Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls
User Reviews
5
18 reviews
Excellent
-
Servings
30
-
Course
Others
-
Cuisine
Asian, Vietnamese
Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls
Report
Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls feature thin julienned vegetables like carrots, green papaya, and red bell pepper, combined with fresh herbs such as coriander, mint, and Vietnamese mint, wrapped with rice noodles in softened rice papers. They are served with a bright, balanced dipping sauce made from lemon juice, palm sugar, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, coriander roots, and red chili, delivering a fresh, crisp, and fragrant appetizer or light meal.
Description
This recipe for Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls involves preparing julienned vegetables—carrots, green papaya (or Chinese cabbage), and red bell pepper—with a generous amount of fresh herbs including coriander, mint, and the pungent Vietnamese mint. Bean sprouts and finely chopped shallots and green onions add further texture. Roasted crushed peanuts and fried shallots provide garnish and crunch.
The rice papers are softened briefly in hot water just enough to make them pliable without becoming soggy, then filled with a portion of rice noodles and prepared vegetables before rolling. The dipping sauce balances tartness from lemon juice, sweetness from dissolved palm sugar, saltiness from fish sauce, and aromatic notes from fresh garlic, ginger, coriander roots, and red chili, which can be adjusted to taste.
Preparation is eased by making the dressing and cutting the vegetables in advance. The rolls are fresh and vibrant, with a mix of herbal brightness, crunchy vegetables, and nutty toppings that make them ideal for appetizers or light, refreshing meals.
Careful attention to soaking the rice papers briefly prevents sogginess, maintaining their delicate texture after rolling. The complex dipping sauce highlights the fresh flavors and makes the dish distinctive.
Share:
Ingredients
I like to julienne ( matchsticks) my vegetables so they are all about the same size. You can also do this in a food processor
- 2 cups bean sprout approximately
- 2 carrot julienned
- 2 cups green papaya julienned or substitute Chinese cabbage
- 1 cup red bell pepper julienned, red capsicum
- 1 bunch Coriander leaves picked stalks and roots reserved
- 1 bunch mint leaves picked
- 1 bunch Vietnamese mint (picked this is very pungent and really makes a difference to the rolls)
- 1 cup shallot of finely chopped u can use Spanish onion if you prefer
- 1 cup green onion of finely chopped u can use Spanish onion if you prefer
- 1 cup peanuts crushed roasted unsalted and some for garnish (you can buy them in Asian stores)
- 1/2 cup shallot Asian stores, these are crunchy, fried
- 100 gm rice paper 1 packet, round
- 100 gm rice noodles small packet
Dressing and dipping sauce.
- 375 ml lemon juice or 4 lemons and 2 limes squeezed. This should make about 1 1/2- 2 cups of juice
- 150 gm palm sugar 3/4 cup caster sugar
- 125 ml fish sauce 1/2 cup
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 cm ginger grated
- 1 bunch Coriander well washed- roots and stems left over from above
- 2 whole red chili
Instructions
- You will need a clean tea towel and some boiling water.
To start;
- Make the dressing so it has time to sit (it can be made a day ahead, in fact it is a good idea to do this along with cutting the vegetables to save you time on the day you roll)
- Put the lemon juice into a small bowl. Add about ¼ cup of hot water to the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add ¾ of this sugar mix to the lemon juice. Add most of the fish sauce. Stir and taste. It should be a good combination of the three. It should taste salty enough to be seasoned with a good hint of sweetness and a nice whack of lemon. Continue to add bits of the sugar and fish sauce until you have a combination you like. ( If you want to add more lemon do, if you have no more lemon rice vinegar may be a good substitute, if you want more sugar once again add a bit of hot water and stir to dissolve before adding).
- Now chop the garlic, ginger, coriander roots and stems and as much chilli as you like-but keep it edible! You can chop this by hand or just toss it all the food processor and chop. Add the chopped herbs to the liquid lemon dressing mix and set aside or refrigerate till needed.
- Clean all the herbs and pick them putting them all into a bowl
- Cut all the vegetables into even slices by hand or in a food processor with an attachment. I have a mandolin that slices finely then I cut them into matchstick slices. Add them all to the herbs along with the nuts and fried shallots ( if using).
- Pour boiling water over ½ small packet of vermicelli noodles (to make about 2 cups). Sit them in the hot water till they are white and soaked through. They need to be easy to eat, not chewy. Drain well and cool down.
- Strain (straining is best) about half of the dressing into the vegetables and toss well to combine. Leave while you set up to roll.
- Toss the vegetables so they are coated in the dressing each time you roll a new batch. ( there will probably be a bit of dressing left in the bowl at the end)
- You will need: A bowl of very warm water and a clean tea towel laid out on a bench. Have a tray or container handy to put the finished rolls on. It will be best to put paper or a plastic liner between layers if they have to be stacked. keep them covered with a damp tea towel too.
- Put 3-4 rice papers at a time into the water only leaving long enough so they are soaked through. Lay them in lines not touching on the tea towel, and dip more. You should fit about 9 or so on your towel *This is the very important part. Don't over wet them they will continue to soak up water as they sit on the tea towel.
- Put a small amount of noodles on each one followed by some vegetables on all 9. Now clean your hands, and get ready to roll. Flip the side of the rice paper closest to you over the vegetables pushing down to roll them and roll half way. Fold each side in to form a pocket and then roll up completely. Sit each one on it's seem till you finish the others . Move them onto a platter or container ( platter is best). They will be very sticky and will possibly stick to each other a bit. Continue replacing some of the rice paper dipping water with some extra warm water if it cools down. If they are not over soaked they are like very sticky almost translucent rounds. After a little practise you will get the idea.
- Serve with the remaining dressing. Drain and add extra sliced chilli if you like. Can also be served with hoisin sauce and crushed peanuts or sweet chilli sauce.
Notes
- Julienne vegetables to uniform sizes for easy rolling and balanced texture.
- Do not skip coriander roots and stems in the dipping sauce; they significantly enhance its flavor.
- Prepare vegetables and dressing a day in advance to save time on serving day; store separately in sealed containers.
- Soak rice papers only briefly in hot water to avoid sogginess; they should feel slightly firm when removed and will soften on a tea towel.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
18 reviews
Excellent
Other Recipes
You'll Also Love
