I know it’s February, but I’m sharing spring rolls. The past few days haven’t felt like deep winter: the sun has been warm on my face, tiny buds are appearing on tree branches, and at 6 p.m. there’s still light in the sky. It won’t be spring for long—there’s more skiing to do—but the hints of warmer weather have me craving fresh, crisp flavors. Spring rolls deliver both. Fill delicate rice paper wrappers with whatever you like—there are no strict rules. I love avocado and shrimp, and I often skip vermicelli noodles that are commonly used.
When making fresh spring rolls, a few tips help: have all fillings prepped ahead of time, work quickly with the wrappers, and keep finished rolls covered with a damp paper towel if you’re making several. Rice paper feels delicate but is surprisingly forgiving—you can pull it snugly around the fillings without tearing if you handle it gently. If this is your first time, watching a short tutorial on rolling technique can be helpful.
I made a simple peanut dipping sauce to accompany these rolls, though a Thai sweet chili sauce is another great choice. If you like fresh, crunchy dishes, try crab salad, Greek salad, Niçoise salad, or shrimp tacos for similar bright flavors.
Fresh Spring Rolls with Shrimp and Peanut Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
For the Peanut Dipping Sauce:
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha or to taste
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
For the Spring Rolls:
- 9 medium raw shrimp peeled and deveined
- salt
- white vinegar
- 6 round rice paper sheets
- 6 leaves small romaine lettuce
- 2 carrots scrubbed and sliced into matchsticks
- 1/2 cucumber peeled and sliced into matchsticks
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 cup cabbage very thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup basil leaves very thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves very thinly sliced
- 1 avocado peeled, pitted, and very thinly sliced
Instructions
For the Peanut Dipping Sauce:
- Whisk lime juice, peanut butter, and honey together in a small bowl until the honey dissolves. Stir in the remaining ingredients until smooth. Serve immediately or refrigerate until needed.
For the Spring Rolls:
- Bring a skillet about half full of salted water to a boil—just enough to cover the shrimp—and add a splash of vinegar. Cook the shrimp until pink and opaque, then remove with a slotted spoon and rinse briefly under cold water to cool. Slice each shrimp in half lengthwise and set aside.
- Wet a paper towel with cold water, squeeze out excess, and place it on your serving tray to keep finished rolls from drying.
- Fill a shallow bowl or pie plate with hot (not boiling) water.
- Dip one rice paper sheet in the hot water about 5 seconds or until pliable. Lay it on a smooth work surface. Place a lettuce leaf near the center and top with about 1/6 of each filling, finishing with the shrimp halves. Avoid overfilling.
- Fold the long edge of the wrapper over the filling, then fold each end inward and press gently. Roll tightly until the wrapper overlaps and the filling is enclosed. Transfer seam-side down to the prepared tray and cover with the damp paper towel. Repeat with the remaining sheets.
- Serve the rolls with the peanut dipping sauce, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.