Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls

from healthynibblesandbits.com
50 min
12 servings

These fresh Vietnamese spring rolls are made with shrimp, vegetables, herbs, and rice noodles wrapped in rice paper. Below, I have listed dipping sauce options. Traditionally, the spring rolls are served with nước chấm, a fish sauce-based dipping sauce. I've found that they taste good with peanut sauce too. The spring rolls are best consumed the day they are made.

Ingredients

  • 18 medium shell-on shrimp (21/25 count) (about 3/4 pounds, defrosted if frozen)
  • 3 ounces thin rice vermicelli (maifun)
  • 1 large carrot (peeled and cut into thin matchsticks)
  • 1 to 1 1/2 Persian cucumber (cut into matchsticks (see note 1))
  • a large red bell pepper (cut into matchsticks)
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed mint leaves
  • 12 pieces of butter lettuce (bottom tough stems removed (see note 2))
  • 12 large 22cm circular rice paper sheets
  • warm water for rolling spring rolls
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup filtered water
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup (can sub with brown sugar (see note 4))
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1/3 cup warm water
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce (can add more to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 Thai chilli (sliced)
  • a clove of garlic (minced)

Directions

  1. 1

    Pick your dipping sauce of choice above and mix all the sauce ingredients together. Make sure to use warm water for the nuoc cham so that the sugar dissolves more easily.

  2. 2

    Fill a medium saucepan or small pot with water and bring it to boil on high heat (see note 6). 

  3. 3

    Fill a large saucepan or small pot with water and bring it to boil on high heat. 

  4. 4

    Fill a large bowl with lukewarm water to wet the rice paper sheets.

  5. 5

    Quickly dip a sheet of rice paper in the lukewarm water to moisten the entire surface. This should take no longer than a few seconds.