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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.
How To Make Summer Rolls
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.
The first step is to assemble all the ingredients: rice noodles, vegetables and the shrimp.
Next, assemble the rolls using the fresh ingredients and make the dipping sauce.
While you can assemble the rolls in advance for your family and guests, you should let them make their own rolls.
It’s fun to play with the food and get hands on with rolling the rolls.
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.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
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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, as pictured below. 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.
This was so scrumptious! No one could ever get turned down bringing this to work or school whatever. I brought this to my school and everyone loved it!
Hello!
Thanks for sharing your summer rolls recipe; I can’t wait to make it. Please can you let me know what is meant by the creamy peanut sauce? I live in the UK and I’ve never heard of this before.
Thanks,
Kacie
Bottled peanut butter.
In America, we have smooth peanut butter and chunky peanut butter, The creamy or smooth has no peanut bits in it. Everything is pureed so that is in like a smooth liquid-like paste. I have read to use “natural” peanut butter for some of these types of recipes to avoid the extra sugar, too, and let the peanut flavor really shine.
i love making this dish at home , so easy and fun to make
I’m definitely trying this recipe. One question, Is the peanut sauce mentioned for the dipping sauce the same as your Thai Peanut Sauce or your Satay Peanut Sauce? Or do I go for plain smooth peanut butter?
They taste different but made with creamy peanut sauce in the bottle.
What a great recipe! The first rolls I made looked a bit untidy, but since then I have perfected the method, and yesterday I took to a shared lunch a large plateful of rolls, fanned around a bowl of the dipping sauce. It was a great hit, and the last one disappeared in under ten minutes. Thank you! The sauce is delicious, far tastier than any I have been served in Vietnamese shops and restaurants.
What is the difference between peanut butter sauce and peanut butter?
Eva
The peanut butter sauce is the dipping sauce made with peanut butter and other ingredients.
These were spectacular! The peanut sauce is better than most restaurants! Easy to make. Definitely making this again.
Thanks Jennifer, yes, my summer rolls recipe is amazing. Do try out more of my recipes, they are all amazing and delicious!
How big/what diameter rice paper disks do you use?
Thanks.
I can tell you they are approximately 9″ diameter for these spring rolls (to compensate for filling and folding). There are smaller versions, but they’re used for other recipes. Hope this helps.
a must trya must try
like yourrecipe authentic in fact i subscribed yr programe alsob last year ordered/paid for recipe ooklet but
did not received it
dicky
I travel 30 minutes one way to buy summer rolls from our favorite takeout. After reading everything, I feel confident, I can make them on my own . Thank you!!! Love everything.
Awesome, it’s very easy to make. No need to travel and buy anymore!