Fresh Spring Rolls

An Easy, Homemade Spring Roll Recipe

Not to be confused with egg rolls, which are deep-fried, fresh spring rolls are so, well, fresh! A classic Vietnamese restaurant dish, fresh spring rolls are made of rice noodles, lots of crunchy veggies and (often) shrimp or tofu. We’ve used Steamed Shrimp because we love shrimp, but you can use tofu or double down on the veggies. Either way, spring rolls are all about the dipping sauces, so we’ve got two to serve on the side! One is a creamy peanut sauce, similar to the Thai salad dressing we love so much, and the other is a simple, sweet chili sauce.

Ingredients for Spring Rolls

For the Spring Rolls

• Vermicelli rice noodles. Both these and the spring roll wrappers can usually be found in the “Asian foods” aisle of any major grocery store, where you might go to look for sriracha and chili-garlic sauce.

• Cooked shrimp (we like it steamed!)

• Spring roll wrappers

• Carrots

• Butter lettuce

• Persian cucumbers

• Fresh herb leaves (Cilantro, mint, and basil are lovely here, or even Thai basil if you can find it)

How To Make Spring Rolls

1. Make the peanut sauce. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar and hot water. When the sugar is dissolved, stir in peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, and ground ginger.

2. Make the sweet chili sauce. Combine the sugar and hot water. When the sugar is dissolved, stir in the garlic, fish sauce, lime juice, chili garlic sauce, and sesame oil.

3. Prep the spring roll fillings. Start with the vermicelli noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the noodles and cook according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cool water.

4. Slice the shrimp and prep the rest of the veggies with your best, sharpest knife.

5. Time to roll! See our best tips for rolling spring rolls below. If you don’t hvae a good countertop space to work at, just work on your favorite cutting board.

6. Serve with dipping sauces! If you want to make a Southeast Asian snacky foods feast, serving these with Chicken Satay would be lovely.

How To Store Leftovers + Tips For The Best Spring Rolls

• To soften the spring roll wrappers, use warm water but not boiling hot! It doesn’t take much to soften them and get them ready to use.

• Don’t over-soak the wrappers. Ten seconds in that warm water is plenty, and they tend to break if they get too soft.

• Prep all the spring roll fillings before you begin to think about wrapping and rolling the rolls.

• A few tips for rolling the spring rolls: Make one fresh roll at a time, and work on a damp surface. At the edge closest to you, layer on a bit of lettuce, noodles, carrot, cucumber, some herbs and a few pieces of shrimp. Roll about half way, and then fold up the shorter sides like you would to make a burrito.

• Working on a slightly damp surface keeps the rice wrappers from sticking. You may need to keep rewetting the surface between spring rolls.

• Spring rolls are best enjoyed fresh. The wrappers have a tendency to dry out over time. However, if you’re really committed to making them ahead of time, wrapping each roll in plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator. They’ll keep for 1-2 days.

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