Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls – Gỏi Cuốn with Peanut Dipping Sauce

About This Recipe

Vietnamese fresh spring rolls (gỏi cuốn) are one of the lightest, most refreshing foods in Asian cuisine — transparent rice paper wrappers encasing a carefully arranged filling of cooked prawns, rice vermicelli, crisp lettuce, cucumber, and an abundance of fresh mint and coriander. They are served immediately with a peanut dipping sauce or nuoc cham (fish sauce, lime, chilli) that elevates the delicate flavours inside. The technique is entirely about freshness and assembly. Each wrapper is briefly dipped in warm water until just pliable, then filled and tightly rolled. The translucency of the finished rolls, showing the colourful ingredients through the wrapper, makes them one of the most visually beautiful foods to eat. The key is not to overfill — too much filling prevents tight rolling and the wrapper tears. Gỏi cuốn are perfect for hot weather, dinner parties, or healthy weekday lunches. They can be prepped with all fillings ready and assembled at the table for a participatory, social eating experience.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 12rice paper wrappers (bánh tráng)
• 200 gcooked prawns(halved lengthways)
• 100 grice vermicelli(cooked per packet, cooled)
• 1head little gem lettuce(leaves separated)
• 1cucumber(cut into thin batons)
• 2 handfulsfresh mint leaves
• 2 handfulsfresh coriander
• 3 tbsppeanut butter
• 2 tbsphoisin sauce
• 1 tbsplime juice
• 1 tbspsriracha(optional)
• 2 tbspwarm water(to thin the sauce)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make peanut sauce

   Whisk peanut butter, hoisin, lime juice, sriracha and water together until smooth. Adjust consistency — it should coat a spoon but flow.

2. 2

   Set up your station

   Arrange all fillings in separate dishes. Fill a large bowl with warm water for dipping wrappers.

3. 3

   Dip the wrapper

   Dip one rice paper wrapper in warm water for exactly 10–15 seconds — it should be just pliable, not fully soft.

   Under-dipping leaves the wrapper brittle; over-dipping makes it tear. 10–15 seconds is the sweet spot.

4. 4

   Fill and roll

   Place wrapper on a clean damp surface. Lay 3 prawn halves in a row in the bottom third. Add a small bundle of noodles, a lettuce leaf, cucumber, mint and coriander. Fold sides in, then roll tightly from the bottom up.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve immediately with peanut dipping sauce. Cut in half if desired.

Variations

• •

  Replace prawns with thin slices of grilled pork or five-spice tofu.

• •

  Add mango strips and avocado for a tropical version.

Storage

Best eaten immediately. Store assembled rolls wrapped in damp paper towel for up to 2 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions