Makes 15 large rolls
When it’s hot outside, there’s nothing worse than standing in front of a hot stove or oven. Enter Vietnamese spring rolls, which call for rice paper and minimal cooking! This recipe takes you through 5 types of spring rolls; 3 non-veg and 2 vegan. Cooling, refreshing, light, yet satisfying – each type is a nutritionally complete meal! Make all the types, or a permutation and combination of whatever appeals to you. Served with our homemade peanut dipping sauce, every flavour-packed roll is a perfect parcel of healthy protein, crunchy veggies, leafy greens, and sprightly herbs.
At a glance
– This dish comprises 5 types of spring rolls + fried shallots & peanuts mix + peanut dipping sauce
– You will need a 22 cm wide frying pan, a deep frying pan, a tray/dish slightly wider than your wrappers, and a lint-free tea towel.
– This recipe has been broken into 3 stages for ease and comprehension. Please read the entire recipe from start to finish before beginning.
Stage 1: spring rolls
If you plan on making all 5 types of rolls, prepare all the filling elements ahead of time and keep them refrigerated until you’re ready to wrap and roll. A 100 gm pack of 22 cm round rice paper contains 9-10 wrappers, so if you buy this product, you will need to source at least 2 packs to make 15 rolls.
type 1; omelette spring rolls
Ingredients
for the omelette:
1. 3 large eggs (in-shell weight 57 gm)
2. 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
3. ¼ tsp salt
other elements:
4. 15-18 small edible flowers (we used pretty blue Borage flowers)
5. 15 fresh Thai basil leaves
6. ½ a yellow bell pepper
7. ½ a medium cucumber
8. 100 gm purple cabbage
9. 50 gm sunflower microgreens
10. 3 readymade rice paper wrappers (22 cm) like this
11. Enough plain water to dunk the rice paper wrappers
This amount fills 3 x 22 cm rice paper wrappers. If you want to make only this type, multiply the quantities by 5 to make 15 omelette spring rolls.
Prep
1 – To make the omelette, whisk together 3 large eggs with ¼ teaspoon salt. Then heat one tablespoon of oil in a non-stick frying pan over low heat. Pour in the beaten egg and swirl it around the pan until the egg is almost set. Allow to gently cook on the heat until the top of the omelette is just set. You don’t want it to brown at all. Touch the surface with your finger, it should no longer be tacky. Transfer the omelette to a cutting board and trim the edges to form a rectangle. My rectangle was roughly 16.5 cm x 13.5 cm. Now cut this rectangle into 3 equal strips measuring 5.5 cm x 13.5 cm each. Set aside.
2 – Julienne the yellow bell pepper and cucumber into matchsticks, roughly 8 cm long and 2 mm wide. Finely slice the purple cabbage into thin strands, roughly 8 cm long and 1 mm wide. Set aside.
3 – Fill a shallow bowl (that’s a bit larger than the size of your wrapper) with an inch of plain water. Keep a lint-free tea towel next to the bowl. Make sure your prepared fillings are within reach.
Method
1 – To assemble the rolls, place a sheet of rice paper into the bowl of plain water. Count 2-3 seconds, lift the paper, and shake it off. Each brand has a differently soaking time, so you’ll learn to go by feel here. The soaked wrapper should still feel firm when you lift it out of the bowl, as it will continue to soften with the addition of fillings. Lay the dunked wrapper flat on a clean, lint-free tea towel.
2 – Leave 3 cm on the left and right sides at all times for wrapping. Leaving a 6 cm gap from the top, arrange 5 edible flowers in the upper section of the wrapper, placing them face-downward. Then lay one strip of omelette on top of the flowers. Then place 5 basil leaves on top of the omelette.
3 – Leaving a 6 cm gap from the bottom, arrange all the following on top of each other, in the lower section of the wrapper just below the strip of omelette; 1/3 of the purple cabbage, 1/3 cucumber, 1/3 of the yellow bell pepper, and 1/3 sunflower microgreens.
