fresh vietnamese spring rolls

These little beauties are one of my favorite foods of all time. Crisp, bright, cool, clean and colorful.

Full of flavor, and a trace amount of fat (from a few boiled shrimp). Gluten free as well.

Some of these items may not be readily available in the supermarket. I used to have to stock up when we visited the big city or ordered online, no problems,  from here.  Amazon is also an option. Fortunately my supermarket, here is rural Colorado carries the wrappers and noodles, Yeaaah!

Shopping list

 Bahn Trang (rice or tapioca wrappers)

A note about fresh springroll wrappers, Bahn Trang, they last forever unopened in their original package. Once exposed to air they become very brittle and crack easily. Store the package in a gallon ziplock bag and take out as many as you are preparing and quickly seal shut.

mung bean tread/cellophane noodles

Soak in a bowl of water for 15 minutes then strain. They are ready to use, no boiling necessary.

lettuce leaves 

(soft like bibb, or just the flexible green from romaine

any stiff parts, like the center rib of the romaine will tear the wrapper)

whole fresh mint leaves 

(from my garden, read about it here)

whole fresh cilantro leaves

carrot, julienned or matchsticks 

(if you don't have a mandolin or slicer, shave off some carrot with a peeler, it works equally well and is actually easier)

shrimp, cooked and de-veined

So I like to de-vein my shrimp then boil in some seasoned water, take the stems from the mint and cilantro and toss into the water. Bring to a boil a large pot of water. Add the cleaned shrimp shell on cook 2-3 minutes until pink but don't overcook. Strain shell and place in a bowl of ice, refrigerate until ready to use. OR use already peeled and cooked if you like a more simple version.

Dipping sauce - sweet chili sauce

(these are intended for fried spring rolls, but work excellent with these fresh rolls,

sweet and spicy - but not too spicy

not nearly as hot as Tabasco or even Srirachia)

Any version will work and many supermarkets have some. These are my favorites from an Asian market in the big city.

Take one of the wrappers and handle carefully. You don't want them to crack. Small cracks are OK but they can be difficult to handle and roll after they soften.

Fill a shallow dish with about 1" of water and place one wrapper in at a time or they will stick together.

Move it around gently to make sure it's getting wet on both sides. It takes just one minute or less. Remove it before it is completely saturated, yet flexible. Let it soak longer than a minute and it will be really floppy and hard to manage.

Place it on a cutting board and smooth it flat.

Now lets build the roll

Place 2 or 3 mint leaves in the center

then a piece of lettuce

some noodles

a bunch of carrot

a couple pieces of shrimp (you can use more, but I like to taste all the flavors, I find if you use more shrimp it over powers the other ingredients)

and a bunch of cilantro

Big Brother was helping, I love those chubbly little fingers

Maybe  you can notice that the cutting board is wet, this keeps the wrapper slippery and easy to work with, don't bother wiping it dry

Now roll it up, similar to rolling a burrito.

This next little tuck squeeze and 1/2 roll is how the roll stays nice and uniform

 I always have to eat the first one right away, they are so good I can't wait.

They will seem wet at first. After sitting for about five minutes, any remaining water will absorb into the wrapper, it will no longer feel slippery and will have sealed itself.

Aren't they gorgeous?

Serve on a simple platter, as to not distract from their beauty. 

That wasn't so hard.

These keep for a day in the fridge and make EXCELLENT finger foods for any occasion. You can slice them on the diagonal to show off the goodness inside.

I guarantee everyone will be asking you how you made them and wanting more.

{nut free home, no peanut dipping sauce here}

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