khot)
- Vietnamese Sizzling Crepe / Pancake (Banh Xeo)
- Vietnamese Jicama, Carrot, Egg & Chinese Sausage Spring Rolls (Bo Bia)
- Vietnamese Grilled/Baked Pork Sausage Spring Rolls with Orange Dipping Sauce (Nem Nuong Nha Trang)
Or try these fried savory little wrapped goodies:
- Egg Rolls with Pastry Wrapper
- Crispy Fried Spring Roll with Rice Paper Wrapper Carrot & Cabbage
- Egg Rolls Shrimp & Pork Egg Rolls Shrimp Egg Rolls
Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Gỏi Cuốn)
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 5 1x
Description
A refreshing appetizer made up of shrimp, pork, vermicelli noodles, and an assortment of vegetables rolled in rice paper. Pair with creamy peanut sauce for the perfect combination.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 1 lb pork belly (substitute with pork shoulder for a leaner version)
- 14 oz thin rice vermicelli
- Leafy lettuce and fresh herbs
- Vietnamese peanut dipping sauce
- 12 oz dried rice paper
Instructions
- Prepare the shrimp: To a medium pot, add water. Bring the pot to a boil. Add shrimp and cook until they turn color (about 3 minutes). Remove from pot and slice in half along the backside. Set aside.
- Prepare the pork belly: Read notes below if pork belly has an odor. Add pork belly to the same pot that was was for shrimp. Cook for 30 minutes or until chopstick-tender. Remove pork, rinse, and pat dry. Once cooled, slice thinly and set aside.
- Prepare the noodles: Cook rice noodles per package instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
- Assemble the rolls and serve: Wet the rice paper quickly and shake off excess water. The rice paper will only take 10 seconds to become pliable. On bottom end of the rice paper, add a bed of noodles, vegetables of your choice, and a few slices of pork belly slices. Add 2-3 shrimp, facing down, on the top half of the rice paper. Fold in the sides. Roll everything up from the bottom, tightly tucking and rolling to seal. Serve with Vietnamese peanut sauce lettuce and favorite herbs.
Notes
If your pork belly has a slight barnyard odor, do the following: Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of coarse salt onto the pork belly and rub the salt against the skin and meat. This abrasive scrubbing will remove the surface residue that may be causing the smell. Rinse away the salt with water and drain dry. Some people also use a combination of vinegar with the salt. If none of this gets rid of the smell, the pork belly is most likely bad and should not be used.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: asian, vietnamese
