Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls (Gỏi cuốn)

Tags: #Vietnamese #appetizer #makeahead Serving: 12 pieces Total time: 60 minutes

Delicate rice paper rolls filled with shrimp, pork, rice vermicelli, and fragrant herbs, served with classic nước chấm.

Ingredients

For the rolls

• 300g pork belly, skin-on
• 300g raw shrimp, shell-on (medium)
• 150g dry rice vermicelli noodles
• 12 rice paper wrappers (22cm), 90g
• 120g green leaf lettuce, torn
• 120g carrot, julienned
• 150g cucumber, seeded and julienned
• 10g fresh mint leaves
• 10g Thai basil leaves
• 12g cilantro sprigs
• 6g garlic chives or Chinese chives (long), optional
• 8g fine salt

Nước chấm (dipping sauce)

• 120ml warm water
• 45g granulated sugar
• 45ml fish sauce
• 30ml fresh lime juice
• 10ml rice vinegar
• 4g garlic, minced
• 5g red chili, thinly sliced

Hoisin–peanut sauce (optional)

• 80ml hoisin sauce
• 30g creamy peanut butter
• 30ml water
• 5ml rice vinegar
• 2g chili-garlic sauce
• 10g roasted peanuts, crushed

Steps

Make nước chấm

1. Pour 120ml warm water into a medium bowl.
2. Stir in 45g sugar until dissolved.
3. Add 45ml fish sauce.
4. Add 30ml lime juice.
5. Add 10ml rice vinegar.
6. Add 4g minced garlic.
7. Add 5g sliced red chili.
8. Stir to combine.
9. Chill the sauce.

Make hoisin–peanut sauce (optional)

10. Add 80ml hoisin sauce to a small bowl.
11. Add 30g peanut butter.
12. Add 30ml water.
13. Add 5ml rice vinegar.
14. Add 2g chili-garlic sauce.
15. Whisk until smooth.
16. Top with 10g crushed peanuts.

Cook pork and shrimp

17. Pour 2l water into a medium pot.
18. Add 8g fine salt.
19. Bring the water to a boil.
20. Add 300g pork belly.
21. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
22. Simmer the pork for 25 minutes.
23. Remove the pork to a plate.
24. Cool the pork for 10 minutes.
25. Slice the pork thinly across the grain.
26. Return the pot to a boil.
27. Add 300g shrimp.
28. Cook the shrimp for 2 minutes.
29. Drain the shrimp.
30. Chill the shrimp in ice water for 2 minutes.
31. Peel the shrimp.
32. Devein the shrimp.
33. Slice the shrimp in half lengthwise.

Cook noodles

34. Boil 1.5l water in a clean pot.
35. Add 150g dry rice vermicelli.
36. Cook the noodles for 3 minutes.
37. Drain the noodles.
38. Rinse the noodles under cold water.
39. Shake off excess water.

Prep vegetables and herbs

40. Wash 120g lettuce.
41. Dry the lettuce thoroughly.
42. Seed the 150g cucumber.
43. Julienne the cucumber.
44. Julienne 120g carrot.
45. Pick 10g mint leaves from stems.
46. Pick 10g Thai basil leaves.
47. Pick 12g cilantro sprigs.
48. Trim 6g chives to 18cm lengths.

Set up the rolling station

49. Dampen a clean kitchen towel.
50. Lay the damp towel on the work surface.
51. Fill a large shallow bowl with 1l warm water at 40–45°C.
52. Arrange the pork, shrimp, noodles, lettuce, herbs, cucumber, and carrot within reach.
53. Unwrap the rice paper wrappers.

Roll the spring rolls

54. Dip one rice paper wrapper in the warm water for 3 seconds.
55. Place the softened wrapper on the damp towel.
56. Lay 10g lettuce near the lower third of the wrapper.
57. Add 30g cooked vermicelli on the lettuce.
58. Add 10g carrot on the noodles.
59. Add 12g cucumber on the noodles.
60. Add mint leaves on the fillings.
61. Add basil leaves on the fillings.
62. Add cilantro sprigs on the fillings.
63. Lay three slices of pork above the mound near the center.
64. Lay three shrimp halves above the pork with cut sides down.
65. Fold the bottom edge over the fillings.
66. Fold the left side in.
67. Fold the right side in.
68. Roll the wrapper away from you to enclose the fillings.
69. Tuck one chive strand under the last turn.
70. Repeat steps 54–69 to make 12 rolls.
71. Serve with the sauces.

Notes

• Technique: Use warm (not hot) water so the rice paper stays pliable without tearing. Keep the rolling surface slightly damp to prevent sticking.
• Presentation: Place shrimp just under the top layer of the wrapper so they show through after rolling.
• Make-ahead: Cover finished rolls with a barely damp towel and refrigerate up to 4 hours. Refresh the towel if it dries. Avoid stacking to prevent sticking.
• Protein options: Substitute pork shoulder or lean pork loin for pork belly. Omit pork for a lighter roll. Replace shrimp with poached chicken for a classic variation.
• Vegetarian: Replace pork and shrimp with firm tofu (250g, pan-seared) and extra herbs. Use soy-based dipping sauce instead of fish sauce.
• Gluten note: Rice paper and rice noodles are gluten-free, but some hoisin brands contain wheat. Use a gluten-free hoisin if needed.
• Related: Pair with Vietnamese Grilled Pork (Thịt nướng) for a filling platter, or use the nước chấm with Bún (rice vermicelli bowls).