4 – To roll, fold in the left and right sides of the wrapper. Then lift the bottom edge of the wrapper and fold it over the fillings in the lower section. Now fold this “wrapped section” over the fillings in the upper section. Finally, roll up the entire parcel into a tight, neat cylindrical shape. Repeat for the other 2 omelette spring rolls.
5 – Set aside and proceed to make the other types of rolls, or jump to Stage 2 and make the peanut dipping sauce.
The rice paper wrappers tend to dry out with time or once chilled, so the rolls should be assembled shortly before serving. If you’d like to keep them fresh for an hour or so, wrap them up individually in cling wrap so that they stay moist. If you want to prepare them 4-5 hours in advance and store them in the fridge, wrap each roll individually in cling wrap and store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
type 2; chicken spring rolls
Ingredients
for the boiled chicken:
1. 170 gm boneless chicken thigh
2. Enough water to submerge the chicken
3. ¼ tsp salt
other elements:
4. 3 long romaine lettuce leaves
5. 12 baby spinach leaves
6. ½ a medium carrot
7. 12 fresh spearmint leaves
8. 6 sprigs of fresh coriander
9. 3 readymade rice paper wrappers (22 cm) like this
10. Enough plain water to dunk the rice paper wrappers
This amount fills 3 x 22 cm rice paper wrappers. If you want to make only this type, multiply the quantities by 5 to make 15 chicken spring rolls.
Prep
1 – To make the chicken, simmer the chicken thighs in water for 10-12 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 75OC. Remove the chicken thighs and then shred into fine strands and season with salt. You will get about 100 gm shredded chicken. Set aside. (Reserve any leftover chicken stock for soups or gravies or in our case, catses!)
2 – Julienne the carrot into matchsticks, roughly 8 cm long and 2 mm wide. Set aside.
3 – Fill a shallow bowl (that’s a bit larger than the size of your wrapper) with an inch of plain water. Keep a lint-free tea towel next to the bowl. Make sure your prepared fillings are within reach.
Method
1 – To assemble the rolls, place a sheet of rice paper into the bowl of plain water. Count 2-3 seconds, lift the paper, and shake it off. Each brand has a differently soaking time, so you’ll learn to go by feel here. The soaked wrapper should still feel firm when you lift it out of the bowl, as it will continue to soften with the addition of fillings. Lay the dunked wrapper flat on a clean, lint-free tea towel.
2 – Leave 3 cm on the left and right sides at all times for wrapping. Leaving a 6 cm gap from the top, arrange 1 romaine lettuce leaf in the upper section of the wrapper, ensuring that the stem is horizontal to you. Then place 1/3 of the shredded chicken on the lettuce leaf.
3 – Leaving a 6 cm gap from the bottom, arrange all the following on top of each other, in the lower section of the wrapper just below the shredded chicken; 4 baby spinach leaves overlapping the tops with the bottoms, 1/3 of the carrots, 2 coriander sprigs, and 4 spearmint leaves.
4 – To roll, fold in the left and right sides of the wrapper. Then lift the bottom edge of the wrapper and fold it over the fillings in the lower section. Now fold this “wrapped section” over the fillings in the upper section. Finally, roll up the entire parcel into a tight, neat cylindrical shape. Repeat for the other 2 chicken spring rolls.
5 – Set aside and proceed to make the other types of rolls, or jump to Stage 2 and make the peanut dipping sauce.
The rice paper wrappers tend to dry out with time or once chilled, so the rolls should be assembled shortly before serving. If you’d like to keep them fresh for an hour or so, wrap them up individually in cling wrap so that they stay moist. If you want to prepare them 4-5 hours in advance and store them in the fridge, wrap each roll individually in cling wrap and store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
type 3; prawn spring rolls
Ingredients
for the seared prawns:
1. 9 medium prawns, shelled and deveined
2. 1 tbsp. gochujang paste like this
3. ½ tbsp. Sriracha like this
4. 2 tsp soy sauce
5. 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
for the noodles:
6. 50 gm rice vermicelli like this
7. 1 litre just boiled water to soak
8. 1 litre ice water to rinse
9. 1 tsp vegetable oil
other elements:
10. 6 small Thai basil leaves
11. 6 butter lettuce leaves
12. Fresh garlic chives
13. 3 small kaffir lime leaves
14. 3 readymade rice paper wrappers (22 cm) like this
15. Enough plain water to dunk the rice paper wrappers
This amount fills 3 x 22 cm rice paper wrappers. If you want to make only this type, multiply the quantities by 5 to make 15 prawn spring rolls.
