Fresh Spring Rolls packed with vibrant crunchy veggies and plump shrimp. PLUS: my no-fail tips for working with rice paper wrappers (with 5 common mistakes to avoid) 🔥
This soft spring rolls are made in the Vietnamese style, served fresh without any cooking once fillings are added to the rice paper wrapper. They’re also often called summer rolls.
Dunk them into some yummy peanut sauce and serve them as a pretty appetizer, light and healthy lunch or dinner option.
Related: Cold Peanut Noodles (the peanut sauce is soooo good!)
Why You’ll Love This Spring Rolls Recipe
Here’s why you’ll be making these all summer long:
- With a little practice, assembling spring rolls is quick and straightforward. They don’t require cooking (aside from preparing the fillings) and are a convenient option for a quick meal or snack.
- Rolling spring rolls are fun to make with friends and kids. What’s great about a “build-your-own” setup is that each person adds or omits ingredients.
- Rice paper wrappers are a great alternative to traditional wheat-based wraps for those with gluten sensitivities. They provide a similar texture without the gluten.
Here’s What You Need
Check out the ingredients and equipment to make these crunchy fresh spring rolls.
Ingredients
Round up these ingredients. Check out the recipe card for a complete list of what you’ll need.
Spring Rolls
- Rice vermicelli noodles: These thin, delicate noodles are the base filling for the spring rolls, providing a light and slightly chewy texture.
- Rice paper wrappers: Translucent and slightly sticky when hydrated, these wrappers encase the fillings. They make the perfect spring roll wrapper for fresh spring rolls.
- Cooked shrimp: Adds a protein element with a mild, sweet flavor and firm texture. Choose plump, juicy shrimp.
- Peach or mango: These add a sweet, juicy contrast to the savory elements. Both fruits go well with the shrimp and herbs.
For Peanut Sauce
- A batch of peanut sauce: Here’s my favorite easy peanut sauce recipe.
Optional
- Crushed peanuts for garnish: Adds a crunchy texture and extra peanut flavor when sprinkled on top of the peanut sauce or inside the rolls—toast lightly.
Substitutions and Variations
These can be customized in several ways:
- Nut-free: If you’re avoiding nuts, substitute the peanut butter in the dipping sauce for tahini or sunflower seed butter.
- Vegetarian/vegan spring rolls: Use tofu instead of shrimp – choose firm or extra-firm tofu. Marinate and pan-fry the tofu to prepare it.
- Fruit swaps: If sweet fruit in a spring roll isn’t for you – try creamy avocado. For other sweet fruits, substitute the mango with pineapple or papaya.
- Extra texture: Use other veggies like carrots, cucumber, green onion, purple cabbage, red bell peppers, snap peas, and baby corn. Basically, anything you’d find in a stir-fry pack. These all add texture and color.
- Chicken spring rolls: Switch shrimp for poached chicken breast as a lean protein swap.
- Herb swaps: Try cilantro or basil instead of fresh mint.
- Rice vermicelli noodles: Use glass noodles or zucchini noodles or just pack the wrappers with lettuce, julienned cabbage and carrots.
- Rice paper wrappers: Use collard green leaves, cabbage leaves, or nori sheets instead.
Tools to Grab
Round up the following to make your rice paper spring roll recipe:
- Pot: To cook the noodles in.
- Colander: To drain the vermicelli noodles.
- Shallow dish with warm water: To dip rice paper wrappers.
- Damp towel: Or paper towel, to keep wrappers moist as you assemble the spring rolls.
How to Make Spring Rolls: An Easy Guide
Let’s dive into making a batch of rice paper spring rolls:
Cook the vermicelli noodles
Bring a pot of water to the boil and cook the rice noodles for 2-3 minutes. Next, drain and rinse the noodles with cold water. Set them aside to cool.
Soften the rice paper wrappers
To do this, dip one rice paper wrapper at a time into warm water for 8-10 seconds until it’s just pliable. The wrappers will continue to soften as you work, but the result should still be quite firm to the touch.
Fill and fold the wrappers
Lay the softened wrappers flat. In the center, place shrimp, peach slices, mint leaves, lettuce, and noodles.
Fold the bottom edge over the filling, tuck in the sides, and roll tightly. The shrimp and mint leaves should pop out through the wrapper.
Arrange to serve
Arrange the rolls on a serving platter. Space them out to prevent sticking. Repeat with the remaining fresh spring rolls and serve them with peanut sauce.
Make Ahead and Storage
Save time by slicing up all the vegetables so they’re ready to roll.
For the best taste and texture, these rolls should be eaten within 24 hours of being stored in a cool place. If you need to prepare the rolls a few hours before, cover them with a damp paper towel or cloth to prevent the wrappers from drying out. This will help maintain their soft texture.
For storage up to 24 hours, place the rolls in an airtight container lined with a damp paper towel. Cover the rolls with another damp paper towel before sealing the container. Space them apart so they don’t stick together.
Freezing
These fresh spring rolls are not suitable for freezing.
How to Serve this Spring Rolls Recipe
I love these these as an appetizer, picnic, potluck or light lunch idea.
- Serve with a batch of peanut dipping sauce for dunking (of course!).
