Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Nuoc Cham

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Pack up your picnic baskets and find a blanket–this recipe for Vietnamese spring rolls with nuoc cham for dipping was made for outdoor eating. Easy and fun to make ahead of time, these spring rolls are a huge hit for anyone who likes fresh flavors and lots of delicious textures.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls on a white platter.


 

How do you make Vietnamese Spring Rolls?

I like to layer the ingredients for color and a good presentation. On the bottom end of a softened wrapper, place a leaf of lettuce so that it lies flat. Top with shredded carrots, then rice noodles, sprouts, then herbs.

Just above this stack of ingredients, lay the tofu in a line. By doing this, the tofu will be visible through the transparent wrapper, when the rolls are served.

Don’t overfill them! Gently fold over once, tuck in edges, and continue rolling until seam is sealed.

What are Vietnamese Spring Roll wrappers made of?

The wrappers you’re looking for are made entirely of rice. Rice wrappers are round, thin, clear, and feel just like a dry noodle.

Whatever you do, don’t get the kind made of wheat flour from the freezer section that look like egg roll wrappers—that’s for a different recipe altogether. Look for edible rice paper wrappers, rice noodle vermicelli, and hoisin sauce in Asian markets.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls being made on a wooden cutting board.

How do you dampen spring roll wrappers?

Restaurants where you can build your own spring rolls sometime have a rice paper water bowl filled with hot water for tabletop dipping, which is worth the investment if everyone in your family likes to make their own.

But if you’re working solo, there are several ways to dampen your wrapper, and it all depends on what works for you and how quickly you can roll.

  1. First, you can fill a bowl with warm water, or heat a skillet of water on the stove, and dip the wrappers in very briefly.
  2. Or, you can alternate wrappers between sheets of wet paper towels. Within 3 minutes they will be soft enough to handle but not so soft that they disintegrate.
  3. There’s even another way: hold the wrapper under the faucet for one second; lay on a wet towel and assemble (the wrapper will soften up immediately).

However you tackle this, try not to “soak” the rice paper for too long because it will break down too quickly, making the wrappers slippery and rolling more difficult to do.

Can Vietnamese Spring Rolls be made ahead of time?

These rolls are perfect the same day you make them, stored in the refrigerator under a damp towel. They will still taste good the next day, but they might start to get a little sticky.

A platter of Vietnamese Spring rolls and Nuoc Cham.

Can Vietnamese Spring Rolls be made for a crowd?

Of course they can, and once you get the hang of rolling these up, you might not want to stop. When you want to make lots of these, it helps to take all the greens and herbs and chop them all up together; then grab a handful and get all the green stuff at once.

What sauce do you serve with Vietnamese Spring Rolls?

Nuoc Cham is a light and lively dipping sauce that I personally love. With fish sauce, lime juice, serrano,  and sugar, it’s a great balance of sweet, spicy, and salty.

A small clear bowl of nuoc cham.

Peanut sauce is popular too, so I’ll share a couple variations of that dipping sauce, one with hoisin, a sweet and spicy sauce made from soybeans, and one without.

Peanut Sauce Recipe

  • 1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon (packed) light brown sugar
  • ¼–½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  1. With motor running, drop ginger and garlic clove into a blender and blend until finely chopped.
  2. Add peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and ⅓ cup water and blend.
  3. Add more water by tablespoonfuls if needed to thin, until smooth.

Peanut Hoisin Sauce Recipe

  1. Mix 1 part crunchy peanut butter to 2 parts hoisin sauce.
  2. Whisk over medium heat until blended.
  3. Add more water by tablespoonfuls if needed to thin.

Or, try my favorite Thai Peanut Salad Dressing. It’s also delicious on this salad.

Rainbow Thai salad in a brown bowl.

What can you add to Vietnamese Spring Rolls?

Like so many well-loved recipes, the variations for what you can add to spring rolls are endless.

You can add crispy fried tofu, poached chicken, thinly sliced boiled pork, shrimp, surimi crab, or marinated beef. Throw in some basil leaves, green onion, or bell pepper cut into matchsticks.

