Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Gỏi Cuốn)

Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Gỏi Cuốn). Refreshing, delicious rice paper rolls with succulent shrimp, rice noodles, mint leaves and lettuce. Accompanied with a nutty flavor peanut hoisin sauce! These are so easy to make and a healthy appetizer.

These traditional Vietnamese Spring Rolls are my all-time favorite way to enjoy rice paper. The first bite is going to bless your taste buds in a good way! Believe it or not, I actually prefer this over an egg roll (aka spring roll) or the fried version (aka chả giò).

What is Gỏi Cuốn or Vietnamese Spring Rolls?

Gỏi Cuốn is a traditional Vietnamese spring roll that originates from South Vietnam. In Vietnamese, Gỏi Cuốn translates to "Salad Rolls". It is a refreshing appetizer or side dish served at many Vietnamese restaurants or by street vendors.  

Vietnamese fresh spring rolls are accompanied with a creamy peanut sauce and enjoyed at room temperature. 

This Vietnamese food is already iconic among the Vietnamese people but has become extremely popular through social media for good reason! It's absolutely delicious and doesn't take much time to whip up! 

In addition, there are many versions of this traditional recipe for homemade spring rolls. Some only containing fresh veggies or a combination of proteins like thin slices of pork sausage with vegetables. The options are endless, making it a very versatile dish!

Easy Vietnamese Spring Rolls

My fresh Vietnamese spring rolls are so easy and fun to make at home! It's a great activity to do with your family. The best part is that you can make a large amount to enjoy at the fraction of what it would cost at the restaurant. 

If it's your first time making this recipe, don't worry I share step-by-step visuals and instructions, along with a video to assist you with the cooking process. Next time, you'll become a pro at making your own spring rolls!

Ingredients

You’ll need the below ingredients for Gỏi Cuốn. Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements. 

Note: Most Asian grocers will carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select grocery store or online, like on Amazon.  

• Rice paper wrapper: aka bánh tráng or banh trang in the Vietnamese language. I recommend using Vietnamese rice paper wrappers that are 8.5 inches wide in diameter for these shrimp spring rolls. It should be the larger version of the two, as there is also a smaller version of rice wrapper that is about 6 inches wide. 
  • Rice paper sheets are also known as "spring roll wrappers" in Vietnamese cuisine. These rice paper rounds are commonly used to make fried spring rolls (aka Cha Gio) or fresh summer rolls. When dipped in cool water, they become a delicate rice paper. This ingredient is made of rice flour, tapioca flour, salt and water.  

Filling Ingredients:

• Jumbo shrimp: any large shrimp or even medium-sized shrimp will work like Pacific White, but I highly recommend deveined black tiger shrimp for best results. This is one of the main ingredients so make sure to source the best quality seafood for these fresh rolls.
• Rice vermicelli noodles: Look for the thin rice vermicelli noodles for these rice paper spring rolls. They are usually sold as dry and only take a couple of minutes to cook. They're not the same as pho noodles, as pho noodles are wider rice noodles. 
• Green leaf lettuce: I recommend using "green leaf lettuce" as it's softer than other types of lettuce. But feel free to use leafy greens, such as red leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, oak leaf lettuce, little gem, or butterhead lettuce. Iceberg lettuce could work but I would suggest chopping it up so it's easier to wrap. 
• Ginger: this helps to remove any fishy smell when we boil the shrimp.
• Shallot: this helps to remove any fishy smell when we boil the shrimp.
• Mint leaves: or substitute with fresh herbs like Thai basil, holy basil, or Italian basil leaves. But the great thing about mint leaves is that it really gives the goi cuon a refreshing taste! 

Dipping Sauce:

• Hoisin sauce: this is different from oyster sauce. It’s thicker and sweet. 
• Water, cold 
• Peanut butter: you can use the smooth or chunky kind. You may also substitute with almond butter as a last resort. 
• Crushed peanuts 
• Garlic
• Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. Avoid olive oil, coconut oil or any heavy scented oils for this homemade peanut sauce.