Prep
1 – To make the prawns, whisk together the gochujang paste, Sriracha and soy sauce in a medium bowl. Add the shelled and deveined prawns and coat them with the marinade. Heat the vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Shake off the marinade from the prawns and add the prawns to the hot pan. It will splutter! Cook them for 2 minutes on each side or until they’re fully cooked. Then transfer them to a plate and cool to room temperature. Set aside. (After I fry the prawns, I like to fry the leftover marinade in the same pan for about 2-3 minutes. I then transfer this ‘sauce’ to a bowl. It’s intensely flavourful and can be added to stir fried veggies or noodles, or even slathered on any already cooked proteins. Do not waste it!)
2 – To make the noodles, place the rice vermicelli in a medium bowl. Pour 1 litre of just boiled water on top of the noodles to fully submerge them. Let the noodles soak for 3-4 minutes. Then using tongs, transfer them to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. As soon as the noodles are cool to the touch, pull apart 3 separate portions, and gently squeeze out the water from each portion. Drizzle 1/3 teaspoon vegetable oil on each portion of noodles and toss gently to coat. Arrange each portion on a plate. Set aside.
3 – Cut the garlic chives into 8 cm long blades and portion out 4 blades per roll. Remove the thick stems of the kaffir lime leave. Then roll each leaf into a tight cigar and slice it very finely (this herb slicing technique is known as ‘chiffonade’). You could also use sharp scissors for this. Set aside.
4 – Fill a shallow bowl (that’s a bit larger than the size of your wrapper) with an inch of plain water. Keep a lint-free tea towel next to the bowl. Make sure your prepared fillings are within reach.
Method
1 – To assemble the rolls, place a sheet of rice paper into the bowl of plain water. Count 2-3 seconds, lift the paper, and shake it off. Each brand has a differently soaking time, so you’ll learn to go by feel here. The soaked wrapper should still feel firm when you lift it out of the bowl, as it will continue to soften with the addition of fillings. Lay the dunked wrapper flat on a clean, lint-free tea towel.
2 – Leave 3 cm on the left and right sides at all times for wrapping. Leaving a 6 cm gap from the top, place 3 cooked prawns in a single line in the upper section of the wrapper, maintaining a 1 cm gap between each prawn. Now place a small Thai basil leaf, face-downwards in each of the gaps between the prawns.
3 – Leaving a 6 cm gap from the bottom, arrange all the following on top of each other, in the lower section of the wrapper just below the prawns; 1 portion of the rehydrated vermicelli noodles, 4 garlic chives, 1/3 of the kaffir lime leaves chiffonade, and then 2 butter lettuce leaves overlapping each other to fit.
4 – To roll, fold in the left and right sides of the wrapper. Then lift the bottom edge of the wrapper and fold it over the fillings in the lower section. Now fold this “wrapped section” over the fillings in the upper section. Finally, roll up the entire parcel into a tight, neat cylindrical shape. Repeat for the other 2 prawn spring rolls.
5 – Set aside and proceed to make the other types of rolls, or jump to Stage 2 and make the peanut dipping sauce.
