Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls Recipe

Introduction

Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls are light, fresh, and bursting with vibrant flavors. These handheld delights combine tender prawns, crisp lettuce, fresh herbs, and vermicelli noodles wrapped in delicate rice paper, served with a creamy peanut dipping sauce.

Ingredients

• 7 – 14 sheets of 22cm (8.5″) round rice paper
• 11 small cooked prawns/shrimp (about 12cm/5″ in length, unpeeled including the head)
• 50g (1.5 oz) dried vermicelli noodles
• 7 lettuce leaves (soft varieties like Oak or Butter Lettuce)
• 14 mint leaves
• 1 cup bean sprouts

Vietnamese Peanut Dipping Sauce:

• 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter (crunchy optional)
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp white vinegar or lime juice
• 1/3 cup milk (any fat %) or water
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp crushed chili, sambal oelek, or other chili paste (optional)

Instructions

1. Step 1: Prepare the peanut dipping sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Mix briefly, then microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Let it cool and adjust the sourness, saltiness, and spiciness to taste. Thin with milk or water if needed.
2. Step 2: Soak vermicelli noodles in warm water for 2 minutes or follow packet instructions. Drain well.
3. Step 3: Peel, halve lengthwise, and devein the prawns.
4. Step 4: Remove the crunchy core from the lettuce leaves to make them pliable.
5. Step 5: Make lettuce bundles by layering some vermicelli noodles and bean sprouts inside a lettuce leaf, then rolling it up with the seam side down. Repeat for all bundles.
6. Step 6: Fill a large bowl with warm water. If the bowl is not big enough, submerge the rice paper in sections for about 2 seconds each to soften it.
7. Step 7: If using two rice papers per roll, place them together smooth side out and submerge briefly as above. Lay them on your work surface with the smooth side down.
8. Step 8: On the top third of the rice paper, place 3 prawns with a mint leaf between each.
9. Step 9: Position one lettuce bundle seam side down in the middle of the rice paper.
10. Step 10: Fold the left and right edges of the rice paper inward, then roll up firmly from the bottom to enclose the filling. The rice paper will stick and seal itself.
11. Step 11: Serve immediately with the peanut dipping sauce or store as directed.

Tips & Variations

• Use two rice papers per roll for easier handling and less tearing, though the thicker ends will be slightly chewier.
• Choose soft lettuce like butter or oak lettuce; iceberg is too crunchy and prone to tearing the rice paper.
• Adjust the peanut sauce flavor with more peanut butter, vinegar, or chili paste as preferred. Milk lightens the sauce’s color without altering flavor.
• For a peanut-free sauce, substitute sweet chili sauce instead.
• Try adding julienned carrots, cucumber, alfalfa, thin tofu slices, shredded chicken, or fresh herbs like coriander for different fillings.
• Roll the bean sprouts and vermicelli inside the lettuce leaf first to keep the contents together and make rolling easier.
• You can create a fun DIY station by setting out the ingredients and letting guests assemble their own rice paper rolls.

Storage

Rice paper rolls are best enjoyed fresh but can be made up to 6 hours ahead. Wrap each roll tightly in cling wrap and refrigerate to keep them moist. Avoid covering them loosely with a damp towel, as this can cause off odors and sogginess. When ready to eat, serve cold or at room temperature; reheating isn’t recommended as the rice paper can become tough.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use other proteins besides prawns?

Absolutely! Shredded chicken, thinly sliced tofu, or even cooked pork work well. Choose fresh, cooked ingredients and slice them into manageable pieces for rolling.

How do I prevent the rice paper from tearing?

Soak the rice paper just long enough to soften—about 2 seconds per section—then handle gently. Using two rice papers per roll adds strength. Also, soften lettuce cores and avoid overfilling to reduce tearing.

Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls Recipe

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Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls are fresh, light, and flavorful spring rolls made with delicate rice paper wrappers filled with cooked prawns, soft lettuce, vermicelli noodles, mint leaves, and bean sprouts. Served with a creamy and tangy Vietnamese peanut dipping sauce, these rolls make for a healthy appetizer or light meal with authentic Vietnamese flavors.

• Author: Lily
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 7–14 rolls (depending if using 1 or 2 rice papers per roll) 1x
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: No-Cook
• Cuisine: Vietnamese

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Rice Paper Rolls

• 7 – 14 sheets of 22cm/8.5″ round rice paper
• 11 small cooked prawns/shrimp (about 12cm/5″ in length, unpeeled including the head)
• 50g / 1.5 oz dried vermicelli noodles
• 7 lettuce leaves (soft type like Oak or Butter Lettuce)
• 14 mint leaves
• 1 cup bean sprouts

Vietnamese Peanut Dipping Sauce

• 1 tbsp peanut butter, preferably smooth
• 2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp white vinegar or lime juice
• 1/3 cup milk (any fat %) or water
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp crushed chilli, samba oelek or other chilli paste (optional, adjust to taste)

Instructions

1. Prepare the Peanut Sauce: Combine all peanut dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl. Mix briefly—they won’t fully combine yet—then microwave for 30 seconds. Stir again until smooth and set aside to cool. Adjust the sourness with more vinegar, salt with salt, and spiciness with chili paste. Adjust thickness with more milk or water once cooled.
2. Prepare the Vermicelli Noodles: Place the vermicelli noodles in a bowl and cover with warm water for 2 minutes or follow packet instructions until softened. Drain thoroughly.
3. Prepare the Prawns: Peel the cooked prawns, slice them in half lengthwise, and devein carefully.
4. Prepare the Lettuce: Remove the crunchy core from the lettuce leaves. For easier rolling, place some vermicelli noodles and bean sprouts inside each leaf and roll it up tightly to form lettuce bundles.
5. Soften the Rice Paper : Fill a large bowl with warm water. Submerge two rice paper sheets together for about 2 seconds each side to soften them. If the bowl is small, rotate rice papers to wet entire surface thoroughly.
6. Assemble the Rolls: Place the two softened rice papers on a flat surface with the smooth side facing down. On the top part, lay down 3 prawn halves with a mint leaf between each one. Place one lettuce bundle in the center.
7. Roll the Rice Paper: Fold the left and right edges inward. Starting from the bottom edge, roll the rice paper over the filling and continue rolling firmly until sealed. The sticky rice paper will hold itself closed.
8. Serve: Serve the rice paper rolls immediately alongside the prepared Vietnamese peanut dipping sauce.

Notes

• Peanut Free Sauce Alternative: Use sweet chilli sauce instead of the peanut dipping sauce.
• Use 2 rice papers per roll for easier handling and less tearing; the thicker ends will still be soft enough to enjoy.
• Butter or oak lettuce is ideal because their soft pliable leaves won’t tear the rice paper. Avoid crunchy lettuce like iceberg unless shredded.
• Adjust the peanut sauce flavor to taste by adding more peanut butter, vinegar, or milk/water for thickness. Milk lightens the color but doesn’t affect the flavor significantly.
• Wrap the bean sprouts and vermicelli in the lettuce before the rice paper to create a secure bundle.
• Store rolls wrapped individually in cling wrap in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours; avoid storing with damp paper towels to prevent off smells and sogginess.
• DIY option: Lay out all ingredients with a bowl of water and let guests make their own rolls.
• Other filling ideas: julienned carrots or cucumbers, alfalfa, watercress, tofu, shredded chicken, or herbs like coriander/cilantro and chives for classic Vietnamese flavor.
• Original peanut dipping sauce (more authentic to some readers) uses smooth peanut butter, sugar, hoisin sauce, sweet soy sauce, garlic, chili, sesame oil, lime juice, and water.

Keywords: Vietnamese spring rolls, rice paper rolls, fresh spring rolls, peanut dipping sauce, healthy appetizer, no-cook rolls, Vietnamese appetizer