Ahh, salad rolls; the delicious, refreshing snacks that everyone loves to eat but nobody likes to make. This Vietnamese classic, Gỏi cuốn, has many familiar names in the west. Vietnamese spring rolls, summer rolls, or simple rice paper rolls.
Regardless of what you call them, they’re amazing. And they aren’t nearly as difficult to make as you might think.
Vietnamese salad rolls are, in essence, exactly that. Fresh vegetables, prawns or other meat, and rice noodles are tightly rolled into the perfect handheld summertime snack.
Never made salad rolls before? Scroll past the recipe card for a detailed procedure with step-by-step instructions and photos.
Vietnamese Salad Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 Carrot, julienne
- 1/2 Red Pepper, julienne
- 1/2 Yellow Pepper, julienne
- 1 /2 English Cucumber, julienne
- 1 small bunch Green Onions, cut into 3 inch strips
- 1 small bunch Cilantro
- 1 small bunch Thai Basil
- 12 medium-sized Prawns, cooked and sliced in half lengthwise
- Vermicelli Noodles, as needed
- Rice Paper, as needed
Instructions
- Prepare vermicelli noodles according to instructions on package. Be sure to salt the water. Once cooked, strain the noodles and set aside.
- Add enough water in a wide pan to cover a sheet of rice paper; roughly 1-inch deep. Heat on lowest setting until warm but still safe to touch. Add one rice paper sheet and soak until soft 20-30 seconds.
- Remove sheet from water and set on a cutting board. Place a small amount of noodles on the sheet, followed by a few pieces of each vegetable.
- Tear cilantro and basil into large pieces and add to the rice paper. Place two prawn halves on top of the herbs.
- Carefully fold over the two sides of the paper to hold everything in and roll into a tight bundle.
- Serve with your favourite dipping sauce!
Notes
The filling amounts are fairly general. Feel free to add more or less to your personal taste. Also, to make this dish vegan, simply omit the prawns.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 115Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 153mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 7g
We are not certified nutritionists and make no claims to be so. The nutritional information given here is intended for informational purposes only. These nutritional calculations are rounded numbers dependant on the certain ingredients and amounts in the recipe and are by no means perfect.
What Do You Put in Salad Rolls?
Typically in salad rolls, you will find some combination of carrot, cucumber, peppers, green onion (scallion) and rice noodles. Often, meat — usually ground pork or prawns — is also added, as well as fresh herbs.
That said, you’re really only limited to your imagination. What do you have access to, what is currently in season? Add some radish or shallots for an extra kick, some avocado for a smooth texture, or any number of other combinations. If it tastes good raw, put it in!
For the sake of education and ease, we’re keeping this salad roll recipe simple. If you’re new to making Vietnamese spring rolls at home, this is the perfect place to start!
To make these rolls, you will need:
- Rice Paper Sheets: this is kinda the most important part.
- Rice Vermicelli: these are rice noodles, any Asian grocer and most supermarkets will have them, the same goes for the rice paper
- Carrot
- Cucumber: preferably the smaller Lebanese variety
- Red and Yellow Peppers
- Green Onion
- Cilantro: unless you’re on team ‘no cilantro’…
- Thai Basil
- Prawns
Ingredient Substitutions
Lebanese Cucumbers – Long English cucumbers or any other variety will also work.
Red and Yellow Pepper – Orange, green or anything in between will work.
Green Onions – Chives will work
Cilantro – This is optional, but is one of the main components in traditional rolls
Thai Basil – Regular basil can work in a pinch.
Prawns – Fresh or frozen. They can also be omitted or subbed for another protein.
Making Salad Rolls Vegan
To make these either vegetarian or vegan, simply switch the prawns for tofu or omit entirely.
How to Make Salad Rolls
Most of the work involved in making these Vietnamese spring rolls is in the preparation stage.
- The first thing you want to do is cook the vermicelli. Cooking varies between brands and styles, so just follow the instructions on the package. When they’re cooked, set them aside to cool.
- At the same time, poach your prawns (if using raw) and cool in ice water.
- Next, it’s time to start cutting. Slice the carrots, cucumber, peppers and green onions into thin strips, or julienne. You want the pieces roughly 4 inches long and a little less than 1/4 inch thick. Don’t sweat the sizes too much.
- Slice the prawns in half lengthwise and set aside with the vegetables. And finally, tear pick the cilantro and basil leaves from the stems.
…Now, let’s roll!
How to Roll Vietnamese Salad Rolls
This is the trickiest part of making salad rolls. It does take a bit of practice to get them nice and tight without tearing, so don’t worry if they aren’t perfect on your first go.
- Pour warm water in a pan large enough to fit a rice paper sheet. Place a sheet in the water and let it soak until soft. This could take 10 seconds or 40, depending on the paper and the water temperature.
- When the sheet is soft and very pliable, set it on a flat surface and begin building your roll. Start with three prawn slices. Arrange them, pink side down, in a row on the sheet on the half closest to you.
- Next top with a small bit of the vermicelli over the prawns, followed by a few sticks of each vegetable. Finally, place a small bundle of cilantro and a few basil leaves in the pile.
- Now, very carefully fold the side closest to you over the top of the fillings. Then, fold each side inward the same way.
- This is the part where it gets tricky. Carefully roll the whole thing into as tight of a bundle as you can. The difficulty here comes in several forms. First, the rice paper can get quite sticky. As well, because it’s so soft, the vegetables tend to tear holes while you roll.
Once you finish each roll, cover it under a piece of damp paper towel to prevent it from drying out.
Serve immediately, or keep wrapped in damp paper towel until ready to eat. Enjoy!
What to Serve with Salad Rolls
Much like a regular salad, Vietnamese spring rolls are almost never eaten without a dressing. Traditionally, they’re served with a side of hoisin sauce and some sliced fresh chilis.
Try them with this incredible peanut sauce, or nuoc cham, a traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce. Even something simple like Sriracha or oyster sauce can make a great pairing to these tasty rolls.
Like it? Pin it for later!