The rice paper wrappers tend to dry out with time or once chilled, so the rolls should be assembled shortly before serving. If you’d like to keep them fresh for an hour or so, wrap them up individually in cling wrap so that they stay moist. If you want to prepare them 4-5 hours in advance and store them in the fridge, wrap each roll individually in cling wrap and store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
type 4; mushroom spring rolls (vegan)
Ingredients
for the button mushrooms:
1. 6 medium button mushrooms/shiitake mushrooms
2. ½ tbsp. vegetable oil
3. 1 tsp soy sauce
4. 1/8 tsp salt
for the enoki mushrooms:
5. 100 gm enoki mushrooms
6. ½ tbsp. vegetable oil
7. 1 tsp soy sauce
8. 1 tsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
other elements:
9. 1 green bell pepper
10. 50 gm Chinese cabbage
11. 9 small fresh Thai basil leaves + 15 regular sized leaves
12. 18 cm green onion stem
13. 3 readymade rice paper wrappers (22 cm) like this
14. Enough plain water to dunk the rice paper wrappers
This amount fills 3 x 22 cm rice paper wrappers. If you want to make only this type, multiply the quantities by 5 to make 15 mushroom spring rolls.
Prep
1 – To make the button mushrooms, cut each down the middle. Then heat ½ tablespoon of oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushroom halves and the soy sauce and fry them for 3-4 minutes on each side. Then transfer them to a plate, season with 1/8 tsp salt and let them cool to room temperature. Set aside.
2 – To make the enoki mushrooms, cut off the bottom 4 cm of the mushrooms (where they’re attached) and discard. Gently separate the individual strands of mushroom and give them a quick rinse. Then heat ½ tablespoon of oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the soy sauce and the kecap manis to the pan. Then add the mushrooms and stir-fry them for 1 minute. Then transfer them to a plate and cool to room temperature. Set aside.
3 – Julienne the green bell pepper into matchsticks, roughly 8 cm long and 2mm wide. Finely slice the Chinese cabbage into thin strands, roughly 8 cm long and 1 mm wide. Finely slice the green onion stem along the dias (into thin diagonals). Set aside.
4 – Fill a shallow bowl (that’s a bit larger than the size of your wrapper) with an inch of plain water. Keep a lint-free tea towel next to the bowl. Make sure your prepared fillings are within reach.
Method
1 – To assemble the rolls, place a sheet of rice paper into the bowl of plain water. Count 2-3 seconds, lift the paper, and shake it off. Each brand has a differently soaking time, so you’ll learn to go by feel here. The soaked wrapper should still feel firm when you lift it out of the bowl, as it will continue to soften with the addition of fillings. Lay the dunked wrapper flat on a clean, lint-free tea towel.
2 – Leave 3 cm on the left and right sides at all times for wrapping. Leaving a 6 cm gap from the top, place 4 mushroom halves in a single line in the upper section of the wrapper, maintaining a 2 cm gap between each prawn. Now place a small Thai basil leaf, face-downward in each of the gaps between the mushrooms.
3 – Leaving a 6 cm gap from the bottom, arrange all the following on top of each other, in the lower section of the wrapper just below the mushrooms; 1/3 of the green bell pepper, 1/3 stir-fried enoki mushrooms, 1/3 of the sliced Chinese cabbage, 5 Thai basil leaves, and 1/3 of the green onion diagonals.
4 – To roll, fold in the left and right sides of the wrapper. Then lift the bottom edge of the wrapper and fold it over the fillings in the lower section. Now fold this “wrapped section” over the fillings in the upper section. Finally, roll up the entire parcel into a tight, neat cylindrical shape. Repeat for the other 2 mushroom spring rolls.
5 – Set aside and proceed to make the other types of rolls, or jump to Stage 2 and make the peanut dipping sauce.
