Vietnamese Summer Rolls are a fresh and healthy appetizer or light lunch made with shrimp, rice paper, noodles, lettuce, bell pepper, carrot, and cucumber. I even include two recipes for dipping sauces!
This recipe costs about $14.34 to make four servings. So it costs around $3.58 per serving.
Vietnamese Summer Rolls
If you have never made these summer rolls before, you are in for a healthy treat! Vietnamese Summer Rolls are a salad in roll form.
They are full of fresh ingredients and take just a few minutes to cook. You will have just as much fun making the rolls as eating them.
A Vietnamese Summer Roll is delicious when dipped in peanut or Vietnamese dipping sauce. The sauces elevate the rolls to the next level.
These rolls are traditionally served with nuoc cham or Vietnamese dipping sauce, but they also also taste great with peanut dipping sauce.
My Vietnamese Summer Roll recipe makes a great appetizer or a fresh and light lunch or dinner during those hot summer days and nights.
Ingredients and Estimated Cost
Per Serving Cost: $3.58
Recipe Cost: $14.34
- 1 pound large shrimp – $7.33
- 3 ounces thin rice noodles – $0.72
- 1 large red bell pepper – $1.38
- 1 cucumber – $0.48
- 1 carrot – $0.16
- ½ cup mint leaves – $1.38
- 12 pieces Romaine lettuce leaves – $0.82
- 12 large circular rice paper sheets – $0.54
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter – $0.42
- 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons rice vinegar – $0.10
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce – $0.08
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar – $0.04
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil – $0.10
- ½ + 1/3 cup water – $0.00
- 3 Tablespoons sugar – $0.09
- 2 Tablespoons fish sauce – $0.38
- 1 teaspoon garlic – $0.04
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice – $0.07
- 1 teaspoon chopped red chili – $0.21
NOTE: The recipe prices are calculated by using grocery store websites. The actual cost of the recipe will vary depending on what ingredients you already have.
Instructions
- First, mix the peanut sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Then mix the Vietnamese dipping sauce ingredients together in another bowl.
- Then, boil a pot of water in a medium saucepan.
- Next, add the shrimp and boil for three to four minutes. After removing the shrimp from the water let them cool.
- Peel and slice the shrimp in half lengthwise and chill until ready to use.
- Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the noodles.
- Let the noodles sit in hot water for five minutes and drain and rinse them under cold water after the noodles start to soften.
- Next, assemble the spring rolls by first filling a shallow bowl with warm water. Work with one rice paper sheet at a time and submerge it for about ten seconds until softened.
- Set the wet rice paper on your work surface and put a piece of lettuce closer to the bottom edge of the rice paper.
- Add a small number of rice noodles to the lettuce, followed by cucumber, carrots, red bell pepper, and mint leaves.
- Then place three pieces of shrimp about two inches below the top edge of the rice paper and grab the lower end of the rice paper and lettuce and start rolling it up. After rolling to the shrimp, fold the left and right sides and roll it again until the end.
- Finally, assemble the remaining rice paper sheets and serve the spring rolls with the dipping sauces.
***For complete recipe instructions, see the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations
- You can use butter, romaine, or iceberg lettuce. You can remove any hard stem from the lettuce because it might pierce through the rice paper while rolling.
Storage Tips
SERVE: Serve these with Vietnamese and peanut dipping sauces (recipes below).
STORE: Consume the spring rolls fresh or on the same day. Storing them is not advisable because the rice paper hardens in the fridge.
Recipe FAQs
These rolls are made with shrimp, fresh veggies, rice noodles, and herbs wrapped in rice paper sheets. They are stuffed full of fresh ingredients that are entirely satisfying.
While both are delicious and stuffed with similar ingredients, the main difference between the two types of rolls is how they are wrapped. Spring rolls are wrapped in a dough typically made of flour and water that is then fried. In contrast, summer rolls are wrapped in a rice wrapper.
They’re traditionally served with nuoc cham or Vietnamese dipping sauce. I have included a recipe for peanut dipping sauce, which is also delicious for dipping!
More Appetizers
- Queso Fundido con Chorizo
- Bang Bang Shrimp Recipe
- Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
- Bacon-Wrapped Dates
- Asian Coleslaw
- Sausage Cream Cheese Balls
- Shrimp Cocktail
Vietnamese Summer Rolls
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- measuring cups and spoons
- liquid measuring cup
Ingredients
FOR THE SPRING ROLLS:
- 1 lb large shrimp 22-25 count
- 3 ounces thin rice noodles
- 1 large red bell pepper julienned
- 1 cucumber julienned
- 1 carrot julienned
- ½ cup mint leaves
- 12 pieces of Romaine lettuce leaves
- 12 large circular rice paper sheets
- Warm water
FOR PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE:
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ cup water
FOR VIETNAMESE DIPPING SAUCE
- ⅓ cup water
- 3 Tablespoon sugar
- 2 Tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon chopped red chili
- 2 teaspoon rice vinegar
Instructions
MAKE SAUCES:
- To make the peanut dipping sauce, mix all the peanut sauce ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Next, mix all the Vietnamese dipping sauce ingredients in another medium bowl to make the Vietnamese dipping sauce.
COOK SHRIMP:
- Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil on high heat.
- Add the shrimp and boil for 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the shrimp from the water and let them cool.
- Peel and slice the shrimp in half lengthwise.
- Chill until ready to use.
COOK RICE NOODLES:
- Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil on high heat.
- Turn off the heat and add the noodles.
- Let the noodles sit in hot water for 5 minutes (the cooking time may vary according to the brand, so make sure to check the instructions on the packet).
- Once the noodles soften, drain and rinse them under cold water.
ASSEMBLE THE SPRING ROLLS:
- Fill a shallow bowl or pie dish with warm water. Then, working with one rice paper sheet at a time, submerge it for 10 seconds or until softened.
- Put the wet rice paper on your work surface.
- Lay a piece of lettuce closer to the bottom edge of the rice paper.
- Add a small number of rice noodles to the lettuce, followed by cucumber, carrots, red bell pepper, and mint leaves.
- Arrange 3 pieces of shrimp about 2 inches below the top edge of the rice paper, near the middle.
- Grab the lower end of the rice paper and lettuce and start rolling it up.
- Once you’ve rolled to the shrimp, fold the left and right sides and roll again until the end.
- Repeat with the rest of the rice paper sheets
SERVE:
- Serve the spring rolls with any or both dipping sauces.
Notes
- Consume the spring rolls fresh or on the same day. Storing them is not advisable because the rice paper hardens in the fridge.
- You can use butter, romaine, or iceberg lettuce; you can remove any hard stem from the lettuce because it might pierce through the rice paper while rolling.
- Use a wooden platter or cutting board to roll the summer rolls. You can dampen your working surface with water if you feel that your rice paper is sticking to the board.
Nutrition
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I make a vegan version of this recipe using marinated tofu, but do find the rolling slightly tricky as they sometimes stick together while rolling. Yours look perfect. Is there a purpose to the lettuce leaf or just for taste? Visiting from Gluten-Free A-Z Blog
These are SO pretty and much easier to make than I expected – a really lovely appetiser for entertaining. Thank you!
These are so refreshing and tasty! And they offer up such a beautiful presentation.
Wow! Not only do these look and sound amazing, they are budget friendly. Can’t beat that.
These summer rolls are my absolute favorite! I love the shrimp version because they are so light, refreshing, and protein packed. I can eat these everyday!
I was looking for a recipe like this, thank you for sharing! I can’t wait to try it soon!