Description
Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls, also known as Spring Rolls, are fresh, light, and packed with vibrant flavors. These rolls feature delicate vermicelli noodles, crisp lettuce, fresh mint leaves, bean sprouts, and succulent prawns all wrapped in soft rice paper. Served with a creamy, tangy peanut dipping sauce, they make a perfect appetizer or light meal that is both healthy and delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
Rice Paper Rolls
- 7 – 14 sheets of 22cm/8.5″ round rice paper
- 11 small cooked prawns/shrimp (about 12cm/5″ in length, unpeeled including the head)
- 50g / 1.5 oz dried vermicelli noodles
- 7 lettuce leaves (soft leaf variety like Oak or Butter Lettuce)
- 14 mint leaves
- 1 cup bean sprouts
Peanut Dipping Sauce
- 1 tbsp peanut butter, preferably smooth (crunchy is ok too)
- 2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp white vinegar (or lime juice)
- 1/3 cup milk (any fat percentage) or water
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 tsp crushed chilli, sambal oelek or other chilli paste (optional, adjust to taste)
Instructions
- Make the Peanut Sauce: Combine all peanut dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix briefly. Microwave the mixture for 30 seconds to slightly warm and help combine the ingredients. Stir again until smooth and let it cool. Adjust the sourness with more vinegar, saltiness with salt, and spiciness with chili paste, and thin it with milk or water if needed once cool.
- Prepare Vermicelli Noodles: Place the dried vermicelli noodles in a bowl and cover with warm water for 2 minutes or follow the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Prepare Prawns: Peel the cooked prawns, slicing each in half lengthwise and devein carefully.
- Prepare Lettuce: Remove the crunchy core from each lettuce leaf to keep the rolls tender and easy to wrap.
- Create Lettuce Bundles: Place a small amount of vermicelli noodles and bean sprouts into a lettuce leaf, then roll it up tightly with the seam side down. Make one bundle per roll.
- Soften Rice Paper: Fill a large bowl with warm water. If the bowl is not large enough to submerge the whole rice paper at once, submerge in sections. Quickly dip two rice paper sheets simultaneously for 2 seconds each, ensuring they soften but remain pliable.
- Arrange Rice Paper: Lay the two softened rice papers on a flat surface with the smooth side down; they will stick together.
- Add Prawns and Mint: On the top part of the rice paper, arrange 3 prawn halves with a mint leaf placed between each shrimp for visual appeal.
- Add Lettuce Bundle: Place the prepared lettuce bundle seam side down in the middle of the rice paper.
- Fold and Roll: Fold the left and right edges of the rice paper inward, then start rolling from the bottom to cover the filling completely. Roll firmly to seal the rice paper, which is naturally sticky and holds the roll together.
- Final Look and Serve: The completed rice paper rolls should look attractive with prawns and mint leaves visible on the smooth side, and the seam positioned neatly on the side or underside. Serve immediately with the peanut dipping sauce.
Notes
- Use soft lettuce leaves such as Oak or Butter Lettuce to avoid tearing the rice paper and to keep a pleasant texture.
- If preferred, you can double up rice paper sheets to help prevent tearing during rolling.
- The peanut dipping sauce can be adjusted in thickness by adding more milk or water once cooled.
- To speed up preparation, cook and chill prawns in advance.
- The rolls are best served fresh to maintain the texture of the rice paper and fillings.
