Gỏi Cuốn Rolls

Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls with Pork & Shrimp

Introduction

There is something especially refreshing about gỏi cuốn, Vietnamese fresh spring rolls. Soft rice paper is wrapped around rice vermicelli, crisp vegetables, fresh herbs, pork, and shrimp, then served with a rich dipping sauce.

Growing up in Vietnam, street food was part of everyday life. I loved the busy streets, the sounds of cooking, and the wonderful aromas coming from small food stalls. Sometimes those simple foods were even more exciting to me than eating at home.

Gỏi cuốn brings back those memories.

It is fresh, light, colorful, and meant to be eaten with your hands. The combination of cool vegetables, fragrant herbs, tender pork and shrimp, soft noodles, and dipping sauce makes every bite different.

There are many ways to make gỏi cuốn. This is the version I enjoy making at home.

Your fresh and flavorful summer rolls are now ready to be enjoyed. Dip them into the tasty sauce you’ve prepared and savor every bite. Bon appétit!

Yield:

• Make 12-20 pieces

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce

Supplies:

• Cutting board

• scale

• pot/ sauce pan

Fresh Spring roll with shrimp and Pork 

Ingredients: 

• Rice paper 10-12 pieces

• Proteins: 10 tiger shrimp, pork tenderloin or tofu or fruit for vegetarian option

• Fresh herbs : 1 bunch fresh Mints, Thai basil, cilantro

• Bean sprout 1 cup

• Cucumber 1/4 English cucumber

• Celery

• Red bell pepper

• 1 bunch lettuce

• Vermicelli  noodles 100g of dry noodles

• Warm water

• 1 shallot

• Cooking oil

Steps:

Prepare the Vermicelli

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the vermicelli noodles.

Cook for approximately 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow the noodles to sit in the hot water for another 2–3 minutes, or until tender.

Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent the noodles from sticking together.

Set aside to drain well.

Prepare the Pork

Bring a pot of water to a boil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Add about ¼ of a small onion for additional flavor.

Add the pork belly or tenderloin and gently cook for approximately 20 minutes, or until completely cooked through. Cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of the pork.

Allow the pork to cool, then slice it thinly so it is easy to wrap.

Prepare the Shrimp

Wash the shrimp well. I like using tiger shrimp because they have a firm texture and good flavor.

Cook the shrimp with their shells on, adding a small amount of vinegar to the cooking liquid. Cover and cook for approximately 5–10 minutes, depending on their size, until fully cooked.

Allow them to cool, then peel and cut each shrimp in half lengthwise.

Cooking the shrimp in their shells helps them retain their shape and gives you beautiful pieces for arranging inside the rice paper.

Prepare the Vegetables

Wash and thoroughly dry all the lettuce, herbs, and vegetables.

I consider lettuce and mint the basics, but cucumber, cilantro, bean sprouts, garlic chives, bell pepper, and other fresh vegetables can also be added.

Fry some thinly sliced shallots until golden and crisp. Reserve both the fried shallots and a little of the fragrant shallot oil.

How to Assemble Gỏi Cuốn

Prepare all your ingredients before you begin rolling. Once the rice paper is wet, humans suddenly discover that organization would have been useful five minutes earlier.

1. Lightly brush your work surface or cutting board with a little shallot oil to help prevent sticking.

2. Quickly dip one sheet of rice paper into warm water. Do not soak it for too long; it will continue to soften as you assemble the roll.

3. Lay the rice paper flat on your work surface.

4. Place lettuce near the lower third of the wrapper.

5. Add fresh herbs and vegetables.

6. Add a small amount of vermicelli. Avoid overfilling, or the rice paper may tear.

7. Add 2–3 thin slices of pork.

8. Arrange the shrimp separately so their beautiful color shows through the finished rice paper.

9. Fold the bottom of the wrapper over the filling.

10. Fold in both sides, then continue rolling firmly but gently until completely closed.

Serve freshly made with dipping sauce.

Fermented Soybean & Peanut Dipping Sauce

For my dipping sauce, I prefer the deeper flavor of fermented soybeans rather than relying only on hoisin sauce.

I combine them with peanut butter for richness, a little vinegar and sugar for balance, and coconut milk powder for a creamy finish.

For a peanut-free version, WowButter can be substituted for peanut butter.

Ingredients :

• 200g fermented Soya beans

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

• 2 tbsp peanut butter / replacing peanut butter with wow butter if there's a peanut allergy.

• 1 tbsp coconut powder

• 1 cup water

• 1 tbsp vinegar

• 1tbsp brown sugar or caster sugar

• 1 shallots

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 shallots for frying

Steps:

1. Sauté finely chopped shallots and garlic until fragrant.

2. Add the fermented soybeans and cook briefly to release their flavor.

3. Add enough water to loosen the mixture and create the base of the sauce.

4. Stir in peanut butter or WowButter, followed by a little vinegar and sugar. Add coconut milk powder for richness and a subtle sweetness.

5. Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until smooth and creamy.

6. Taste and adjust the sweetness, acidity, or consistency as needed.

   Finish with some of the crispy fried shallots on top.

A Few Tips for Beautiful Rolls

Don't oversoak the rice paper. A quick dip is enough. It should still feel slightly firm when you place it on your work surface.

Don't overfill. A smaller roll is much easier to close neatly and is less likely to tear.

Dry your vegetables well. Excess water inside the roll can make the wrapper slippery and fragile.

Arrange the shrimp carefully. Place the cut side where it will show through the wrapper. This gives gỏi cuốn its classic appearance.

Serve them fresh. Rice paper becomes firmer as it sits, so these rolls are at their best soon after assembling.