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Summer Rolls recipe made of rice noodles, lettuce, carrots, shrimp and served with peanut sauce. This Vietnamese appetizer is so healthy and delicious. Learn how to assemble the rolls with easy step-by-step picture guide.
Summer Rolls Recipe
What is a summer roll?
Summer rolls are one of the most popular appetizers in Vietnamese recipes, another crowd favorite is Cha Gio Vietnamese spring rolls. They are healthy, refreshing and low in calories.
The rolls are made with fresh vegetables and boiled shrimp and/or sliced pork. All the ingredients are rolled together using rice paper, very similar to Filipino lumpia.
Vietnamese summer rolls are commonly served with a creamy and savory peanut dipping sauce or nuoc mam cham (fish sauce dipping sauce).
Rice Noodle Is The Main Ingredient
The key ingredient is Asian rice noodles. You can find many brands of rice noodles or rice vermicelli in the market.
For the best results, buy Vietnamese rice noodles made specially for summer rolls. The label usually shows the picture of the rolls.
Other than that, you can also use Maifun Rice Noodles in a box, for example: Annie Chun’s brand.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
Making Summer Rolls are a lot easier than you think. You can get the ingredients easily at Asian stores or online.
Nowadays, you can also find Asian ingredients at regular supermarkets, in the International food aisle.
How To Make Summer Rolls
Add the water to a pot and bring it to a boil. Add the rice noodles and cook according to the package instructions, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
Combine all the ingredients for the Hoisin-Peanut Sauce in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth and well combined. Transfer to a dipping bowl and garnish with chopped peanuts.
In another small pot, bring water to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook for about 1 minute, or until fully cooked. Drain and let cool, then slice each shrimp in half lengthwise. Set aside. Divide the vermicelli, shrimp, lettuce, and carrot into 6 equal portions.
Start by dipping one sheet of rice paper into a large bowl of water—just a quick dip to soften it. Gently shake off any excess water and lay it flat on a clean, dry surface like your countertop or a chopping board. I usually start building the roll from the bottom third of the rice paper, so go ahead and add a small pile of rice noodles there.
Next, layer on the sliced lettuce and carrots right on top of the noodles. Keep everything neatly stacked in the lower third of the rice paper—this makes it easier to roll up later.
Place 3 shrimp halves on top of the veggies, pink side facing down. This way, when you roll it up, the shrimp will show through the rice paper for that classic summer roll look.
Fold the bottom of the rice paper up and over the filling, tucking it snugly as you go. Then fold in the left and right sides to seal the edges—kind of like wrapping a burrito. Keep it tight so everything holds together nicely when you roll.
Continue rolling the rice paper all the way up into a snug, tight roll. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Once done, slice each summer roll in half diagonally and arrange them on a serving platter. Serve right away with the Hoisin-Peanut Sauce for dipping!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, they are very healthy. Just skip the shrimp in the recipe and the rolls are vegan and vegetarian friendly.
Yes, you can use chicken. Just substitute shrimp with chicken in the recipe.
This recipe is only 95 calories per roll.
What To Serve With This Recipe
Serve this dish with Vietnamese appetizers or main dishes. For a healthy meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Summer Rolls
Ingredients
- water, for boiling
- 4 oz (125g) rice noodles , or rice vermicelli or Maifun rice noodles
- 4 oz (125g) shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 leaves fresh lettuce, sliced
- 6 sheets Vietnamese rice paper
- 2 oz. (60g) carrot, peeled and cut into matchstick strips
Hoisin-Peanut Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoons creamy peanut sauce
- 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup warm water
- sugar , to taste
- 1 tablespoon roasted peanuts, roughly chopped or pounded
Instructions
- Add the water to a pot and bring it to a boil. Add the rice noodles and cook according to the package instructions, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse under cold water, then set aside.
- Combine all the ingredients for the Hoisin-Peanut Sauce together in a small bowl. Whisk it to mix well. Transfer to a dip bowl and garnish with the peanuts.
- In another small pot, bring some water to a boil. Cook the shrimp for about 1 minute, or until they are completely cooked. Drain, let cool, and slice in half lengthwise. Set aside. Divide the vermicelli, shrimp, lettuce, and carrot into 6 equal portions.
- To assemble the summer rolls, dip one sheet of rice paper in a large bowl of water. Shake off the excess water and quickly transfer it to a clean, dry, flat working surface, such as a kitchen countertop or a chopping board. Place the rice noodles on the bottom part of the rice paper.
- Add the sliced lettuce and carrots.
- Place 3 shrimp halves on top.
- Fold the bottom side of rice paper over the filling securely, then fold the left and right sides of the rice paper over the filing. Make sure the filling is secured tightly.
- Continue to roll the summer roll over. Repeat this process until all the ingredients are used. Cut the summer rolls diagonally in the middle into halves, place them on a platter, and serve immediately with the Hoisin-Peanut Sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
You wrote “1 tablespoons creamy ‘peanut sauce’” instead of ‘peanut butter’. I believe that is why you are getting so many questions directed at this.