I confess; the first time I ordered spring rolls at a restaurant and got these translucent, cold rolls with raw veggies and not crispy, fried spring rolls… I was a tad confused and disappointed. BUT… if you’re like me and you’re not the biggest fan of biting into a roll of raw veggies… you need a dipping sauce! These quick fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce pack a ton of flavour and fun!
They make for a fun, filling appetizer,
Or a great lighter lunch.
And they’re crunchy,
Herby,
Sweet,
And Spicy!
Ingredients For Quick Fresh Spring Rolls
We pack these rolls full of:
- Instant Rice Vermicelli Noodles
- Julienned Carrots
- Cucumber
- Fresh Cilantro
- And A Drizzle Of The Prepared Peanut Sauce!
How Quick Are These Fresh Spring Rolls
The omission of the pork and shrimp that are in the traditional Vietnamese spring rolls. Our rolls are inspired by the traditional, BUT…
By omitting the need to cook pork and shrimp… you save at least 30 minutes of prep time!
By the time you dunk these rolls into thick, creamy, sweet, and spicy peanut sauce… you won’t miss the pork and shrimp.
You get the satisfying crunch from the veggies
The soft chewiness from the noodles and rice wrapper
The fresh herby taste from the cilantro
And a wallop of flavour from the thick, sweet, salty, and spicy sauce!
And, as if it couldn’t get any better, the peanut sauce packs in the protein! If you’re unsure about omitting the pork and shrimp and losing those sources of protein… the peanut sauce has you covered.
If you want some more information about traditional Vietnamese spring rolls, Hungry Huy has some great background info and a more authentic recipe where you can peruse the preparation of the pork and shrimp.
Recipe Cost
Another little perk of removing the pork and shrimp…
12 of these quick fresh spring rolls cost us approximately: CAD $9.10. If you don’t have these ingredients in your pantry and you’re buying them specifically for this recipe, you will have leftovers and can easily double the amount of rolls.
- Adding ½ pound pork and shrimp purchased from a wholesale store would add approximately: CAD $6.79.
- And purchasing the pork and shrimp from our local grocery store would add approximately: CAD $9.15.
Tips For Rolling
Below are some process photos to help you visualize the process. Some tips I find helpful:
- Overstuffing your rolls will make them harder to roll tightly.
- Laying the noodles down first gives a nice base for rolling.
- Not cutting your carrots and cucumber too long prevents them from piercing the wrappers.
- Drizzling a bit of sauce on the inside boosts up the flavour.
- Serving them in a single layer prevents them sticking together.
- And storing them with a dampened cloth keeps them moist if you need to refrigerate them.
Soak your wrapper in hot water for 8-10 seconds
Lay flat on your work surface
Layer noodles and veggies.
Drizzle with sauce.
Gently lift the bottom of the wrapper and fold over the fillings…
Then fold the two sides in.
Pinch the fillings and continue to roll the wrapper in the direction of your first fold.
*Alternatively, fold the sides in first and then roll it up, pinching and tucking the filling to get as tight a roll as you can.
*The ingredients for the peanut sauce are listed below, but if you are unfamiliar with any of the ingredients, our 5 Minute Peanut Sauce recipe has some more detailed information.
Do you think you’re ready? Make these quick fresh spring rolls, stir up the peanut sauce, and dig in! Let us know how you like them in the comments below!
And if you like these, try our Easy Mango Fresh Rolls With Mango Chilli Sauce!
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Your Quick Fresh Spring Rolls With Peanut Sauce
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 fresh rolls 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These quick fresh spring rolls are the perfect appetizer for your guests. They’re fun, filling, and the 5 minute peanut sauce is the star!
Ingredients
Spring Rolls
- 12 rice paper wrappers*
- 4 oz instant rice vermicelli noodles
- 2 medium carrots (julienned)*
- 1 english cucumber (julienned)*
- 1 bunch cilantro*
Peanut Dipping Sauce
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- ½ tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp chilli garlic sauce
- ⅛ – ¼ cup warm water to thin
- optional: ⅛ cup chopped peanuts for garnish
- optional: ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes for garnish
*Fresh ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
- To make the peanut dipping sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Store in the fridge until you are ready to build the rolls.
For The Spring Rolls:
- Prepare your noodles as per the package instructions (usually they only require standing in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Then drain and rinse with cold water).
- Julienne your carrots and cucumber.
- With all your ingredients ready, prepare your station for compiling and rolling the wrappers. Fill a dish or pot, large enough to submerge the wrappers, with 3-4 inches of hot water (as hot as your hands can take).
- Place the pot of water, your fresh ingredients, your dipping sauce, and your rice paper wrappers around a flat working surface with room to make your rolls.
- When ready, carefully submerge a rice wrapper in the hot water for 8-10 seconds. You will feel it become soft and pliable. It will continue to soften when you take it out of the water so there’s no need to leave it in beyond 10 seconds if your water is warm enough. As soon as it’s softened, lift the wrapper out of the water, let the excess water drip off for a moment, then lay the wrapper flat on your work surface.
- Careful not to overfill your wrappers; place a handful of noodles in the centre, top with some carrots, cucumbers, and cilantro leaves. Drizzle lightly with peanut sauce, and start rolling.
- See photos for a step by step of how to roll the spring rolls. Bring one half of the wrapper over the fillings. Fold in each side. Carefully, tuck the fillings and continue to roll the spring roll, as tightly as you can, in the direction of your first fold.
- If you layer the finished spring rolls on top of each other they will stick together. If possible, display them in a single layer. Resting them on a damp cloth while you prepare your other rolls can help minimize the sticking (just make sure the cloth isn’t too wet, check that your rolls aren’t getting soggy on the one side).
- These are best served as close to the time you’ve made them as possible. If you need to refrigerate them before serving (or to store leftovers), cover them with a damp paper towel or cloth and keep in an air-tight container. Exposure to the fridge will make the rice paper a little harder and chewier so it’s best to keep them moist.
Notes
*Approximate Cost: Total cost, CAD $9.10. 12 fresh rolls cost roughly: CAD $7.16 with leftovers of most of the ingredients; and the peanut sauce costs: CAD $1.94.
*Making these with pork and shrimp adds roughly CAD $6-$10 to the cost and likely, around 30 minutes to the prep time.
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Various
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
Maria
Made these spring rolls for dinner today. They are awesome! I added red pepper, green onion and fresh mint from my garden. Next time I might try tossing in some tofu. I figure why not?
Kathryn Alexandre
Absolutely! Tofu would be a great addition to these. I’m so glad you made them to suit your preference and were able to use the herbs in your garden!