Easy Summer Rolls Recipe

Summer rolls are delicious Vietnamese spring rolls that are bursting with the fresh flavors of summer. Shrimp and carrots, lettuce, and rice noodles are wrapped beautifully in rice paper and served with homemade hoisin peanut sauce. This simple summer snack is nutritious and delicious.

What Are Summer Rolls?

Summer rolls are a well-loved Vietnamese appetizer that is made of healthy summer ingredients such as rice noodles as well as fresh carrots, lettuce, and pork and wrapped in rice paper like spring rolls. These delicious delicacies are usually served as an appetizer and are accompanied by an Asian dipping sauce that is a simple and quick summertime snack.

As opposed to spring rolls, summer rolls are made with a special Vietnamese rice paper (banh trang) and aren’t fried and eaten at room temperature which makes them a nutritious gluten-free alternative in place of spring rolls.

Vietnamese Summer Roll Ingredients

There are numerous ingredients you can put in summer rolls but for it to be a real summer roll, it must wrap it in Vietnamese rice paper.

The ingredients for this simple summer roll recipe include:

Rice noodles (bun – rice vermicelli)
Shrimp
Lettuce
Vietnamese rice paper
Carrots

To make a scratch-made sauce to dip:

Hoisin sauce
Creamy peanut sauce
Apple cider vinegar
Warm water
Sugar
Roasted peanuts

Easy Summer Roll Variations

While this recipe is based on shrimp, however, there are a variety of protein sources that are appropriate for fresh summer rolls.

Pork slices cut into pieces
Chicken
Beef
Tofu

You can also make veggie summer rolls by adding your favorite vegetables. Be sure to cut the veggies into small matchsticks.

Carrot
Scallion
Radish
Bean sprouts
Lettuce
Bell pepper
Cucumber
Cabbage

Tips for Making Summer Rolls

What’s the accurate method to cut vegetables for these spring-summer roll recipes?

To ensure that the summer roll is wrapped neatly and tightly the veggies should be cut into matchsticks of fine quality similar to the Julienne.

There are prepared-sliced or shredded vegetables at a variety of grocers to help you save time and prepare.

How can I keep my wrappers for summer to keep them from drying?

Make just one wrapper at a go and make sure not to soak all wrappers all at once. Dip a single wrapper into the water, fill it, roll, and seal it before proceeding to the next.

Be sure to have plenty of space to work in and set up in a rolling station equipped with everything you need to begin the assembly.

How do I find the accurate method of softening rice paper?

The rice paper is soaked in chilled or at room temperature will make it more comfortable to use. The warm water softens them quickly, making them sticky when compared to room temperature water, which allows you to work longer.

What should I serve along with Summer Rolls?

These are excellent eaten as an appetizer a party snack, or a pre-dinner appetizer. Combine this recipe with your Vietnamese favorite dishes to create a real dish.

Prepare ahead and storage tips

The summer rolls can be made up to three days in advance which is a huge time-saver. Here are some helpful tips for cooking Vietnamese summer rolls before the event or celebration.

Keep the summer rolls as is instead of cutting them up. This keeps them fresh, and it will allow you to cut them up before serving.
Wrapping each roll with plastic wrap can stop the paper on the rice from drying and prevent these summer rolls from getting stuck together.

The leftover summer rolls should be kept in the refrigerator in a container that is sealed. To keep them fresh in the refrigerator for up to three days, put a moist paper towel over the top of the roll in the container.

It is not advised that you freeze the recipe since this can result in the paper drying and breaking.

Summer Rolls

Cook Time 10 minutes

Asian chicken lettuce wraps in butter lettuce cups with hoisin dipping sauce

Total Time: 10mins and minutes

Servings: 2

The summer rolls are a refreshing Vietnamese popular dish that is simple to make at home. You can make Vietnamese spring rolls using rice-based noodles, lettuce, shrimp, and carrots for an energizing summer meal. Serve them with a simple homemade hoisin-peanut sauce..

Ingredients

water to boil
4 oz. rice noodles and rice vermicelli
4 oz. deveined and peeled shrimp
2 leaves of fresh lettuce cut into slices
Six sheets of Vietnamese rice paper
2 oz. carrot separated and peeled into matchsticks

Hoisin-Peanut Sauce

4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon creamy peanut sauce 1 tablespoon creamy peanut
4 tablespoons cider vinegar from apple
1/4 cup of warm water
Sugar to suit your tastes
1 tablespoon roasted peanuts broken up or chopped

Instructions

Make sure to fill a large pot of water and bring it to an unbeatable boil at high temperature. Then, add the noodles into the boiling water, and cook according to the directions on the package, mixing frequently to avoid sticking. When you finish, remove the noodles from the water and rinse them in cool water to stop the cooking process.
To prepare the hoisin and peanut sauce, mix the hoisin, peanut sauce apple cider vinegar sugar, and warm water in a tiny bowl. Mix until well combined and transfer the sauce to a small dipping bowl, along with the chopped peanuts.

Once the shrimp is cool, cut the shrimp lengthwise in half.

Begin to assemble your rolls first by breaking the rice noodles and shrimp, as well as the lettuce and carrots into six equal portions.
Make a large container of water, then dip a sheet of rice in the bowl. Then shake off the excess water and transfer the ingredients to a dry, clean cutting board for assembly.
Lay rice noodles onto the bottom part of the paper followed by chopped lettuce and carrots. Then, top with 3 pieces of shrimp cut into pieces.
Fold the bottom of the paper over the filling. Then fold the sides over to secure it in place. Continue rolling the summer roll from the bottom to toward the highest point of paper making sure that the roll is tight and neat.
Repeat steps 5 to 7 with the remaining ingredients. Cut the summer roll into two halves diagonally and serve immediately with hoisin-peanut sauce.