For a low-carb version: leave out the noodles and add carrot, bean sprouts, cucumber, bell pepper and tofu.

Can Vietnamese Spring Rolls be frozen?

Unfortunately, they’re best eaten when you make them and probably won’t hold up in the freezer.

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Vietnamese spring rolls on a white platter.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Ideal as an appetizer or snack, fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls might look fussy, but they're ready in less than 30 minutes. These restaurant-quality shrimp spring rolls are one of my best make-ahead recipes.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 12 springs rolls
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Asian, Vietnamese
Calories 103
5 from 3 votes

Ingredients 

For the nuoc cham:

For the peanut sauce:

For the spring rolls:

  • 12 (12-inch) round rice paper wrappers (see note 2)
  • 12 Butter lettuce leaves stems removed
  • 3 ounces cellophane noodles soaked in warm water for 15 minutes and drained (see note 3)
  • 1 large carrot peeled and julienned
  • 1 large red bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and julienned
  • 2 small Persian cucumbers peeled and julienned
  • 1 bunch fresh mint stemmed
  • 18 medium cooked shrimp peeled, deveined, and halved lengthwise (about 1 pound of 21 to 25 count shrimp, see note 4)

Instructions 

To make the dipping sauces:

  • To make the nuoc cham, in a small bowl, whisk together warm water and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in garlic, fish sauce, lime juice, and chili garlic sauce. Yield: about 1 cup.
  • To make the peanut sauce, in a small bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, peanut butter, and garlic. Stir in warm water to thin to desired consistency. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts if desired. Yield: About 1 cup.

To make the spring rolls:

  • Arrange all prepped ingredients to make the spring roll assembly easy and organized. Dampen a flat work surface with water (I usually dampen after every 2 to 3 rolls).
  • Fill a large bowl or a wide skillet with hot water. Working with 1 rice-paper at a time, dip the round in warm water for 1 second. Lay wrapper on the damp flat work surface.
  • On the bottom half of the moistened rice paper, add one lettuce leaf. Top with several strands of noodles and pieces of carrot, cucumber, and bell pepper. Top with fresh mint. Do not overstuff the rolls.
  • Add 3 halved shrimp pieces about ½ inch above the vegetables, cut-side up (pink/orange side facing down or out).
  • Starting at the bottom of the rice paper, begin to roll it upwards into a tight cylinder. Fold in the sides of the rice paper and continue to roll the rice paper and filling. Place the roll, seam side down, on a platter and cover with a damp kitchen towel.
  • Repeat with remaining rolls, dampening the work surface as needed if it looks dry. The rolls can be held at room temperature for several hours before serving.

Recipe Video

Notes

  1. Lime juice: Or substitute 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or white vinegar for the 2 tablespoons lime juice. The flavor will change, but it’s still delicious.
  2. Rice paper wrappers: These spring roll wrappers are made with rice and appear stiff when dry. Soaking them in water for just a moment makes them clear and pliable. Blue Dragon is a popular brand.
  3. Cellophane noodles: Also known as vermicelli rice noodles, look for skinny varieties such as Angel Hair. A Taste of Thai is a popular brand.
  4. Shrimp: To poach raw shrimp, combine shrimp, 2 cups cold water, and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until pink and firm to the touch, about 8 to 10 minutes. Plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking and drain well.
  5. Yield: This recipe makes 12 spring rolls, enough for 6 servings, 2 rolls each.
  6. Storage: Wrap individual spring rolls in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days for best results. Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before enjoying.

Nutrition

Serving: 2 rollsCalories: 103kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0.3mgSodium: 472mgPotassium: 160mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1953IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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Comments

  1. Super delicious. I made this dish for lunch and both my husband and I loved it. You could definitely get creative with the fillings. I used shrimp in place of the tofu. I will definitely be making this again!5 stars

  2. These were fun to make and you’re right, the trick is not to get them too wet. It took a couple tries but the mistakes were delish. Even the kids ate them! Fun stuff, Miss Meggan!5 stars