- Going with the trending social media recipe theme, serve them alongside my viral Tiktok sushi bake as the perfect partner.
- Serve them as a starter at a summer bbq with grilled coconut salmon satay or spiced grilled pork tenderloin with peanut sauce and cucumber salad as the main dish.
Egg rolls, a platter of sushi, and some pot stickers together with these spring rolls make a delicious appetizer spread.
5 Common Mistakes When Making Fresh Spring Rolls
Working with rice paper wrappers can be tricky as they are very delicate and prone to tearing if not handled correctly. These are the frequent trip ups:
- Overfilling: Adding too much filling makes it hard to roll tightly and can cause breaks. Use a moderate amount.
- Not prepping ingredients: Preparing and assembling at the same time dries out wrappers and creates chaos. Have everything ready to go.
- Inconsistent rolling: Loose or uneven rolls fall apart. Place fillings on the lower third, fold sides over, then roll tightly from the bottom.
- Improper storage: Uncovered rolls dry out. Cover them with a damp cloth or paper towel, then place in an airtight container. Make sure they don’t touch each other or they’ll stick (and eventually tear).
- Over-soaking wrappers: Too much water makes them tear. Dip in warm water for a few seconds until pliable but firm. They soften as you work.
- Letting wrappers stick or dry out: Work on a clean, slightly damp towel or cutting board to prevent the rice paper from sticking and make rolling easier.
FAQs About Spring Rolls
Just skimming through? Here are some quick answers to the commonly-asked questions
To soften rice paper wrappers, briefly dip each in warm water. Use a shallow dish or a pie plate filled with warm water, and submerge the wrapper for a few seconds until it becomes pliable but still slightly firm. Double-check the package instructions for anything specific to the product you have.
The spring rolls’ gluten-free status depends on the sauce served with them. Check the ingredient notes on the label.
Yes, fresh spring rolls are highly versatile, and you can customize the fillings according to your preferences. Common fillings include cooked shrimp, sliced vegetables (like carrots, cucumber, and bell peppers), fresh herbs (like mint, cilantro, and basil), cooked vermicelli noodles, and fruits like mango or avocado.
Rice paper wrappers can tear if mishandled. To prevent tearing, handle them gently, don’t overfill them, and don’t oversoak them.
While fresh spring rolls are best enjoyed immediately after making them, you can prepare them in advance. Cover them with a damp paper towel to prevent drying out to keep them fresh.
Yes, swap the shrimp for tofu or more veggies.
Other Asian-Style Take-out Recipes You’ll Love
If you love quick, easy Asian takeout-inspired recipes, you must also try:
Spring Rolls (Fresh, Easy Recipe!)
Video
Ingredients
- 3 oz rice vermicelli noodles
- 6 rice paper wrappers
- 12 medium cooked shrimp
- ½ cup peeled sliced peach or mango
- 12 mint leaves
- 6 lettuce leaves such as butter lettuce
For Peanut Sauce
Optional
- Crushed peanuts for garnish
Instructions
Cook the Vermicelli Noodles:
- Boil water in a large pot, add the noodles, and turn off the heat. Let them soak for 2-3 minutes or just until soft.
- Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process
Soften Rice Paper Wrappers (One at a Time):
- Dip one rice paper wrapper at a time into warm water for 8-10 seconds until it’s just pliable. (It will continue to soften as you work, it should still be quite firm).
- Place the wrapper on a clean, damp towel.
Assemble:
- Lay down 3 shrimp in the center of the wrapper. Over these, add fruit, a couple of mint leaves, a lettuce leaf, and a small handful of vermicelli.
- Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, tuck in the sides, and roll tightly to secure the contents.
- Arrange the rolls on a serving platter, keeping them apart to prevent sticking.
- Repeat with the remaining wrappers and serve with peanut sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These spring rolls were absolutely delicious and so fresh! I followed your tips and they turned out perfect. Any advice on how to keep them from getting soggy if made ahead of time?
Hi Nat, you can help keep them from getting soggy by placing a lettuce leaf down first so that any ingredients with more moisture have a barrier keeping them from the wrapper. Store in a single layer on paper towels and don’t let them touch each other. In my experience, they are more likely to dry out and tear in storage than to become soggy, so be sure to keep them in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.
My spring rolls turned out great on the first try. The peanut dipping sauce is to die for!
can i use lettuce instead of noodles? tryna cut carbs
Yes you can use lettuce or shredded zucchini, cucumber, carrots, beets etc. instead of the noodles.
These were excellent, so excited to make this recipe again!
This might be a silly question, but can the spring rolls be made a day ahead? Worried about them drying out.
Hi Linda, keep them separated and covered with damp paper towel and they’ll be fine! I like them best fresh, but it’s do-able!
what if I just roll everything I find in the fridge, still a spring roll?
lol, let us know how that turns out!
I’d eat it!
I had never made my own spring rolls before this, and they turned out so good! I always called them summer rolls tho. Thanks for the recipe.
love spring rolls gonna try this!
hey, can you swap peanut sauce for something else? got allergies here.
You can dip them in Nuac Cham or sweet chili sauce if you like! Or prepare the peanut sauce using WowButter.