These simple Vietnamese summer rolls with shrimp are a refreshing and tasty appetizer or light meal. Just get your hands on the rice paper wrappers, and make these yourself at home!
Traveling Through Food
When I was living in China, I got a few changes to travel around the country. I went to places like the Yellow Mountain in Anhui, the Terra Cotta Warriors complex in Xi’An, the enormous bustling city of Shanghai, and the Yungang Grottoes in Shanxi Province.
But in the two years that I was living in that part of the world, with its fast food hot pot and air-conditioned subway systems, I never made it to Southeast Asia. I’ve always wanted to take a trip to places like Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia, but I have yet to make the trip. One of the biggest draws (let’s be real—the BIGGEST draw), of course, is the food.
Vietnam in particular calls with flavorful broths and noodle soups, fresh, crunchy herbs and garnishes, and lots of fish sauce and lime. I seek out those flavors often, whether they’re in a quick shortcut bowl of Pho Ga (Chicken Pho), a more complex bowl of pho made with a homemade beef broth, or these Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Seared Shrimp.
Fridge Cleanouts & Fresh Flavors
I was first introduced to these summer rolls by my aunt, who’s a big fan of them. She even told us recently that she uses them as a way to use up leftovers, like pork chops or leftover shrimp cocktail (which, incidentally are often one of the main ingredients in summer rolls. Er…the boiled or poached shrimp. Not the cocktail sauce).
Above all though, these are perfect hot weather food. It’s all in the name, really. Summer rolls. Fresh, crunchy herbs, carrots, bean sprouts, and flavorful shrimp are all wrapped up into gossamer thin sheets of rice paper, and then dipped in a spicy peanut sauce. Ideal for sharing and for outdoor summer gatherings.
Luckily, this recipe makes 16 of these babies, so you’re sure to have enough for friends.
Here’s how to make them!
Vietnamese Summer Rolls: Recipe Instructions
Start by making the peanut dipping sauce. Combine the peanut butter and hot water until smooth. Then stir in the chili oil or chili garlic sauce, the soy sauce, the garlic, and the sugar. Set aside.
Toss the shrimp with salt and pepper to taste. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Sear the shrimp, tossing once or twice, until they are pink and just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
Whisk together the garlic, sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice in a large bowl. Toss in the bean sprouts, carrot, and scallions, and set aside.
Boil the rice noodles according to the package instructions. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
Now you are ready to assemble. Fill a pie plate halfway with tepid water. Immerse a rice paper wrapper into the water, and hold it there for about 5 seconds. It will still be quite stiff, but will soften very quickly as you assemble the rolls.
After 5 seconds has elapsed, immediately pull the wrapper out of the water and lay it on a clean work surface. Start by laying down a few pieces of shrimp horizontally across the middle of the wrapper.
Add some of your rice noodles…
And then the marinated vegetables and a few leaves of each of the three herbs (Thai basil, cilantro, and mint). You can actually see the spring roll wrapper softening in this series of photos. The amount of time elapsed here is only about 10 seconds or so.
Fold the sides of the wrapper over the filling. By now, it will be soft and pliable.
Then roll from bottom to top into a cigar.
Place on a serving plate.
Continue until all the summer rolls are assembled.
Serve with peanut sauce! Or if you prefer, make some Nuoc Cham dipping sauce to serve with your Shrimp spring rolls.
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Recipe
Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Seared Shrimp
Ingredients
For the peanut sauce:
For the rolls:
- 1 pound shrimp (medium size; peeled, deveined, tails removed)
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1 medium carrot (peeled and julienned)
- 1 scallion (julienned)
- 4 oz. rice vermicelli noodles
- 16 rice paper wrappers
- 1 bunch Thai basil
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 bunch mint
Instructions
- Start by making the peanut dipping sauce. Combine the peanut butter and hot water until smooth. Then stir in the rest of the sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- Toss the shrimp with salt and pepper to taste. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Sear the shrimp, tossing once or twice, until they are pink and just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
- Whisk together the garlic, sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice in a large bowl. Toss in the bean sprouts, carrot, and scallions, and set aside.
- Boil the rice noodles according to the package instructions. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
- Now you are ready to assemble. Fill a pie plate halfway with tepid water. Immerse a wrapper into the water, and hold it there for about 5 seconds. It will still be quite stiff, but will soften very quickly as you assemble the rolls.
- After 5 seconds has elapsed, immediately pull the wrapper out of the water and lay it on a clean work surface. Start by laying down a few pieces of shrimp horizontally across the middle of the wrapper. Add some of your rice noodles, the marinated vegetables, and a few leaves of each of the three herbs (basil, cilantro, and mint)
- Fold the sides of the wrapper over the filling, and then roll from bottom to top into a cigar. Place on a serving plate. Continue until all the rolls are assembled. Serve with peanut sauce!
