March 18, 2025 Plume Ridge Bottle Shop

Vietnamese Spring Rolls Recipe

Looking for a fresh, vibrant, and flavorful dish to try next in the kitchen? Try making Vietnamese Spring Rolls, or Gỏi Cuốn. These light and healthy rolls are a staple of Vietnamese cuisine, and a must try with a bowl of Pho. Packed with fresh herbs, vermicelli noodles, shrimp, and pork, all wrapped in rice paper. These rolls are typically served with a savory and slightly sweet dipping sauce that ties everything together. They’re perfect as an appetizer, a light meal, or just as a snack. The best part is, they’re easier to make than you might think!

Ingredients (Makes About 10 Rolls)

For the Rolls:

10 rice paper wrappers
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cooked
1/2 lb pork belly (or thinly sliced pork shoulder)
4 oz rice vermicelli noodles, cooked according to package instructions
1 cup fresh herbs, such as mint, cilantro, and Thai basil
1 cup lettuce leaves, shredded (butter lettuce works great)
1 cucumber, julienned
1 carrot, julienned

For the Dipping Sauce (Nước Chấm):

1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup lime juice (freshly squeezed)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Thai chili, finely sliced (optional, for heat)
1 tbsp shredded carrots (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Pork and Shrimp

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the pork belly and simmer for about 20–25 minutes, or until tender. Remove, let cool, and slice thinly into bite-sized pieces.
Boil or steam the shrimp for 3–4 minutes until they’re pink and fully cooked. Slice each shrimp in half lengthwise.

Step 2: Prepare Your Ingredients

Cook the rice vermicelli noodles according to the package instructions. Rinse with cold water, drain, and set aside.
Wash and prep the fresh herbs, lettuce, and julienned vegetables.

Step 3: Assemble the Rolls

Fill a shallow dish with warm water. Dip a rice paper wrapper into the water for 2–3 seconds until it softens (don’t soak it too long as it will tear). Lay the softened wrapper flat on a clean surface.
Place a few slices of pork and shrimp in the center of the wrapper, with the pink side of the shrimp facing down for a visually appealing roll.
Add a small handful of rice noodles, fresh herbs, lettuce, cucumber, and carrot on top.
Fold the bottom of the wrapper up over the filling, then fold in the sides, and roll tightly like a burrito. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Step 4: Make the Dipping Sauce

In a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, water, garlic, and chili until the sugar dissolves. Garnish with shredded carrots if desired.

A Few Tips

Rice paper technique: The key to perfect spring rolls is softening the rice paper just enough. Too much water makes it fragile, too little makes it hard to roll.
Balance the filling: Avoid overstuffing your rolls. This makes them harder to wrap and may cause the rice paper to tear.
Serve fresh: Gỏi Cuốn is best served immediately to enjoy its fresh. But if you need to store them, wrap them individually in plastic wrap to prevent sticking and drying out. They should be good for a few days in the fridge, but in my house they never last that long.

Wine Pairing Suggestion

Wine with Vietnamese food? Hear me out. To complement the fresh, herbal flavors of these spring rolls and the savory sweetness of the dipping sauce, try a crisp and aromatic white wine. A Riesling with a hint of sweetness or a Sauvignon Blanc with zesty citrus notes would work well. Both wines would balance the saltiness of the fish sauce and enhance the freshness of the herbs and shrimp. If you prefer something bubbly, a light Prosecco would fit the bill.

Contributed by Ray Ibanez, E-Commerce Manager for Plume Ridge Bottle Shop.