The rice paper wrappers tend to dry out with time or once chilled, so the rolls should be assembled shortly before serving. If you’d like to keep them fresh for an hour or so, wrap them up individually in cling wrap so that they stay moist. If you want to prepare them 4-5 hours in advance and store them in the fridge, wrap each roll individually in cling wrap and store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
type 5; tofu spring rolls (vegan)
Ingredients
for the baked tofu:
1. 200 gm firm or extra firm tofu
2. 1 tbsp. unflavoured vegetable oil
3. ¼ tsp toasted sesame oil
4. 1 tbsp. Sriracha
5. 1 tbsp. soy sauce
6. 1 tbsp. honey
7. 1 tbsp. corn flour
8. 1/8 tsp salt
for the pickled onion
9. 1 large shallot
10. 1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice from a green lime
11. 1/8 tsp salt
12. 1/4 tsp white granulated sugar
other elements:
13. 3 long/6 small radicchio leaves
14. 6 sprigs of fresh coriander
15. ½ a red bell pepper
16. 1 tsp freshly grated lime zest from a green lime
17. 1 tbsp. white sesame seeds
18. 3 readymade rice paper wrappers (22 cm) like this
19. Enough plain water to dunk the rice paper wrappers
This amount fills 3 x 22 cm rice paper wrappers. If you want to make only this type, multiply the quantities by 5 to make 15 tofu spring rolls.
Prep
1 – To make the tofu, first press your tofu for 60-90 minutes. Click here to see how. Your tofu will have significantly shrunk (weighing about 140 gm) after losing most of its water weight. Thereafter, slice the tofu into 8 cm x 1 cm rods. Then preheat your oven to 200OC and line a baking tray with parchment paper. In a flat dish, mix together the vegetable oil, sesame oil, the Sriracha, the soy sauce, and the honey. Lay the tofu rods in this mixture and toss them in it. If you’ve correctly pressed your tofu, it will soak the mixture up completely. Now sprinkle 1 tablespoon of corn flour onto the rods and gently toss once again. Arrange the rods on the parchment-lined baking sheet, maintaining a 2 cm gap between each rod. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 200OC. Then take out your baking sheet and flip each rod over. Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes or until the tofu is browned, crispy, and dry. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with salt and cool to room temperature. Set aside.
2 – Cut your shallot down the middle and then finely slice each half crosswise. Drizzle the slices with 1 tsp of freshly squeezed lime juice. Sprinkle the salt and the sugar and gently toss. Leave it to steep for 20 minutes or until the raw taste disappears. Keep the romaine lettuce leaves whole. Set aside.
3 – Julienne the red bell pepper into matchsticks, roughly 8 cm long and 2 mm wide. Set aside.
4 – Zest your green lime. You may need to zest 2-3 to get 1 tsp worth. Set aside in an airtight container.
5 – Toast the sesame seeds in a pan for 5-7 minutes until lightly golden and they smell nutty. Set aside.
6 – Fill a shallow bowl (that’s a bit larger than the size of your wrapper) with an inch of plain water. Keep a lint-free tea towel next to the bowl. Make sure your prepared fillings are within reach.
Method
1 – To assemble the rolls, place a sheet of rice paper into the bowl of plain water. Count 2-3 seconds, lift the paper, and shake it off. Each brand has a differently soaking time, so you’ll learn to go by feel here. The soaked wrapper should still feel firm when you lift it out of the bowl, as it will continue to soften with the addition of fillings. Lay the dunked wrapper flat on a clean, lint-free tea towel.
2 – Leave 3 cm on the left and right sides at all times for wrapping. Leaving a 6 cm gap from the top, arrange 2 radicchio leaves one overlapping the other, in the upper section of the wrapper. Then place 4 tofu rods on the radicchio leaves.
3 – Leaving a 6 cm gap from the bottom, arrange all the following on top of each other, in the lower section of the wrapper just below the tofu rods; 1/3 of the red bell pepper, 1/3 pickled shallots, 2 coriander sprigs, 1/3 of the lime zest, and 1/3 of the toasted sesame seeds
4 – To roll, fold in the left and right sides of the wrapper. Then lift the bottom edge of the wrapper and fold it over the fillings in the lower section. Now fold this “wrapped section” over the fillings in the upper section. Finally, roll up the entire parcel into a tight, neat cylindrical shape. Repeat for the other 2 tofu spring rolls.
5 – Set aside and proceed to make the other types of rolls, or jump to Stage 2 and make the peanut dipping sauce.
