Vietnamese Shrimp Salad Rolls (Gỏi cuốn or Nem cuốn)

Vietnamese Shrimp Salad Rolls, or Gỏi cuốn are the ultimate fresh and tasty cold appetizer. Packed full of succulent cooked shrimp, crunchy veggies, vermicelli noodles, and fresh herbs, they’re easier to make than you think…you’ll be an expert in no time! Serve these gluten free fresh rolls with peanut dipping sauce.

My Rice Paper Roll addiction is no joke. I crave them almost every day, especially in the summer. For a super fresh meal on a hot summer day pair serve them alongside these Vietnamese Grilled Beef Vermicelli Bowls or with Lemongrass Marinated Grilled Pork Chops.

Vietnamese Shrimp Salad Rolls

During the summer (and anytime really) salad rolls are one of my favourite quick cold lunches. I used to order them all the time… until I found it’s one of the easiest recipes to make. It may take a bit of practice to get the rolling technique but once you do, you’ll never order takeout fresh rolls again!

Let’s start on the outside of these Vietnamese rolls first. The rice paper wrapper has such a unique texture, it’s soft and chewy with just enough strength to hold all of the delicious ingredients. They are super fresh and completely different than deep fried Vietnamese spring rolls.

Then ingredients for this salad rolls recipe are not set in stone. Feel free add or substitute your favourite salad roll ingredients as you like. My favourite combination includes shredded cucumber, pickled carrots (recipe included), vermicelli noodles, lettuce, and shrimp with sweet basil. However, this salad rolls recipe also includes green onions.

Furthermore, you can also substitute other proteins for the cooked shrimp. I like to use grilled lemongrass chicken, satay beef, BBQ pork, or even lemongrass tofu for an all veggie version.

What Are Vietnamese Salad Rolls or Gỏi cuốn?

Salad Rolls are cold Vietnamese hand held appetizers which consist of fresh ingredients rolled together into a large circular rice paper sheet. Other names are summer rolls, rice paper rolls, crystal rolls, or fresh spring rolls depending on where you live.

Salad Rolls always contain cooked thin rice noodles (vermicelli) and usually a protein such as shrimp, grilled pork or beef, thinly sliced pork sausage, stir fried seafood, beef slices, or egg. However, salad rolls are great with crispy tofu or just with fresh vegetables. They are served with peanut dipping sauce or with Nước chấm, a combination of fish sauce, water, sugar, and citrus.

In South Vietnam they are known as Gỏi cuốn while they are called Nem cuốn in the Northern parts of Vietnam. They should never be call spring rolls as they could be confused with the deep fried version.

What Ingredients Are In Salad Rolls?

You will love the versatility and freshness of these salad rolls! The fresh filling usually consist of pickled carrots, lettuce, bean sprouts, shrimp, Thai basil (mint), and spring onions all nestled together in a soft rice paper roll.

I have also included the instructions for pickling the matchstick carrots.

• Rice Paper Sheets
• Shrimp
• Thai Basil
• Vermicelli Noodles
• Bean Sprouts
• Carrots
• Spring Onion
• Sugar
• Rice Wine Vinegar
• Water
• Peanut Butter
• Hoisin Sauce
• Limes
• Chili Sauce

Ingredients are optional. Feel free to replace Thai basil with cilantro, carrots with daikon, bean sprouts with pea shoots, lettuce with thin cabbage, spring onion with chives, etc.

Note: Pickle the carrots (or daikon) in the morning or the day before you plan on making the rolls. You can also leave the carrots fresh, though I do recommend pickling daikon, if using.

To pickle the carrots or daikon, first peel then cut them into matchsticks. Place in a small bowl or jar with 2 teaspoons salt, 2 tablespoons white sugar, ¼ cup rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, ¾ cup boiling water. Stir to allow salt and sugar to dissolve. Allow carrots to pickle for at least an hour, preferably overnight and up to one week.

The ingredients for the peanut sauce include water, peanut butter, Hoisin sauce, fresh lime juice, and either chili sauce or red chili pepper flakes for a touch of spice.

How to Make Shrimp Salad Rolls

The two most important things to master when making Salad Rolls are soaking the rice paper and perfecting the rolling technique.

To soak the rice paper, begin by filling a large basin with about 2 inches of hot water. Soak the wrappers until they have softened, then lay flat on a moistened surface (like a granite or marble counter top). Note: the wrappers will stick to a wood cutting board like crazy.  

Next, arrange shrimp halves and basil leaves near the bottom 1/3 of the wrapper, then cover with lettuce. Pro tip: use butter lettuce, it acts as a ‘shield’ or a second wrapper so the ingredients don’t poke through.

Carefully arrange the other ingredients, including cooked rice noodles, vertically over top of the lettuce. Begin wrapping by folding the rice paper edge nearest your body upward, then fold in the sides. Continue rolling away from your body. Cover the finished rolls loosely with plastic wrap or they will dry out and become tough.

Repeat with remaining rice paper and fillings. Serve with peanut dipping sauce or Nước chấm.

Leftovers and Storage

For best results, eat Shrimp Salad Rolls immediately. To store, wrap the rolls tightly in plastic wrap and place in fridge for up to one day. If the rice paper dries out, mist them slightly and allow the moisture to absorb before serving. 

Hi! I’m Bernice Hill, the heart and soul here at Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen. It is my pleasure to share easy to follow recipes that are delicious, nutritious, and approachable for the whole family.

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