How to Make Vietnamese Spring Rolls

​Below are steps and visuals on how to make this Vietnamese Spring Roll Recipe: 

In a small saucepan on lower heat, heat vegetable oil. Sauté garlic for 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Add hoisin sauce, peanut butter and water. Mix to combine. Then bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Once it boils, remove off heat and transfer sauce to a small bowl to cool.

Sprinkle crushed peanuts on top of the sauce. Place hoisin peanut sauce in the fridge to chill. 

In a medium pot filled with enough hot water, bring to boiling point on high heat. Add the halved shallot and sliced ginger.

Then add shrimp with the shell on for extra flavor. If you’re using peeled shrimp, that’s fine too. Boil shrimp for 2 minutes or until opaque and no longer translucent.

Strain out the shrimp and transfer to an ice bath with cold water.

Allow the shrimp to cool before peeling off the shells. Carefully slice each shrimp in half with a sharp knife. If needed, devein shrimp. 

Bring a large pot of water on high heat, bring to a boil. Cook rice noodles for 2-3 minutes or until Al dente.

Strain and rinse with off cold running water. Strain any excess water. Transfer to a large bowl. 

To Assemble Vietnamese Spring Rolls:

Wash green leaf lettuce. Trim the ends so the lettuce is about 5-inches long. Set aside.

Briefly wet a sheet of rice paper with a bit of water (cold to warm water). Do not soak it or it will become too soft to wrap with ease. The rice paper should still be firm. Place wet rice paper onto a clean work surface. 

Place a piece of lettuce in the bottom half of the circular wrapper. 

Then place 3 shrimp halves pink side down in the top half of the circular wrapper. Place mint leaves on top of each shrimp. 

Lastly with wet hands, place about ⅓ cup of cooked vermicelli rice noodles inside the lettuce leaf and spread it into a log. Do not add too much noodles or the roll can burst. 

From the bottom end of the rice paper (the end closest to you), roll the rice paper away from you tucking the lettuce and noodles in.

Then roll and tuck in the shrimp and mint leaves. Finally tuck in the sides of the rice paper and finish rolling.

Repeat this process until you have 9 rolls. 

Enjoy with your homemade Vietnamese peanut sauce! 

Storage

Gỏi Cuốn is best consumed same day while the rice paper is still moist. If you have leftover Vietnamese spring rolls, store them in the fridge in an airtight container and aim to enjoy same day. Otherwise, the rice paper and rice noodles will turn hard in the fridge due to the cold temperatures.

FAQ

Can I use other proteins instead of shrimp?

Yes, feel free to use any protein of your choice for these Vietnamese spring rolls. Here are some suggestions:

• pork slices (like pork belly, pork shoulder, or pork sausage) 
• chicken breast or chicken thighs
• tofu

Can I make this vegetarian?

Yes! Feel free to substitute with any fresh vegetables of your choice in these rice paper rolls. Some suggestions include:

• carrots
• bean sprouts
• Thai basil or mint leaves
• red bell peppers, orange bell peppers, yellow bell peppers
• red cabbage 
• lettuce, like butter lettuce, romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce or any kind that you enjoy

Is there a substitute for rice wrappers?

​Unfortunately not. These can easily be sourced at many Asian markets or online, like on Amazon.

Is there a substitute for hoisin sauce? 

No, but you can make your own and use it in this Vietnamese dipping sauce. There are plenty of recipes online for it if you do a quick search. 

Can I make the peanut sauce spicy? 

To make spicy peanut sauce, start by adding 2 teaspoon of sambal oelek, chili oil or sweet chili sauce and mix it into the sauce while it's in the saucepan. If you desire it to be spicier, add more. 

Other recipes you may enjoy!

If you enjoyed this Vietnamese recipe, you may enjoy these other dishes:

• Cha Gio Vietnamese Egg Rolls
• Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken
• Vietnamese Garlic Butter Chicken Wings