Fresh Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce
Rice paper rolled tight around shrimp, herbs, and cold noodles — no stove needed once the fillings are ready, and the peanut sauce does the rest.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Written
Method
-
Bring a pot of water to a boil, cook the vermicelli until tender, about 3 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water.
-
In the same pot, poach the shrimp until pink and opaque, about 2 minutes, then cool and slice in half lengthwise.
-
Boil the pork belly until cooked through and no longer pink at the center, about 20 minutes, then cool completely and slice paper-thin.
-
Whisk the peanut butter, hoisin, lime juice, garlic, and warm water together until smooth and pourable, then stir in chili garlic sauce to taste.
-
Fill a wide, shallow dish with warm water. Dip one rice paper wrapper until just pliable, about 10 seconds, and lay it flat on a damp cutting board.
-
Layer lettuce, herbs, noodles, two shrimp halves cut-side down, and a few pork slices across the lower third of the wrapper.
-
Fold the sides in, then roll tightly from the bottom up into a firm cylinder, pressing out air pockets as you go.
-
Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling, and serve with the peanut sauce for dipping.
Notes
The trick is not over-soaking the rice paper — pull it while it’s still a little stiff, since it keeps softening as it sits and finishes turning pliable by the time you actually roll it. Leave it in too long and it tears the moment you touch it.
Swap the pork for extra shrimp or fried tofu to keep it vegetarian, and pat the herbs dry before you start — wet leaves make the whole roll slide apart in the peanut sauce.