The rice paper wrappers tend to dry out with time or once chilled, so the rolls should be assembled shortly before serving. If you’d like to keep them fresh for an hour or so, wrap them up individually in cling wrap so that they stay moist. If you want to prepare them 4-5 hours in advance and store them in the fridge, wrap each roll individually in cling wrap and store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
Stage 2: fried shallots & peanuts mix (vegan)
Ingredients
1. 200 gm shallots
2. 1 ltr vegetable oil or canola oil
3. 100 gm raw peanuts (skinless)
4. 1/4 tsp salt
5. 1 tsp red chilli flakes
Please use shallots and not regular onions for this mix. Intensely flavourful, fried shallots are a lot sweeter than fried onions (aka birista). Although both are prepared in a similar manner, birista is more suited to Persianate pilafs and meat dishes, and doesn’t quite work in this dish. Check out my recipe for birista here.
Method
1 – Peel your shallots. Cut them in half lengthwise, and then cut each half into fine slices (roughly 2 mm wide).
2 – Grab a deep frying pan. Heat up the vegetable oil in it. The depth of the oil should be at least 9-10 cm so that the shallots can deep fry.
3 – When the oil reaches 180OC, add the sliced shallots, lower the heat to medium-low and deep fry them for 15-20 minutes or until they’re a deep golden colour and crispy. Frequently stir the shallots as they’re frying for even browning. When they’re done, they will stop ‘fizzing’ and sort of float up to the surface of the oil.
4 – Immediately remove the fried shallots from the pan and spread them out to drain on kitchen paper for 5 minutes. They will continue to cook after they’re out of the oil. Immediately season the shallots with ¼ tsp salt. You will have about 70 gm fried shallots.
5 – In the same hot oil, deep-fry the raw peanuts until golden-brown. This will take roughly 5-8 minutes.
6 – Remove the peanuts from the oil and spread them out to drain on kitchen paper. Let them cool fully. Then transfer them to a mortar and pestle and begin pounding until you have a mixture of rough chunks and smaller crumbs. Do not powder.
7 – Place the peanut chunks, fried shallots, and red chilli flakes inside a plastic releasable bag. Close the bag and then squish it about to crush and mix the ingredients together. Fried shallots & peanuts mix ready. Keep it stored inside an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to make your peanut sauce.
This makes about 175-180 gm of the mix. You will need only 2 tablespoons for one serving of peanut sauce, so keep it stored in the fridge for up to a week for whenever you want to use it. We sprinkle it on South East Asian stir fries and salads and even use it in peanut butter sandwiches!
Stage 3: peanut dipping sauce
I don’t normally claim “this is the best ever” version of anything, but I promise you, this is the yummiest peanut dipping sauce we have ever had. Better than anything we’ve tasted in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and even Thailand. Please do give it a try!
Ingredients
1. 4 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
2. 2 tbsp. hoisin sauce like this
3. 2 tbsp. Sriracha like this
4. 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
5. 1 tsp honey
6. 3 tbsp. thick coconut milk
7. 2 tbsp. fried shallots & peanuts mix (scroll above to Stage 2)
8. 1/8 tsp salt (if required)
Method
1 – In a small bowl, add all the ingredients listed in except for the salt and the fried shallots & peanuts mix. Whisk well to combine. Then taste the sauce and add salt to taste. We didn’t any extra salt.
2 – Top the sauce with 2 tbsp. of the fried shallots & peanuts mix.
3 – Serve the dipping sauce alongside your prepared spring rolls. Now eat!
Most peanut dipping sauces call for 1-2 pods of minced garlic. However, we (well, I) cannot abide by the taste (and hours of aftertaste) of raw garlic, so I leave it out. Feel free to include it in the recipe, but since Sriracha contains garlic, this sauce is sufficiently garlicy as is. You can make this sauce ahead of the rolls and store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. Simply bring it to room temperature and give it another quick whisk, and top with the fried shallots & peanuts mix before serving.